Eco Therapy
“I can’t stand to see another news report of wildfires, floods, or hurricanes destroying lives and habitats.”
“My heart breaks when I hear about species going extinct.”
“I lie in bed worrying about the future of this planet.”
“I talk about my climate-anxiety to others, but sometimes I feel so alone in this.”
Eco-grief and eco-Anxiety
The increasing awareness of how climate change and human interventions are negatively effecting our environment are triggering a growing sense of dread and grief.
Whether people are experiencing environmental damage and destruction indirectly through news and media, or by direct experience, many are left wondering how they can cope, and are fearful of what is in store for us as individuals, as humanity, and as an interconnected world.
When we are unable to deal with the dread, anxiety and sense of loss related to the environment, we may feel helpless, pessimistic and not know how to move forward from this.
the rise of eco-psychology
The current field of eco-psychology (the intersection between ecology and psychology) is working to address the psychological impact of Climate Change on our mental and emotional wellbeing.
It is important to note that feelings of anxiety and loss related to our environment are adaptive response: we are feeling exactly what we should be feeling in relation to a real danger.
When eco-grief and climate-anxiety are channeled and well-managed, they can be exactly what our world needs: these ‘eco-emotions’ can spur us to protect what we love and take the actions we need to ensure a safe future for ourselves, our communities, and future generations of human beings and other organisms that share this planet with us.
Unfortunately, however, we don’t always have the tools to manage these emotions: they may start to feel so overwhelming that they leave us paralised, unable to act, hopeless that anything can be done.
We may also experience loneliness and isolation around these emotions: we may feel misunderstood by others who don’t share what we are experiencing, or we may find that our friends and loved ones are just as overwhelmed as we are and it’s hard to find a way to support each other.
addressing Climate emotions
Fortunately, more and more people (including therapists) are coming together to work on the tools we need to develop awareness, strength and resilience. We are learning that the powerful emotions triggered by climate change can be channeled into transformative processes and positive action.
When it comes to emotions regarding the Earth, a mental-health professional can help you:
Share what you are going through with an understanding and empathetic other
Manage the overwhelm so you can channel your ‘emotional energy’ into positive actions
Overcome feelings of helplessness and guilt, finding ways to give back to the world you inhabit
Deepen your sense of connection and belonging to the more-than-human world
Transform eco-grief and eco-anxiety into a learning experience that you can share with others.
types of eco-therapy
Eco-therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that integrates our awareness and connection to the environment and the natural world with broader, evidence-based clinical practices, and can take on many different forms.
Here are some examples of what psychotherapy with an ecological emphasis can look like:
Eco-Identity and Eco-Emotions: Eco-therapy can look like traditional “talk therapy” in that it will help you explore different parts of yourself. In the case of eco-therapy, the focus of the sessions can be your experience of connection or separateness from nature and the emotions you experience as a consequence
One helpful theme to explore in this context is your eco-identity: how your view of yourself and nature has been shaped by your upbringing, your culture and your life experience. Having clarity about your eco-identity can help you understand yourself better and know how to take action.
Ecotherapy can also help you name, understand and manage the emotions you have around the topic of nature: from the more positive emotions (for example, sense of belonging, wonder, serenity, curiosity), to those that are harder to deal with (anxiety, grief, trauma, anger).
Walk and Talk Therapy: In Walk and Talk Therapy we take the session outside the four walls or the therapy room and go outdoors. If you are in the Milan area, this can look like meeting in a local park or just outside the city limits. If we are meeting remotely, we can choose a place for you to walk as we speak.
Walking and talking outdoors has shown tremendous potential to increase the efficacy of therapy - the physical exercise of walking in addition to the restorative effects and the sensory stimulation offered by natural environments can open up new cognitive and relational pathways in our nervous system, strengthening the potential for psychological growth.
Forest Bathing: Forest Bathing is a practice in which one intentionally takes in the sensations of being out in nature to nurture a sense of relaxation and wellbeing. In our sessions of Forest Bathing we walk together in a natural setting and I invite you to try out different types of exercises (similar to a mindfulness practice) so as to maximise the restorative benefits of being in contact with nature.
Eco-therapy Homework: There are many other ways to benefit from nature to build on our work between therapy sessions. Depending on the goals we set for therapy, we can decide what activities you might benefit from, taking inspiration from disciplines such as:
Wilderness Therapy - leaving your usual surroundings to engage in outdoor activities
Horticultural Therapy - gardening and other plant-based activities
Pet Therapy - intentionally spending time and interacting with a domestic animal
Who is EcoTherapy for?
I offer Nature Therapy sessions to anyone who wants deepen their connection to the natural world or is struggling with the emotions around the changes occurring in our environment.
Nature Therapy is not a one-size-fits all approach: together we can understand what your goals are and what resonates most with you so we can plot a course to help you achieve greater wellbeing in connection with the Earth.
Find Out More
If you’d like to find out more about eco-therapy, please get in touch.
You can also read up on my Eco-Psychology Workshops for groups.
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