Psychotherapy has traditionally occurred in office spaces and focused on issues that stop at the urban boundary. But with the growing impacts of climate-related anxiety and trauma, and mounting evidence that contact with nature has powerful psychological, emotional, and restorative benefits, more clinicians are turning to the practice of ecotherapy to help their clients heal.
Ecopsychology pioneer Patricia Hasbach provides an ecotherapy model for mental health professionals looking to incorporate the natural world into their work.
- An overview that highlights the theoretical foundations of ecotherapy, the importance of expanding the context care to include ecological systems, and reviews current research on the benefits of nature interactions.
- A practice of ecotherapy section that covers topics that examine the development of an environmental identity and the concept of the ecological Self.
- A practical considerations section that covers a wide range of topics including challenges and ethical considerations unique to ecotherapy, various forms of ecotherapy, and special populations where ecotherapy can be especially effective treatment.
Whether you are interested in moving therapy sessions outdoors, writing nature prescriptions for clients, or bringing the outdoors into your office, here you'll find practical strategies that will broaden the lens of your therapeutic practice to include the vital human-nature relationship.