WHAT IS ECOTHERAPY?

Caroline Brazier says…

Ecotherapy as a term covers a very broad range of activities whose common element is mostly, but not entirely, that they are intentionally beneficial to mental health and that they involve going outdoors. Beneath this very broad umbrella, we can include counsellors and psychotherapists who choose to see their clients outside, but also a wide range of mental health activities from therapeutic horticulture to wilderness retreats; equine therapies to mountain walking. Despite the differences and confusions inherent in such variety, in my view, this cornucopia of styles and practices creates a rich milieu in which, if we can avoid the protectionist attitudes sometimes prevalent in other therapeutic arenas, there is a possibility for fruitful exchanges and the cross-fertilisation of ideas and practices. Eco-systems are complex, messy and fertile and in many ways the field of ecotherapy is itself an ecosystem with many diverse components which, when it is at its healthiest, offers huge scope for mutual support and creativity.

This said, it is important that we look to the underpinning values of our field. Mono-cultures rarely thrive, and if eco-therapy is simply about human benefit, it will soon outgrow its fertility. There is a danger of importing the ills of the modern world which are at root the causes of many mental health problems into our work as we mirror the dynamics of consumption and delineation of territory in our work environments.

True mental health is a product of our interconnections, not just with other humans but with the wider ecosystems that we inhabit, living in honest relationship with the soil of our planet and with other species. Writer and ecotherapist Linda Buzzell writes of level one and level two ecotherapy. Level one ecotherapy is concerned with using nature to human benefit, a kind of consulting room outdoors approach in which nature becomes the resource for our mental wellbeing. Level two on the other hand is concerned with mutuality and finding our place in the ecosystem in a way that is respectful and mutually beneficial. I think that this model offers a picture of the human dilemma facing many of us who work outdoors. For myself, I think that whilst what we offer as therapists to others often seems to sit more in the level one field because our clients and their needs are our central focus and concern, it is important that we ourselves are firmly rooted in the level two attitudes, embracing into our practice a wider vision of context and a more provisional hold on anthropo-centric values.

Fairlie Winship says…..

Ecotherapy is a nature-based approach to healing that can include a wide range of therapeutic practises such as walk and talk therapy, horticultural therapy, wilderness therapy and outdoor adventure to name a few. It relates to the outdoor environment as a healing space in which the senses are engaged and there is movement. It is a shared experience between client and therapist, and natural objects may be used to facilitate the therapeutic process.

Ecotherapy is also implicitly working at a deeper healing level, which this training underscores. Applying an eco psychology to therapeutic practise, Ecotherapy recognises humanity as a part of the ecosystem, where our own healing is reflected in the healing of nature and vice versa. Understanding our interconnectivity within the ecosystem presents a perceptible framework for us to experience ourselves as a part of the continuity of nature within which every part weaves together.  

Thus the ecosystem provides a unique opportunity to experience self and other as we bring to awareness the symbiosis of relating and being alive: by observing nature, noticing ourself in nature and developing awareness of how we relate to. From this we can develop secure attachments with all of life, reconnect with our own beingness and find healing, all of which inter-relate with and contribute to a larger healing process in the world around us.

Stephen McCabe says…

Ecotherapy defines any activity that connects people with nature for the good of their mental health and wellbeing, and for the good of the planet too. The sense of utter awe at nature’s power, beauty and mystery that ecotherapy inspires is what we tap into. As an ecotherapy practitioner, I trust that my clients’ renewed love for nature will lead to a healthier relationship with it, and with themselves.

A gardener who mindfully works with a group of people to grow new life is practising ecotherapy. A meditation teacher who guides soothing nature-based visualisations is practising ecotherapy. A counsellor who explores outdoor environments with their clients is practising ecotherapy. Sitting alone at home and listening intently to the sound of the rain is a kind of ecotherapy, too. Ecotherapy is an umbrella term. Nature is the therapist.

Making space for nature within our minds is key. Inviting nature into our imaginations, meditations and conversations is as important as going outdoors. What can we read, listen to, meditate on or create that connects us with this beautiful planet? Folk tales, art and poetry all play a part.

Lighting a candle can be a mundane task to provide some light, or a spiritual moment that connects us with the energy of the Sun. What is happening within our minds as we light the wick?

Whilst practising ecotherapy outdoors is often the ideal, I am interested in the ways that we can make ecotherapy accessible for those who can’t always go outside, due to issues such as disability or extreme climate. If ecotherapy is to change people’s lives and the planet we share, it must be accessible. Technology doesn’t need to be a distraction; it can often help us to connect. I am excited by the ways in which the field of ecotherapy is growing, and I am honoured to be a part of the Ten Directions programme as it continues to evolve.