Ecotherapy
Now that I'm free to be me, who am I?
Mary Oliver, Blue Iris
What is ecotherapy?
Ecotherapy is an holistic therapy, a form of psychotherapy that upholds our intrinsic relationship with nature. It is a pathway to growth and recognises the bounty of who we already are.
It recognizes our deep connection with the more-than-human world, that our personal and cultural DNA is patterned by and reflected in nature; that we ARE nature. By re-establishing awareness of this connection, and integrating the healing power of nature into our growth and development, we come home to ourselves, to our wholeness, and thereby into relationship with the world around us. We come to find a greater sense of belonging and peace.​
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Rooting in nature helps us let go of 'stories', to plant deeper roots in the 'now world'. Ecotherapy helps us discover our intricate connection with source in all its forms.
When it might be useful
It can be beneficial to meet a variety of needs and for different stages of our life journey as we mature, find new directions and let go of old habits, perspectives and griefs.
Whatever the entry point may be -
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old or new traumas
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relationship strains
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loneliness or isolation
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mental health challenges
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spiritual challenges or yearnings
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environmental despair
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or simply the wish to dive deep, create new neural patterning
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open our hearts and thrive
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Through these sessions our senses become more attuned, our hearts soften, and we find a renewed sense of balance, clarity, calm, and direction. It is an unfolding, slow, and gentle process, and supports our integration.​
How we do it
Each person comes with their unique needs, longings and patterning. So how we 'walk' depends on what is needed - consciously and unconsciously. It is the therapist's role to listen and attune to the signals, and then together, we unfold through the process, bridging edges and plumbing to whatever depths the river flows. Nature is our reflection, and our guide.
Sometimes, we walk and talk in nature, and at others, we may sit and talk in a therapeutic space, or simply Sit. Sometimes, we explore our connection with nature in a creative way, through activities, or movement, or stillness. We dive into the deeper layers of ourselves finding the nature in our bones.
Through the process, we come to recognise the role nature has in our well-being and how our relationship with nature reflects the way we relate to others and the world around us.
The forest makes your heart gentle. You become one with it. No place for greed or anger there.
Pha Pachak
To walk in a wild place is to enter ..... wonder and discovery, where each step is an invitation to reconnect with the deeper currents of your life
Robert Macfarlane in The Old Ways, A Journey on Foot.
Ecotherapy as a professional practice
Ecotherapy is an emerging field of practice integrating nature into traditional therapeutic approaches.
Its foundations are ecopsychology and deep ecology from the 60s, and millennia of Indigenous traditions. It started in the 1990’s from concerns about the effects of urbanization on humans and our separation from the natural world.
Research has proliferated since then, consistently showing how exposure to the natural world can reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, a sense of stability, enhance overall well-being, and increase creativity and connection, with very specific physiological and emotional measures evidencing the improvement.
The increasing recognition of these benefits has led to more integrative approaches in therapeutic practices, namely ecotherapy and forest bathing or shinrin-yoku, animal assisted therapies, as well as other activities that incorporate nature in healing and wellbeing.
Governments and healthcare systems around the globe are beginning to incorporate and fund aspects of it into their services. As a result, professionals from various fields can potentially integrate ecotherapy activities into their work.
The credibility, reliability and direction of the practice depends on the experience and background of each practitioner. As in traditional therapy, it is necessary to match the depth of work required by the client with the appropriate background of the therapist.
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In this practice, I integrate nature as an entry point, and as a connection with Source. We recognise a reciprocal relationship, where humans and nature benefit each other from the connection. We find support, a constant 'other' with whom we can recalibrate attachment patterns, rest in solace, heal and become inspired by the beauty in which we walk, every day.