Ecopsychology – The healing power of nature

Introduction

Growing research has indicated the beneficial effect of natural environments on psychological well-being, good health and efficient healing. In a study of 2000 people, led by the Mathew White university of Exeter, found that people who spend two hours a week either once or over several spread are likely to report good health and mental wellness than those who are not. The study also showed no benefits, who didn’t meet the threshold of two hours.

The effect was found across different communities from poor to rich, ethnic groups, occupations, illness and disabilities.

Studies have shown that nature has a great healing power: it is the antidote for stress, regulate blood pressure, balance hormones, stabilize the nervous system, enhance the functioning of the immune system, boost self-esteem, improve moods and reduce anxiety.

The reduced Attention deficit disorder and aggression in natural environments also aids in the rate of healing.

A unit of psychiatric researchers also found that natural surrounding can lift mood, increase in physical activity, promote calmness and the feelings of Social Connectedness.

 

Ecopsychology

Ecopsychology as the definition is the study of relationship “human psyche and the natural environment” (Laurie Tarkan, 1997).

The psychologist believed that human has an affinity to nature, his innate love for the environment and there is a need to uncover it.

Similar to Sigmund Freud’s unconscious, ecopsychology has “ecological unconscious” that makes people” “guilty about overconsumption” (Miller, 1994).

It is built over in every human in need to be uncovered. The patten “ecological ego” follow that motivates individuals to be accountable for the environment (Honora Kineavy, 1996).

 

Three types of action: Inreach, Upreach, Outreach

Clinebell (1996) described all three terms as, preach in which nature open an individual’s self to nurture it. Upreach is to “motivate and empower us through energizing spiritual awareness”.

Finally, outreach is people’s participation in activities to help save the environment.

All three-component work together in an ecological cycle that forms a healthy relationship between the human and natural world. To bring an action in work, Ecopsychologist uses ecotherapy.

The goal of the therapy is to promote growth as well as healing.

 

Five steps in ecotherapy

First people are invited to tell their ecological story in their way. It can be positive or negative or mix. This will start the process of diagnosis.

The next step is to make them fully aware of and express their feeling (pleasant or painful) about their natural environment.

In the third step, people are encouraged to strengthen their sense of belongingness with nature nurturing themselves in nature deeply.

Then the fourth step is to create energy and motivation of a person to generate eco-bonding.

This step is to encourage the person to reciprocate this affiliation in earth-caring activities to heal the earth. The whole process will generate hope in the person.

The last step to persuade the person to create a “self-care fitness plan” which also includes earth caring dimension. This plan is also known as “self-earth care plan” (Clinebell, 1996).

 

Types of ecotherapy

Ecotherapy consists of different types of treatment. Each person must decide his/her type of treatment.

Ecological consciousness-raising is one of them where ecological consciousness is built through reading books, watching videos or other different types of environmental education methods.

Other types of psychological approach such as projective methods, includes storytelling, picture drawing, poetry writing, photography, music performance and other thematic apperception test are used.

 

Horticulture therapy

Horticulture is one of the ecopsychological treatment originated in ancient Egypt.

It covers four area of growths: cognitive growth due to increased self-awareness, psychological growth in which individual feels more productive and useful, social growth as working together in a small group to reach a collective goal and physical growth in which he/she feel the safe environment as well.

 

Wilderness treatment

This treatment invigorates the five senses by exposing to nature over a longer period of time and bring a person to its core.

A group of people is taken into the woods for a week or two with minimum assets.

It is reported that people who talked about cultural things such as jobs, friends and family come with a sense of natural phenomena such as seeing sunlight, smelling the earth and birds sounds.

It is found that about 90 per cent of participants reported an increased sense of vitality and energy after coming from wilderness excursion.

 

Use of Trees and Animals

Both trees and animals are used as two different therapy.

Treating plants as a friend, touching, hugging or planting build a good relationship with it. This task helps a person to relate nature through the “tree friend”.

The animal provides a positive insight into the non-human world, used in therapy for many years. The friendships with animals led to increasing in cognitive, social and motor skills to meet the challenges of life.

Research shows a decrease in loneliness and more physical activities. Patients, when started with garden and pets, used 50 per cent fewer prescriptions.

 

Eco education

Most people involved with ecopsychology through eco-education.

It provides a platform to deepen their relationship with the natural environment. It motivates people to introspect their lifestyle in order to express their eco-friendly living.

Clinebell (1996) arguing eco-education across all people, even children stating that the “primary way of preventing earth-alienation, the cause of destructive ecological lifestyles”.

 

Conclusion

Ecopsychology focuses on fixing problems of both human and natural earth.

It is based on the principle to understand nature in the new style of environmentalism.

Both human population and nature can sustain in the earth through eco-education and ecotherapy. Ecopsychology is a great combination of ecology and psychology that allows each person to design a new world for humans and animals.

It is a new way to save the planet from overuse and exploitation.

 

References

Clinebell, Howard. (1996). Ecotherapy: Healing ourselves, healing the Earth. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

Honora Kineavy, Catherine. (1997). Ecopsychology: connecting our mental health to our environmental behaviour.

Miller, D. Patrick. (1994). The Voice of the Earth. The Sun, 220, 6-10.

Tarkan, Laurie. (1997). Nurtured by Nature. Shape, 16 (7), 32.

 

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