Susannah Garrett, BA
Eco-psychology is a relatively new field of psychology which explores the human relationship with Nature. Laurie Tarken, a well known health journalist, defines eco-psychology as the study of the relationship between “the human psyche and the natural environment”. Eco-psychology is based on the premise that people are bonded to nature in the same way they are bonded to their families.
Eco-psychologists believe that grief, despair and anxiety are the consequences of dismissing deeply rooted ecological instincts. In the last generation our reliance on technology has increased as we move further away from a direct rapport with nature.
Eco-psychologists believe that grief, despair and anxiety are the consequences of dismissing deeply rooted ecological instincts. In the last generation our reliance on technology has increased as we move further away from a direct rapport with nature.
Recently there have been a number of studies done on the study habits of college student measuring the influence of multi-tasking and focus. As they listen to their professor lecture, college students today are surfing the net, checking their social networks and instant messaging in both Facebook and Google, with their Iphones buzzing to signal the next incoming text or tweet. The brain can keep up, but it has become dependent on the flooding of stimulation in order to track. With this heightened field of stimulation multitasking feels natural, but studies show that information overload impairs focus, learning, and memory. What presents is a culture of moderate to severe attention deficit disorder. The Native Americans call this “Hurry Up Sickness.”
By disconnecting from our natural environment, we have become strangers to the natural world – our own world. This has challenged our sense of identity and in some more subtle ways has had a significant affect on our mental health. Recent studies have shown that spending time outside in a natural environment can be regenerating and restorative.
There are several key concepts in eco-psychology, one of them being biophilia.The biophilia hypothesis describes the existence of a genetically-based human need to affiliate with nature. E. O. Wilson, the Harvard biologist who proposed this hypothesis defines biophilia as “the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms. There is a human dependence on nature that extends far beyond the simple issues of material and physical sustenance; it includes the human craving for aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive, and even spiritual meaning and satisfaction.” With this hypothesis come some bold assumptions; the need to connect with nature is:
- Biologically based
- Part of our species’ evolution
- Part of giftedness
- Likely to increase the possibility for achieving individual meaning and personal fulfillment
- A motivating influence in the conservation of nature
Adventure therapy encompasses many aspects of eco-psychology. It brings the natural world into the psychotherapeutic process. It creates opportunities for direct contact with nature. Some of these experiences include:
- Mindful Sensory awareness of the natural world
- Animal-Human communication e.g. Equine Therapies
- Place Bonding
- Wilderness Retreats, adventure counseling
- Ropes courses
- Vision Quest
- Sweat Lodge
- Story Telling
- Art Therapy
- Talking Stick
- Trust-building exercises
Ropes courses have become popular in adventure therapy. By directly engaging a core fear such as fear of heights in supportive way, a well-run ropes course can be a significant and even transformative experience giving rise to a greater capacity for handling fear-type reactions in other settings. As part of our genetic makeup, humans have an innate inclination to climb into trees and move in heights and there can be a profound satisfaction with this process of overcoming these basic fears.
In the Wilderness experience, guides take groups of people into the woods for a week or two with the bare minimum of supplies. It forces the participants to use their five senses to work through their problems and often shakes them to the core in the process. As they move into their bodies, away from their heads, the metaphors for healing are in nature; Nature becomes the guide – Nature becomes the healer.
The use of trees and animals are a fundamental part of adventure therapy and ecotherapy. Building a relationship with an animal is very rewarding in many respects. For a person with an emotional, social or psychological disability, the trust and loyalty of an animal demonstrates to the person how important they are and that they may extend these attributes to personal relationships. The use of animals in therapy has been around for quite sometime. Creating a relationship with an animal whether it is dog, cat, bird, rodent, or reptile is a way of relating to the non-human world. It requires “a body-centered” sensitivity.
We are physical beings in a natural world. Adventure therapy works because it deepens the experience of “body” in the world. It conditions the five senses and it heightens our physical and emotional experience of nature. Facing the fear and vulnerability of our relationship with nature builds self esteem. This re-bonding with nature repairs our sense of basic trust. Fireside storytelling is the original therapy, bringing the whole community into therapy. In the silence of the night, with the crackling fire centered before us, we listen and respond to each other. If someone is in pain and needs help, the group supports them. Health is a group effort. It is a community experience. We learn to have relationships and rely on each other in a deep, meaningful way, the way nature relies on itself. Adventure therapy works because it is simple and it is natural, and the results are profound.
