Ecotherapy, also known as nature therapy, is the applied practice of the emergent field of ecopsychology. An ecotherapist understands that people are part of the web of life, and approaches clients from the perspective that our psyches are not isolated or separate from our environment. Some may even consider the natural world to have its own psyche, and as such, we foster a relationship of mutuality with the earth.

Connection with Earth: Core of Ecotherapy

       Connection with earth and its systems are at the core of ecotherapy. Ecotherapists believe that the earth has a self-righting capacity through complex systems of integrated balance, and that if we can harmonize with those systems, we will experience mental health. Personal well-being and planetary well-being are not separate from each other, and each must consider the needs of the other. In taking care of the earth, we care for ourselves. People’s lives are therefore seen as part of a greater system of interaction that includes both non-humans as well as human beings.