EXPRESSIVE ARTS AND ECOTHERAPY 51
The field of ecotherapy
In this book ecotherapy is defined as the application of ecopsychology
to psychotherapeutic practice. However, defining ecotherapy is
confusing because the term is also used in a much broader way
to include a variety of related activities involving nature such as
wilderness adventures, outdoor therapy, horticulture therapy and
animal assisted therapy (Buzzell and Chalquist 2009; McGeeney
2016). From our theoretical perspective, ecotherapy necessarily
involves questioning assumptions about how we think about the
practice of therapy and how we live in the world.
Emergence of the field
The term ecotherapy was first used in 1996 by Howard Clinebell in
his pioneering work Ecotherapy: Healing Ourselves, Healing the Earth
in which he explores ecologically oriented ideas of personality,
spirituality and education. In 2009 Linda Buzzell and Craig Chalquist
published Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind , an edited work
involving major leaders in the field, exploring the interrelationship
of ecotherapy with spiritual development and building community.
Buzzell also founded the International Association for Ecotherapy.
Two recent works in the field of ecotherapy are With Nature in
Mind: The Ecotherapy Manual for Mental Health Professionals (McGeeney
2016) and the edited volume Ecotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice
(Jordan and Hinds 2016). McGeeney defines ecotherapy broadly and
includes a practical guide for numerous nature-based activities for
psychological wellbeing. This is a detailed guidebook for facilitating
nature-based sessions with a particular emphasis on mindfulness.
Jordan and Hinds present theoretical foundations for ecotherapy,
research on ecotherapy practices and multiple perspectives on
ecotherapy as psychotherapy.