Ecotherapy for All

[Featured image description: A forest green graphic with a faint white outline framing white script text. It reads, “What energizes me? What do I bring to the table?” There is an icon of a wood cross-section of a tree trunk in the bottom left corner of the image.]

My journey with ecotherapy began with research, exploration, and connecting with those who are leading development of ecotherapy programs around the world. What is so beautiful about this work is that the longer I am immersed in it, the more connections I form: Roots diving deeper into history and research, mycorrhizal networks connecting me with experts and advocates, and branches stretching to provide care for others.

One of these connections led me to a campus ecotherapy project with the Center for Urban Ecology (coming soon!), which then led me to become part of the Mental Health America Young Mental Health Leaders Council, which THEN led me to be in conversation with Wawa Gatheru, the founder of Black Girl Environmentalist (along with many other roles and accolades!). During the Our Future in Mind Mental Health Summit, I had the opportunity to learn from her during our session Healthy planet, healthy mind: Understanding climate change and mental health.

We talked about the different roles that each of us play in movements like mental health advocacy or climate justice. One tool that helped me learn about advocacy and avoiding burnout is Deepa Iyer’s Social Change Ecosystem Map, which outlines some of these different roles.

This model was echoed by a “Activating Your Environmentalist Passion: Finding Your Activist Niche” training I did with Polly Barks before she stepped back from her platform. The program emphasized overcoming burnout by honing in on your own passions and strengths, rather than only performing the activist roles we see highlighted on social media. Not everyone is an influencer (here’s looking at us, introverts!) nor should they be–and these models demonstrate how builders, caregivers, and storytellers are vital to bringing change too.

An especially important part of the “Finding Your Activist Niche” training was an exercise where we created a scale of action steps, ranging from what’s attainable on days you feel like a superhero, to what you can do on days you just want to curl up in a ball. We broke down enormous, vague, “save the world” goals into concrete actions. This made activism and advocacy more inclusive for group members who experienced chronic pain or mental health challenges, so that we could fight overwhelm, anxiety, and guilt to take action steps that custom fit our emotional state that day.

As we raise awareness about ecotherapy’s benefits and highlight the intersections of mental health and climate change, I invite you to consider these questions about your own involvement:

• What energizes me?
• What strengths do I bring to the table?
• How can I combine these to make a difference in my community?

I can’t wait to hear what you discover!