A Review of Peter H. Kahn, Jr., and Patricia H. Hasback. Ecopsychology:  Science, Totems, and the Technological Species, by John Scull, Ph.D.

John’s review begins:

“There is a confusing tangle of words about the several psychological disciplines related to the environment – environmental psychology, ecological psychology, conservation psychology, human ecology.  It is not just confusing for outsiders:  When communicating among themselves, psychologists need to explain what they mean because different writers have used these words in different ways.  These diverse fields all have one common feature; they are in the mainstream of academic social psychology.  They all privilege experiments and other controlled quantitative research over qualitative research and they elevate all kinds of research above anecdotal evidence, clinical experience, opinion, narrative, and philosophy.

Ecopsychology has come from different traditions.  The diverse pioneers in the field arrived at ecopsychology from humanistic and transpersonal psychology, experiential environmental education, scientific ecology, systems thinking, and deep ecology.  As a result, the field has been much more interdisciplinary than the inclusion of  “psychology” in the coined word suggests.”

Download this pdf for the rest …

A man stands on open ground.  His arms stretched wide, his chest lifted, his head tossed back.  Facing skyward he hangs by the spider threads of creation.  He hangs by mere light beams of the sun.

Nobody forgets this young man.  Nobody forgets the earth warrior.  He watches over the continent of Turtle Island.

Elders gather to chant and remember.  Women come around making circle, to wail and moan, and to shed tears.  Children stand by, silent in awestruck wonder.

The peoples’ eyes are on face of the young man.  The peoples’ eyes are looking into the earth warrior.  A cry goes out over the land, and is answered by rumbling thunder.

Facing skyward, ribbons of shadow, like cords of leather, paint dark stripes of ages and ancestry across his body—shadows lashing the glow of golden skin. He hangs by light beads clinging to threads of whispers.

Sun comes down now, parenting to dance within him.  People are like straw before this vision.  People are like candles in the wind.

Nobody forgets this young man.  Nobody forgets the earth warrior.  He watches over the continent of Turtle Island.

When moon is full, when moon spills over, the dancer dreams.  When dawn returns, he walks the Earth.  In those footsteps, blood of sacrifice.  In those footsteps, sweat of suffering.  In those footsteps, brightness of the Red Path rekindles.  In those footsteps, offerings, and sweetness of honey.

This Is
by David Sparenberg

Behold
I am here
This is my life
The pain and sorrow
All
The love and joy
All
Wandering and discovery
The loss and recovery

Behold
I am standing
Behold
I do walking
Dance of creation
I dance
I am dancing
Drum of creation
Drums deep in my heart

Out over the Earth
I go walking
Out over the Earth
I go dreaming
Out over the Earth
I go praying

Behold
I am walk
Behold
I am dream
Behold
I am prayer
I am here
This is my life

We cannot talk about greening
without talking about peace
We cannot talk about peace
without talking about justice
We cannot talk about justice
without addressing injustice
We cannot speak of injustice with integrity
without talking about the problems of injustice
such as race and poverty, exploitation
and so on.

We cannot talk about the problems
without talking about indifference to suffering
We cannot talk about indifference to suffering
without examining the labyrinth of violence
We cannot speak of violence
without talking about hatred
We cannot talk about hatred
without talking about fear
We cannot talk about fear
without addressing the mutuality of vulnerability
and the given condition of relatedness.
We cannot talk about greening of the planet
without talking about egocentricity and greed
We cannot speak honestly of this awareness
without acknowledging the bitter fruit of arrogance
without recognizing the healing significance of humility
and compassion.

No talking of self
without talking with otherness
No speaking of where we should be
without embracing where we are
No words about the play upon the world stage
without coming to terms
with the global village players
No emotional exchange with our players
without an emotional attachment
to the playing field
No meeting here with our masks on
no falling into the fatality of silence
For it is paramount that we speak of greening
and short of extinction
that we talk of peace.

Because of its relative newness, many people are not aware of ecotherapy nor do they have an understanding of it. I have recently completed two outreach efforts to broaden the public’s understanding and appreciation of this emerging field. I’d welcome any feedback about either of them, available through the hotlinks below.

The first is an overview lay article about ecotherapy published in Inner Tapestry, a free holistic journal available in New England. Article summary: Some of us have intuitively known the healing power of nature—and research is proving us right. A look at the emerging field of ecotherapy, which promotes mutually beneficial relationships between people and nature, helps us understand more about its benefits, possible reasons, and our role in the process.

Also, I was interviewed about ecotherapy on our local access channel 15 on Comcast. I covered much of the same material as in the article and provided an example of how we are all connected with each other and the rest of the planet.

Bio: EcoTherapist Beth Lapin brings 20 years experience as a field biologist and an equal amount as a social worker — and master’s degrees in both – along with decades of experience leading outdoor excursions and therapeutic groups. She conducts ecotherapy workshops and sessions in southern New England. You can email Beth at Beth@HealingNatureCT.com.

Would you like to feel as good in your daily life as you do when you spend time outside or with a pet? Learn how you can create moments that let Earth teach.

Dr. Theresa Sweeney, pioneer of Eco-Art therapy, author and Dean of the Applied Ecopsychology program at Akamai University, has launched a new online accredited class and certification program in Eco-Art Therapy, a scientifically proven way of restoring balance, deepening connection, and adding more joy and meaning to one’s life and the lives of others.

In the program she introduces fun, practical art and nature activities that anyone can use and teach to increase personal, social and environmental well being. You do not need to be an artist to take the class… It is not about learning art skills, but rather uses the creative process of art-making as a tool for expanding awareness and accessing your innate natural intelligence. Certification contributes potent extra benefits to any therapy, profession or healing practice. CEU credit is also available through Portland State University.

For more information see www.ecoarttherapy.com or email Dr. Sweeney at keleka (at) frontiernet (dot) net.

* * * * * *

Dr. Theresa Sweeney is an experienced Eco-Art Therapist, educator, artist and author of Owl Winks and Forest Songs – Finding Wellness in Nature’s Wisdom. Her interest is on infusing traditional psychology with nature-based practical learning and art. She works to promote self-knowledge and growth through a unique set of experiential art and nature activities, which she developed and continues to refine. She is Dean of the Applied Ecopsychology Department at Akamai University, Hilo, Hawaii, and offers CEU credit on online accredited certification in Eco-Art Therapy. She writes a column about the art of nature-connecting in the journal Stone Voices.

Tree Marriage
by William Meredith

In Chota Nagpur and Bengal
the betrothed are tied with threads to
mango trees, they marry the trees
as well as one another, and
the two trees marry each other.

Could we do that some time with oaks
or beeches? This gossamer we
hold each other with, this web
of love and habit is not enough.
In mistrust of heavier ties,

I would like tree-siblings for us,
standing together somewhere, two
trees married with us, lightly, their
fingers barely touching in sleep,
our threads invisible but holding.

from Effort at Speech. © Northwestern University Press, 1997

photo by Amy Lenzo

Some years ago Michael Aleksiuk submitted a pdf of his book ‘Billy Beaver: An Environmental Allegory‘ to Gatherings.  Its premise is that the human striving for status is at the psychological roots of environmental degradation. This ‘children’s story’ has been heartily endorsed by academics and scholars worldwide as a breakthrough in understanding. It is still available in the Gatherings Archives of Jan 05 – December 05.

All those years ago Solomon Benatar was invited to write a foreword to ‘Billy Beaver’ and he tracked us down so that we can include his foreword here with the original story; download and read his work here: Billy Beaver Foreword.

“If you are divided from your body, you are also divided from the body of the world which then appears to be other than you or separate from you rather than the living continuum to which you belong”
~ From New Self New World, by Philip Shepherd

The quote comes from Parisian Pierre Goirand, who sends out an always-brilliant weekly quote to his mailing list.