A Look at the Ecotherapy Research Evidence

Abstract

Ecotherapy is an umbrella term for a gathering of techniques and practices that lead to circles of mutual healing between the human mind and the natural world from which it evolved. It includes horticultural therapy, wilderness excursion work, time stress management, and certain kinds of animal-assisted therapy. This article provides an overview of research into ecotherapy’s treatment efficacy and argues for a psychology of place designed to reconnect people psychologically with the world a place at a time.