Abstract
This work reflects the strategies and outcomes from my newly crafted senior-level university course in Ecopsychology. As an interdisciplinary study of the relationship between humans and nature viewed through a psychological lens, Ecopsychology merges the fields of psychology, the study of the human mind, and ecology, the study of how natural forces interact with each other, in order to bring light on how humans and their natural environments act as a holistic unit. The desire was borne of realizing student disengagement with nature, continued reports of stress and anxiety from students, as well as a lack of feeling of connectedness or belonging. As a new academic course concept, I sought to include a broad view of nature from a variety of sources. Those would include ecologists, environmentalists, activists, corporation rewilding efforts, sustainability experts, along with the psychological understanding of our need for nature experiences. The very real issues of climate change and the subsequent experience of climate anxiety illustrate that knowledge of the problem alone is not sufficient to affect change. I sense that we cannot solve the environmental crisis that surrounds us without some kind of shift in consciousness. That is, we first have to understanding our connection to nature – and ultimately that we are nature. I discovered the transformational potential of experiential learning which includes natural settings found to foster deeper connections between students, the environment, and psychological concepts. During the semester students reported experiences of insight, environmental awareness, a sense of belonging and global connection.
Presenters
Moira MartinAssociate Professor, Psychology, Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Department, St. Edward's University, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Ecopsychology, Teaching Psychology, Experiential Learning, Nature, Environmental Awareness
