Ecopsychology explores the deep emotional connections between humans and the natural world, highlighting the importance of this relationship for personal and environmental well-being. Founded on insights about the interconnection between human and nature, the field seeks to heal this bond through psychological principles and practices, promoting sustainable lifestyles and greater environmental activism. Key principles include redefining mental health to encompass ecological concerns, integrating diverse cultural understandings, and advocating for social and environmental justice.

1. Ecopsychology studies the relationship between
human beings and the natural world
through ecological and psychological principles.
Theodore Roszak is credited with coining the term in
his 1992 book, The Voice of the Earth.
The field seeks to develop and understand ways of
expanding the emotional connection between
individuals and the natural world, thereby assisting
individuals with developing sustainable lifestyles
and remedying alienation from nature.

2. • According to Davis (2010), ecopsychology is
founded on three main insights:
• 1) humans and nature have a deeply bonded
relationship;
• 2) when humans and nature become dissociated
with each other, the result is suffering for both
the environment and people;
• 3) recognizing the relationship between people
and nature will lead to healing for both.

3. • Importance of Ecopsychology
• Ecopsychology is an area of study dedicated to an
examination of the emotional bonds that exist between
humans and the natural world.
• It seeks to understand the complexity of these bonds, and
suggests paths to healing the weakened connections
embedded in the human-nature relationship.
• Ecopsychology has the potential to bring concepts of
ecology into the field of psychology and to develop a
psychological perspective within the environmental
movement
• Bringing a psychological approach to environmental
activism may result in greater effectiveness. Specifically,
psychology can be applied to motivate individuals in taking
actions that benefit the environment.
• Psychology can be used to discourage individuals from
taking actions that adversely impact the environment

4. • The Nine Principles of Ecopsychology,
• 1. The Earth is a living system. Human beings are fundamentally
interconnected with the Earth and with all life. Neither the Earth’s
problems nor humanity’s problems can be resolved without taking
full account of this interconnection.
• 2. Ecopsychology seeks to heal the alienation between person and
planet, and establish a healthy relationship between the two. A key
element of this is recognizing that the needs of the person are the
same as the needs of the planet. The rights of the person are the
same as the rights of the planet.
• 3. Ecopsychology recognizes that human consciousness is intricately
involved in creating and maintaining the ecological crisis.
• 4. Ecopsychology calls for a new cosmology that embraces not only
scientific models and understandings, but also spiritual teachings,
ancient wisdom, and the non-Western knowledge of indigenous
cultures.
• 5. Ecopsychology calls for a profound revisioning of mental health
and human consciousness.

5. • 6. The drive to live in harmony with the natural world and
its rhythms is primal innate. Suppression of that drive is just
as disorienting and damaging as suppression of other
human needs.
• 7. The very notion of sanity must be redefined to include
our planetary home. Today’s psychology and psychotherapy
“stop at the city limits, as if the soul might be saved while
the biosphere crumbles” (Roszak). A healthy mature human
being naturally develops an ethical responsibility for the
Earth.
• 8. Ecopsychology utilizes a pluralistic epistemology and
methodology, drawing on mythological and archetypal
understandings, intuitive and emotional modalities,
scientific approaches, and spiritual practices.
• 9. Ecopsychology embraces the goals of gender equity
(equality between women and men; masculine and
feminine), racial equity (equality for non-white races), and
“cultural justice” (honoring and learning from non-Western
cultures and indigenous peoples of the world).