Foundation Two- January 2019

[Sandy Shea]

Foundation Two—Initial Post

As an ecopsychologist I recognize that nothing is able to be separate from anything else. Thus, ecopsychology—and the premise that, as Roszak puts it “we are sympathetically bonded to the earth”—must also include and fully encircle what we term ‘coaching.’ In nature-centered coaching, a big part of what I seek is to hold space for a reciprocal relationship to occur—to allow the native intelligence of that earth-bonded client to be called forth and re-discovered through their immersive experience in nature. In the same way, as ecopsychologists we seek our own non-verbal experiential immesion with nature, and, open ourselves, as Davis and many others have stated, to self-transcendence and a state of non-duality. Almaas calls it the The Ground of All Being. Ospensky called this the ‘unspeakable truth’, and this seems to fit well with how I view life and within that, how I experience being a nature-centered coach in nature with a client. It is firstly, an experience, a felt knowing not easily translatable to words. Much of what we think we know about nature is nothing but words, concepts, ideas. As Alan Watts points out, words about nature are not nature, any more than the finger pointing at the moon becomes the moon itself. Much of what we have come to know as ‘talk therapy’ fails precisely because it is talk/word-centered, and not of our own true nature as experienced life, as an organic inner knowing (not an outward telling). As Davis referenced, when he asked his students to cultivate an inner knowing by “becoming the eyes of nature perceiving itself”, radical changes in self-perception followed.

When I cross the threshold with a client and they enter nature with an internalized and explicit deeper need, we both, coach & client, have the potential to experience a timeless time of deep ceremony that has it’s own meaning, based on our psychic entwining with mother earth. The inner wilderness of our client begins to merge and become one with the outer wilderness. The information that comes to a client during such a non-dual state will be unique to their psychic needs, and thus will often be profoundly meaningful for them. As Kaplan & Talbot (in Davis 1998) state, “both the environment and the self are newly perceived and seem newly wondrous”.

Holding skillful space so the client can encounter a vastly enlarged and connected version of themselves, and for them to then feel it to be the same as the planetary ecological unconscious— to be of one mind with, and in fact to be and feel as nature itself —is so much of what nature-connected coaching is all about.

Where ecopsychology may fall short is helping to define where we are within the structure of ceremony, where we need to go next, and how to get there. This falls into the realm of good guiding/coaching. For instance, knowing when to draw the client out of this place of deep nature awareness with a few words and invite them to go even deeper, or when to remain still and let the process unfold for us both—this is part of the art of deep listening that I am just beginning to grasp. Watching body language, how the client moves across the landscape, watching the time, or the weather—all these attunements are necessary to being a good nature-connected coach. Rogers details many pitfalls that also fall squarely within the coaching realm: rescuing, advice-giving, leading or suggestive questions, psychologizing, or judging the client are all human traits that we as coaches must do our best to avoid if we are to serve the client’s need to attain a sense of wholeness and agency in their own lives. And the skillful use of succinct, open-ended questions, asked at the right time, has more to do with great coaching, than the application of ecopsychology.

[Daniel Brisbon]

Wow Sandy. I feel this topic and discussion is right in your “sweet spot”! Your awareness of how these two modalities, ecopsychology and NCC, can blend together seems to be on a very attuned level. What I noticed in your post is the simplicity you see in the whole process. Having your own agenda or expectations to the process for yourself and your client can only get in the way of nature’s role.

And the way in which you see your role as a coach in this space with a client is right on point with what we will be exploring in the Gestalt module. Only when we get out of our own head and our own agenda can we truly attune to the client and what they are communicating non-verbally in the present moment. And that is how deep listening shows up as a Nature Connected Coach. It’s being able to read and attune to all the signs and signals you are receiving from your surroundings.

[Adriana McManus]

Sandy,
I like how you brought up the value of “being in relationship” with both coach and nature. I think that man is not meant to work or exist alone both in the fact that we need to see ourselves to evolve and to love. It makes me think of that quote “know thyself and know god.” It seems so important to experience oneself in this universe. I also liked what you said about the wilderness within. I believe our outer world is a mirror for our inner world. Our mind is always trying to make sense of our tangled universe of neurons. It is like a jungle. When we look outward, we try to untangle our thoughts through meaning and connection. I’d also like to think we are the microcosm of the macrocosm.

[taylor.j.short]

Initial Post 3/5

Where does Ecopsychology and Coaching come together? How does this blend add foundation to your interests as a Nature-Connected Coach. How might it fall short? What skills are needed?
First of all, I must say that while I haven’t finished all of the readings, I am FASCINATED. I love to hear about the reasoning behind the why people aren’t environmentally friendly in the article A Psyche as Big as the Earth. While I was down the path originally in pointing out all that was wrong with our planet, I personally burnt out and lost hope in humanity. After I took a step back and reassessed, I realized if I wanted to sustain, I would have to adopt a more heartfelt approach and this article backs it up. It’s no wonder people can’t hear us – they are hearing shame. And shame is a deeply painful emotion to experience. That was a great article for me to read.
The marriage that I see with ecopsychology and coaching is almost the reasoning behind what is happening, healing and plans to move forward. The ecopyschology portion of it looks at why we do what we do and works to bring that to awareness to heal. Coaching really looks from present moment forward. So, in my opinion it is a match made in heaven and every time I read something about ecopsychology it hones in my personal beliefs I have had my entire life before I dove into these readings. So much so that I would love to look further into ecopsychology – and I will, but if I go back to school one more time my husband will leave me. Kidding of course, but it is so intriguing.
However, I have already written down copious amounts of notes that I can use in order to pull from the amazing research uncovered in ecopsychology to help me market and create the messaging around my business. Pain points for my ideal clients to help them alleviate and navigate some of those.
I do see how the nature connected coaching comes in to address goals moving forward and how people aspire to be. So this for me, would be working with some of those reasons to why they aren’t environmentally friendly and work with their goals to help them get to where they want to me. I do feel if you wanted to do full picture, you would need the ecopsychology training and skills, but I do think there is a beautiful way to bring in some of this even without the training. I am so looking forward to continuing on with this subject.

[Daniel Brisbon]

Taylor, it sounds like this topic is opening some new powerful insights in this work! When I am exploring a new area of learning, such as ecopsychology, I like to look for some key concepts or tools that I can start practicing right away. For example, I would be curious to hear what big takeaways you are getting from the reading you have read on this topic? What is lighting you up and inspiring you?

Sounds like this can be a fun and exciting time for discovery and exploration and I look forward to hearing what comes up for you!

[taylor.j.short]

Thanks Daniel! I love the logic and reasoning and understanding behind WHY people may not (seem) care about the earth. It helps bring up more awareness for me on how to meet people where they are and the root of the problem rather than the symptoms.

[Sandy Shea]

Hi Taylor,
I share your enthusiasm for Ecopsychology! Having gone through the Naropa program, I find i need constant re-acquaintance with these types of thoughts as culture’s SO strongly oriented in the opposite direction. I am thinking about your comment “It’s no wonder people can’t hear us – they are hearing shame.” I feel that my own experience as an environmental activist was one of self-rigtheously trying to get others to feel shame, and failing almost all of the time b/c my attitude put them off, AND they weren’t connected to nature in a way so they could feel personally responsible for (and deeply connected to) something that seems outside of and totally separated from us. I did burn out, and Ecopsychology has become my life line for sanity and hope.

I often think about indigenous wisdom, and the fact that our western culture of nature domination is only a few hundred years old, versus several thousand years for many older cultures living in intimate connection with the land. Mental illness and levels of personal angst are very low in such cultures… This fact alone helps me see how far off track our present culture is, and helps point the way back to some practices and ways of perceiving (those ‘meta-states” Lisa referenced) to help us get into that right-relationship with nature. Thanks for your post!

[taylor.j.short]

Sandy,

Isn’t it so enlightening? To learn more about where this is all coming from and why it could be this way? For me, there is a revitalized sense of hope. And also continues to prove that compassion and understanding always prevail. Thank you for your response!

[Melissa Johnson]

Taylor,

I am right there with you. Reading about all of this has really opened up my eyes to ecotherapy and additional schooling for it. I’d love to just learn and absorb as much knowledge about it as possible. Coaching focusing on the present moment really ties it all together for me. So many times I have seen therapists that focus on the past, or the future, but never the present. Thanks for your post =)

[Ben Marchman]

Initial Post

Loved the readings! These readings helped me really define the Eco-psychology piece more in my life. Even though I don’t have a psychology background I can really relate to Eco-Psychology a little more after these readings.
Coming from a teaching and Ecology background The Nature Connected Coaching practice provides a great pathway for me in life since it just jives so well with my calling. But now when I read more of Eco-Psychology and put more of it into practice I am just fascinated in how well it links into what I do.

While coaching meets people in the present moment and its structure is behind ceremony I feel that Eco-Psychology is the same pathway. They are both working with the Eco-Consciousness and that we are all connected to something much bigger in life.

Can’t wait to read more of these articles and readings!

[Melissa Johnson]

Bearded Ben,

I completely agree with you. A lot of the principles of ecopsychology were things I may have subconsciously thought about but never realized how well it links together with our life calling. I also don’t have a background on psychology but can see how all this information really helps tie in Nature Connected Coaching on a different, more educated level. The more we can learn about it, the more we can help others through with it.

[Adriana McManus]

We are nature. Simply put. I don’t think we can be anything but nature given the world we have grown up on. This is something that I have always known but the article “Where Psyche Meets Gaia” really helped bring this home for me. From what I have read, Freud, that backbone of psychology, seemed to have a rather grim view of human evolution. According to him, we are nothing but star dust. An element on the periodic table. He described nature “is eternally remote. She destroys us-coldly, cruelly, relentlessly.” Freud kept nature and humans in their own separate bubble.

In contrast, biochemist James Lovelock and microbiologist Lynn Margulis thought of the connection between humans and nature as one living organism. I agree more with this theory vs the Freud’s thoughts that nature and people are separate. Even though we have built houses and factories, earth is still our HOME. I think many have forgotten that we are completely dependent on the welfare of this planet (at this point). The air we breathe, the food we grow, everything we build is because of mother earth. I like to think of our relationship with nature as more like mother and child. It nurtures us, whether in our conscious thoughts or not.

I would go beyond this and say that our connection to nature is written in our DNA. There are numerous articles suggesting that our DNA is mutated by life events such as war and trauma. Why wouldn’t our DNA be affected by our evolution and relationship to our environment? Generations of tribes have lived in close contact with nature and have depended on it for their survival. It is woven throughout mythology and stories so why not it in our very bones. How in the WORLD can humans be separate from nature?

Coaching is a very useful tool for self-inquiry and self-actualization. Although it is not psychotherapy, it works with the psyche and it can help individuals realize what is inhibiting self-growth. When working with people, a coach is inevitable going to be working with the mind and emotions. Where coaching falls short is in the fact that coaches are not psychotherapist and an individual who is suffering from mental illness or trauma may have to be referred to someone who is. That is one of the reasons why coach boundaries and ethics are so important. The coach will need honesty, good questioning and listening skills to find out about the client.

How ecopsychology comes together with coaching is in that understanding that nature is part of humanity and seems to be therapeutic in healing. I don’t think the connection can be pinned on one thing but many things in nature human interaction. Emotional connection to living things and our home may only be part of it. Maybe it is written in our DNA. I know personally that when I am receiving coaching with nature, I feel more whole and complete. My self-limited beliefs get interrupted and I am immersed in the world. I find it comforting to see the world, feel it, and know that it is a constant in my life. It is what it is and that is how I want to feel in life. True, natural and unaffected by lies or beliefs.

[Ben Florsheim]

Adriana, I feel that this a simple yet complex question. The more I keep it simple the easier it is for me. Thank you for your post.

[Sandy Shea]

Hi Adrianna,
i appreciated your emphasis on DNA. When put in this way, it seems so obvious in a Western scientific way that we ARE nature and that no separation is possible. So, this physical relationship is made more real–it’s not an airy fairy thing, or a spiritual thing, its a scientific fact. Somehow this perspective helps me feel more solid in the idea that we are nature, and allows me to feel that wholeness in myself and with my surroundings is already a fact, I just need to tap into that deep belief more often. Thanks for your post!

[Cory Steele]

Adriana, I also love how you talk about it being part of our DNA. We can’t separate ourselves from nature…EVER! I love how you so eloquently state “We are nature.” There doesn’t even need to be any more argument because we are fundamentally made of the same thing. The way you talk about war and trauma influencing DNA also caught my eye. I have read similar studies and find it to be so amazing!

[Adriana McManus]

^ Initial post^ sorry

[Ben Florsheim]

Initial Post

Honestly I struggle with the question t hand a little because two opposing terms come up for me “vast” and “minute”. The world or earth we live in is a vast place probably in my opinion the largest thing we can touch and are a part of in a physical sense. The issues that affect the earth are also a vast concept and a vast problem that is hard to tackle even in the cumulative sense.

When I think of coaching I think of minute or small issues that may seem vast to the individual, don’t get me wrong. We as human’s can only conquer what us right in front of us and even though it may seem like a small feat, it is the small feats that add up to create a bigger more impactful response.

In essence I feel this is how ecopsycology and coaching come together. They both are trying to tackle issues on there own relative scale. Not sure if any of this makes sense, but this is what my mind is showing me. Again a tough concept for me to wrap my head around.

[Sandy Shea]

Hi Ben,

i really liked your post and the concepts of vast and minute. For me it brings up the whole idea of feeling overwhelmed by environmental AND personal issues, and how they can both seem so big that we just give up. The concept of incremental change seems valuable here–whether in the realm of the personal or the planetary. To work with my personal levels of consumption, or to carve a new canyon of beliefs in myself or with clients, I need to chunk it down to see that some visible progress is being made. To tackle issues and try to fix the whole thing at once makes us feel apathetic and helpless. The vast and minute are connected, and your post reminds me of this fact, and not to lose heart. Lao Tsu said: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” 🙂 Thanks for your post.

[taylor.j.short]

Ben,

I love your post in talking about the scale. And as reading the article also talking about how environmentalism is perhaps the biggest scale we could have, to psychology which is, in essence, individual. I struggle with this as well, but am determined to work to bring these two closer. That, I feel is the beauty of connecting the two through the nature-connected coaching. Combining the grandiosity of nature with the individual we are coaching. When that happens, our job as coach is simple. To be there and hold the space and allow nature to work it’s magic. Thanks for your post!

[Cory Steele]

Ben, I love your post! Talking about “vast” and “minute” on different scales from the macro universe to the micro individual. It reminds me of fractals and how its this infinite pattern continuing on towards infinity. The part about us taking on small feats, but it is the small feats that add up to really make the world what it is. Really reminds me of the butterfly affect. Einstein and said once “what you do now will echo on through eternity.” I feel like you addressing that we are in control of our own lives really encapsulates that idea!

[Melissa Johnson]

Strong Ben,

I really appreciate your open and honesty on this subject matter. I understand where you are coming from, some times the “vast” and “minute” can seem incredibly overwhelming but we just have to, like Sandy said, they are ultimately connected. Love can save the world but it’ll never happen in one day.

[Ben Marchman]

Yes I agree Ben…the world still holds so much mystery for us. Your comment for some reason made me think of a conversation that I had a couple of months ago with my Grandfather. The comment below doesn’t really relate to much of what you mentioned but I will write about it anyway….

Him and & I were talking about GOD and the bigger things in life. ((Lately I have started to journal my thoughts and notes from conversations I have with Elders, mentors, and people like my grandfather. Ancient/elderly wisdom is precious to me. ))

Anyways…. He said, “I believe that GOD/The Great Spirit made things for us to never fully discover and that will always make us humans curious about the bigger questions in life. GOD/The Great Spirit & Earth aren’t supposed to fully understood and they never will be, because the more we know, then the more greed and spoils we will then create on this planet and for the next generation”.

[Joshua Maze]

Ben,
I totally feel this. For me, Ecopsychology seems so vast, trying to tackle such big issues, it is almost unattainable. Although, yes, the issues our clients hope to work through may also feel insurmountable, even if they are “small” problems.

I wonder how we as nature connected coaches can fully embrace the concept of ecopsychology when our clients are typically looking for guidance on more personal concerns—goal setting, confidence building, establishing routines. Or, to the opposite of that, how would we serve a client who feels lost and is grieving the destruction of the planet. This seems like such a meta concept that we might not be able to provide what the client is seeking.

For me, my focus will be on the interpersonal conflicts and concerns that arise in new parents. It will be interesting to see how ecopsychology and nature connectedness fall into this goal.

[Lisa Dahlgren]

Doing the readings for this section, I felt there were broad themes of people who are dedicated to understanding and promoting the deep connections that are the foundation of survival and of thriving And themes of understanding that people fill their psychological needs with what is available, and that is not very often aspects of life in which there is deep connection. In “office psychology”-to distinguish from ecopsychology- I feel familiar with that theme. Perhaps it is because I have felt burned out as an office psychologist that I seemed to read a sense of burn out in the authors of our last series of readings.

As an office psychologist, I’ve been interested in understanding “right relationship” and helping people toward that balance. Right relationship here, means a responsible balance of reciprocity within a person, between people, and among groups of people. The drive of individual’s toward filling their psychological need with what is available, however, often appears to undermine actually living out that balance in part because there seems to be so little right relationship available in the world. Add to that the seemingly culturally distorted goals of office therapy, driven by broader cultural norms and powerful complexes such as insurance companies, the bloat of community leadership insistence of shoving blame to others as a distraction from taking on actual social responsibility, and decades of a system trying desperately to both cling to a flawed medical model while it attempts to distinguish itself from that same model, and it can feel like, well, a hot office mess. Or perhaps, “radical madness”.

The recent articles references to therapy catch my eye, given my background, and certainly sound familiar and depressingly accurate. So I was digging a bit into other research, and I came across the following statement in a Psychology Today article (April, 2016), related to how inadequately the system of therapy works for individuals, the community, and even therapists themselves. It reads: “The core issue is that we are currently stuck with an antiquated, ineffective, and inflexible therapeutic milieu that serves the mental health industry at the expense of practitioners and the public.” In further studies I found that between 46% and 61% of psychologists rate themselves as being depressed, 49.5% rated themselves as failures, and 29% stated they had suicidal thoughts. Female, white, psychologists suicide rate was reported as nearly 3X that of the general public. The biggest barrier to helping distressed psychologists is that they fear the shame of professional censure, and yet the specialized services for these individuals are advertised as being for, “impaired psychologists”. If that isn’t radical madness I don’t know what is.

So I enjoy reading about the goals of ecopsychology as they pertain to awakening a sense of environmental reciprocity that lies within the ecological unconscious, and how the focus is on healing the fundamental alienation between the person and the natural environment. As an applied and culturally accepted manner of healing, however, I speculate it will run into some of the same difficulties as office therapy.

At the same time, through observation in my own career, I am aware that change and healing is possible and I have spent many of my 600 question segments trying to find common healing techniques between therapies. Two aspects which seem to me to be necessary for change is energy, and being lifted from feeling a “oneness” or singularity. In that respect when I contemplate the techniques of different therapies, I am drawn to examine those two aspects. Something that seems clear to me: from Freud to CBT to DBT to EMDR, to IFS and Mindfulness, and beyond, all therapies help individual’s to achieve a “meta” state. That is, a state in which there is a perspective outside of being absorbed, or blended, with our inner states of being (parts). Or in other words, a state of being in relationship to or with oneself, not “in” oneself. Psychoanalysis uses curiosity, CBT asks, “what is the evidence? (for emotional conclusions)”, DBT facilitates “wise-mind” (the perspective of both intellect and inherent sensations), IFS and other part-work therapies forge relationships between Soul-and-part and parts-and-parts, both of which are meta positions. So I begin to look at an “inherent sense of reciprocity” in ecopsychology in helping people to be more “meta”, and yet also contained in the relationship between themselves and nature and what that might look like in coaching and in NCC.

As I look down the list of competencies for coaching, I begin to see aspects of bringing people into a meta position: “reflection”, “reframe”, “articulate to help the client understand from another perspective”, “use of metaphor and analogy”, quickly jump out at me as techniques to do this. More specific to nature connection are the competencies of, “intentional interactions with nature”, “reflecting observations of nature to discover metaphorical meaning”, “actively observes nature”. Bringing me back to the levels of interacting with nature (IN, TO, and WITH), that I was thinking about before, and reinforcing for me the idea that more profound and deeper healing will most likely be contained only in the TO and WITH levels of nature connection. And here I think also of people being in an authentic relationship with nature. Being with people when they are on their edge of physical comfort brings a person (certainly does me, anyway) to a more authentic, vulnerable, side. And the practice of surround awareness, sit spot, and other yin meditation practices with a nature focus also seem to me to promote the awareness of authenticity in relationship.

And as much as I get interested in all of this and like to see how things are connected, NCC still seems to come down to the most important thing; availability of right relationship. And so, as I sift through all the readings and my experience, I still feel like the greatest gift to be giving to our earth community is by our own relationship to nature and when we greet someone with genuine openness, acceptance, and gratitude, and say, “Hi! So good to see you. What was it you wanted to work on today?”

[Sandy Shea]

Hi Lisa,
I so appreciated your post, and in particular the statistics about pychologists! Wow! That is eye-opening that so many are self-reporting such degree of struggle with their own selves. That almost 50% would rate themselves as failures and that 30% had suicudal thoughts seems to me to speak about the failure of the modality to address a pan-cultural (Western culture) dis-ease, and a deep seated malaise that most of us feel a lot of the time. I also really appreciate the phrase’right relationsghip’ as it brings up for me aspects of indigenous ways of life, and ways that are antithetical to our current mode of viewing and living IN nature. I so appreciate your perspecive as an active therapist, and someone who is stretching her own self (and practice), and putting these pieces together in unique ways. Thank you for your post!

[Adriana McManus]

Hi Lisa,
When you talk about “radical madness” I just get this sense of despair and being stuck. Or a hamster wheel. That survey in Psychology Today just astounded me! It raises questions about how many therapeutic practitioners do not voice their displeasure in the therapeutic model used. Very sad. I know that there is a great desire to help people in this community but don’t know how. I am glad that this nature connection piece is helping you find a better way to help.

[Lisa Dahlgren]

Hello everyone, I have just finished going through our posts again, and want to say how much I appreciate hearing all the different angles we have on ecopsychology and how it applies to coaching. I think that I want to spend more time reviewing the articles and what you all have posted, because I may have missed more about the nature connection as I spun off into issues of therapy and therapists. When I read your posts I feel like the awareness of how nature connection is used in coaching is deep and real for you all, and I feel like I am just exploring it. I know how it is for me personally in nature, but not how that might translate to others. So although I don’t have specific questions for each of you, I am listening and thinking about all the things you have put forward, and so appreciate each of the posts. Thank you!

[Sandy Shea]

Foundation Two–Summary Post

In reflecting on this module, and the responses of the cohort, I am reminded of an exercise at Naropa when we were asked to provide a definition of Ecopsychology in one sentence. Our group there struggled with this assignment because the area is SO broad–including ecology, transpersonal psychology, spirituality, indigenous wisdom, systems theory, and deep ecology, to mention just the tip of the iceberg. To assert one of the main tenets of the discipline–namely, that ‘we cannot heal ourselves without healing the planet’ is itself a monumental statement of far-reaching implications for our every moment, for our every breath. The field of Ecopsychology still feels so broad and rich to me, and I am sure it will continue to feel this way, because it really encompasses our entire concept of life on this planet, and beyond, and gets at the whole question of what it means to be a human being in the largest sense imaginable. Its application to Nature Centered Coaching is equally varied and rich, and encourages me to approach each session with a client with a healthy dose of awe, appreciation, and not-knowing. It is from this place that I can hold a container that allows nature to be a 50-50 partner in my work with others.

[taylor.j.short]

Summary Post:

This post was a head-scratcher, but a necessary one at that. I loved, as always, seeing everyone’s interpretations. I also enjoyed the invitation to continually bring the two concepts together. As I have talked about many times before, the stark difference in scale between the individual and the planet has had me stumped more than once in how to help people care more about the earth. In combining the two, ecopsychology and coaching, I really do feel like it’s the best of both worlds. And thankfully, I believe I personally can study and learn enough about ecopsychology without going back to get another degree (at least in order to understand the WHY people may act the way they do with the planet). I did deeply resonate with the mention that perhaps with the state of our earth, humanity is calling for reform not only with the health of the earth, but mental health of our species. This could not ring more true and is the reasoning to why I am doing what I am.

Thank you all for your thoughtfulness.

[Ivy Walker]

Hi friends,
It is wonderful to read your thoughts, questions, discoveries, and how each of you are exploring the question of how ecopsychology and coaching come together in a way that is really relevant for you.

Ecopsychologists are attempting to shift the cultural vision from within the ivory tower and are using the language of that territory to insert new dialogues, methods, options, to inspire, demand and create justice.
I believe you and I working alongside them, in our various practices with hearts and feet on the ground. Reminding and re-connecting people, of what their bodies are made to know and “belong to”: Earth as a Being, as an interconnected system (Gaia) and as a smaller expression of a “larger Self”.

A possibility: to know that we are each an integral and sensitive part of this WHOLE being. What information or resources flow from this reality that help you as a coach or your clients?

Much of the ecopsychology reading that I’ve found calls on individuals and culture to identify with what they LOVE- from nature, to family, to relationships, and health. What we love is always a more powerful motivation for action, commitment and joy (rather than guilt or scientific data). Imagine how coaching helps to connect our clients with what they truly love and want to live for. Imagine how much more powerful these feelings are while being held and examined within the awe-filled container of nature and connection. Magic!

If our individual psyches are a part of the larger psychology of earth, how might this influence how we see each other, our clients, the land, animals, ecosphere, what troubles and delights us, and all the various choices we make? Have fun out there being your wild selves.

[Cory Steele]

Initial Post Foundation two

Sorry it’s a little late everyone!

Where do Ecopsychology and coaching come together? The fact that we are in a nature connected coaching course really helps me see how those two are intertwined. We are nature, every atom, every substance of energy that makes us up also creates nature. We are one in the same. From my own personal journey through life I can never take myself out of nature. When I come under the illusion that I am separate that is when suffering occurs. However, When I am fully present and my essence is of nature that is when life becomes this beautiful canvas to have fun with. I try to take this concept into every aspect of my life, coaching and beyond. It is then that I am able to hold space for being and total awareness.
This blend creates a wonderful harmony for me to really work with people everywhere that we go. With this premise I hold the understanding that this applies to more than just the woods I set foot in, or the mountains I go and climb. It is on a plane, it is in my bed, it is EVERYWHERE.
The skills I have found that require me to do so come from my understanding about this reality, as well as some helpful guide stones like the indicators of awareness. I have found quiet mind to be a huge factor for me in this work. The others are all just as important, but I have found this has been massive for me throughout my journey.

[Lisa Dahlgren]

Summary Post: I have gone back through the readings, and through all the posts (several times on the posts), and again am amazed by all of what is written. Initially I was keying in on what felt like burn-out to me, from me and those that I was reading. Putting that aside, I began to look at how taking myself or other therapists or coaches out of the equation, and just having person-to-nature as a healing modality might be. After a long walk in the woods today, practicing surround awareness as much as possible, I found a meta-oneness (ok, it’s a made-up word, I get that, it’s just the best I can do to describe the sensation). Maybe that is some of what is being explained in the readings and by others in their posts, maybe by Cory in his last post. Not sure. I intend to continue to explore this and many other things. Looking forward to our next module

[Melissa Johnson]

*Initial Post – Foundation Two*

Hey guys! Sorry for jumping in on this so late. I wanted to make sure I had all my readings done before posting in here. I really really enjoyed these readings that were part of this discussion. Specifically in Psyche and Nature in a Circle of Healing, how ecotherapy is defined by the fact that humans are “intimately connected with, embedded in, and inseparable from the rest of nature.” It really made me think about my surroundings, how city dwellers may feel disconnected from nature but it’s always there. It’s always with us, we can’t be separated from it, we just need help to see and experience it sometimes. One of my favorite things to do in my urban space is to light up my fire pit and instantly I can feel like I am in the middle of the woods in the middle of beautiful scenery. I have heard a lot of folks from the city saying they prefer city life because they hate the outdoors. It makes me wonder, what are they running from? How can I show them that the natural outdoors is where you are from, and you can never truly be away from it because it’s a part of you? Also in that PDF, they spoke about therapy clients not realizing that maybe natural grief and fears they have could be natural responses to the distress of the Earth and life all around us. That really moved me. It’s something I never thought about before. Mainstream therapy always does seem to focus on family, friends, a person, and never the nature and world around them. Childhood experiences are brought up, medication is prescribed, but as this article says, these are all band aid methods just covering up the root of the issue. The methods that Ecotherapists and Ecopsychologists are using to address issues is really refreshing to me. They actually seem like the most natural way to go about life’s stresses.

One principle of Ecopsychology that Roszak wrote about really stood out for me. “7. Whatever contributes to small scale social forms and personal empowerment nourishes the ecological ego. Whatever strives for large-scale domination and the suppression of personhood undermines the ecological ego.” Growing up I always felt like society was telling me I had to do big successful things or else I would be considered a failure. I had to strive for that large-scale domination of something, and that would be considered success. It’s one of the main reasons I have failed to move forward with any business ideas I ever had. I was made to believe, by an ex friend’s mother, that if I didn’t get the highest degree in college, I would be nothing and not be able to take on the world. Truth is, I never wanted to take on the world. I’d love to be successful by helping other people feel good about their lives and seeing their potential to live an authentic life. I want to be successful by being able to obviously pay my bills, but also by not sitting at a desk 9-5 and working that daily grind, wasting my life away for a company who really doesn’t care about me or my world. It feels to me, that this particular principle of ecopsychology, truly is success in my eyes. Contributing to small scale social forms, working on my own personal empowerment, helping others, being in nature, that is the dream. This is how Coaching and Ecopsychology come together for me.

[Daniel Brisbon]

MJ, some great points shared here by you. First thing I noticed was the question of “What are they running from?” in context to your fellow city dwellers. And what you are probably noticing is that barrier or line between Comfort and Challenge/Growth/Connection. Many of us have become so accustomed to the comforts and luxuries of modern life that the idea of moving out of that space, even temporarily in nature, can be a scary idea. And that can be seen in the response that people have to that idea of moving out of their comfort bubble.

And then you share about this awareness that some of the grief and pain we experience can be directly connected to the relationship that we as a collective whole have with the earth. All of the destruction going on in the world can have a direct impact on our internal state, even if we are not fully aware of it. This is touching on the relationship between our conscious and non/sub conscious brain. We are aware of the news we read and hear going on around the world and then we go about our day, but in the back of our mind we are still connected to those stories we read earlier. And then all of a sudden we are in a state of grief and we are not sure why at first. And that can be because that we are connected to this planet and the earth and when we hear about pain and death then we are directly impacted by it whether we like it or not.

And I really enjoyed reading the end of your post sharing your awareness of your vision for this work. Your vision is unique and special to you and is not determined by anyone else. We can be affected by the thoughts and opinions of others in context to what we “should” be doing, but Soul is the only one that knows the answer to that question. And it sounds like you are very aware of what Soul has to say and that the mainstream opinions are not completely congruent with your truth. Thanks for sharing all of this MJ!

[Sandy Shea]

Hi MJ,
I really liked your personal reflections in your post, and how you made the readings feel alive for you, not just some intellectual exercise. I really appreciated how you are seeing and owning your own way, and can sort out what others think from what you feel deeply. To me this feels super authentic and powerful. Thanks for your post.
xo, Sandy.

[Daniel Landes]

MJ-

Your honesty and self-awareness are so refreshing. To define success on your own terms takes courage. Tonight I’m going to light a fire in my fire pit and imagine I’m in the forest. Thanks.

[Cory Steele]

Summary Post

I am always amazed of how much thought and insight each and every person brings to the discussion. Reading through all the posts has once again opened my mind to all the different perspectives and how the vision each one brings plays a role in the overall vision that is there in the collective. I feel very strongly about what MJ has shared. I see a lot of the time that I am also in a place of wanting to live my passion, but my current state isn’t allowing me to do so. Back at the intensive I remember having conversations where people had mentioned wanting to live an authentic life true to themselves. We are all constantly working on ourselves and our vision that is coming from a deeper place inside of us. Working with nature and working with people has such a symbiotic relationship. Reading Daniels response to MJ about how the collective can feel things happening in the deeper sub/conscious and might not be aware of exactly the cause of it really hit that point right on the head. When we cause harm to the planet of which we are apart of we end up harming ourselves. Maybe not the individual self that sees something happening right away, but the part of ourselves that is eternal and part of the spirit of this planet and everything within it.