The term ‘Ecopsychology’ derives from the Greek words ECOS, which literally means “home” and PSYCHE, referring to the soul. It the term was first used by Theodore Roszak in his book “The Voice of the Earth” in 1995.

The European Ecopsychology Society was founded in Neuchâtel, Switzerland in 2005 by a group of psychologists and counselors, after a first informal meeting in Perego (Lc) Italy, with Dr. Jorge Conesa Sevilla, and the Italian group of the Scuola di Ecopsicologia, directed by Marcella Danon.

It had its first congress in 2006, from which the first two representatives outside of the US and Italy joined: Kleio Apostolaki (who kindly agreed to be interviewed for this article)(Greece)and Teresita Dominguez (Uruguay). With passion and a significant effort to raise awareness of the concept, it has since expanded internationally and in 2017, changed from being the European Ecopsychology Society to the International Ecopsychology Society (IES). As of 2023, they have representatives in 20 member countries.

At the heart of the Society’s philosophy and actions is the intention to bring about the realization that we all have an innate need to see and feel ourselves as part of a network. The understanding and explanation of human actions tend to be more focused on ourselves and other humans, but we are inextricably connected to a bigger network with nature, and it is important for our wellbeing to more consciously realize this.

From the perspective of the IES, humanity used to live more in harmony with the natural world. While there is nothing wrong with societal progress and they are not advocating a return to a more ‘primitive’ lifestyle, they recognize that a drawback of today’s industrial societies is increased isolation of individuals and separation from nature. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that our (lack of) connection with nature can have an impact on ourselves in terms of physical and mental health (e.g. chronic stress, immune function, mental fatigue, attention^1,2), as well as for the planet (e.g. pro-environmental behavior³).

Their activities are thus oriented towards reconnecting and rebalancing our relationship with nature. To do this, they have four core approaches:

1. Using the techniques of psychotherapy and psychology to facilitate one-to-one sessions for personal growth, ecotherapy, ecopsychotherapy, etc. More details on different session types are available here: Ecopsychology in Practice
2. Webinars to introduce what ecopsychology is or address specific topics: IES Webinars
3. Retreats or workshops for personal growth in nature (for individuals or organizations): Nature retreat
4. Ecotuner education, a standardized training for individuals and professionals (e.g. psychologists, yoga instructors, health care workers, teachers) to learn how to apply the techniques of ecopsychology in their life and work. The results have been improved wellbeing and professional outcomes (e.g. in education, the training has enabled a pleasant way of learning and improving concentration, in other professions it has contributed to less stress and higher productivity): Ecotuning Training

These broad categories of actions are tailored into unique specific activities depending on the recipients and context. The IES has a board that implements rules and education for people to be country representatives, and a syllabus that that must be followed to ensure all member countries adhere to a common core and guaranteed level of quality.

When level of quality is established, country representatives can include additional elements that allow activities to be shaped to country-specific contexts and needs. To ensure alignment across the IES, they hold conferences for representatives to get together once every two years and update each other on what they have been doing. The conferences also provide an opportunity to gather people who are interested in Ecopsychology to learn more about it through a variety of lectures and workshops offered by specialist from all around the world. The next conference, held in September 2023 in Sardinia, will include 140 participants from 26 nations.

Moreover, if a representative wants to do something outside of their own country, they have to share this with the rest of the IES and arrange the activity with the representative of the target country. In this way, the IES maintains a common standard, while allowing room for necessary flexibility and communication to inspire, align and learn from each other and their growing network.

One of their main next steps is turning a focus to the corporate world, as they feel that the business mentality tends to be particularly removed from nature. They intend to provide an alternative model of behavior towards performing duties and interacting with coworkers that is more integrated with nature, and will increase wellbeing and productivity.

With a focus on how people and organizations can create and integrate a stronger connection with nature, the IES’s projects are continuously evolving and building on the strong foundation they have established.

The contribution of the IES to human and planetary health is admirable. Their strong conviction is that when we get to know, love, and respect nature, it is beneficial for our own wellbeing, but also the wellbeing of the planet, because we realize it is an integral part of us and seek to protect it.