Ecopsychology and Interconnection

A core tenet of ecopsychology is the recognition that humans are fundamentally connected with the earth and the great many other-than-human beings we share our planet with. Our physical and mental well-being are tied to the ecological conditions we find ourselves in, both in overt ways (polluted air impacts our ability to breathe, contaminated water is dangerous to our health) and in subtler, less tangible ways (spending time in nature has a demonstrable positive impact on mental health). Because of this interconnection, the severity of the current climate and ecological crises we face warrants a strong emotional response. Anger, fear, grief, frustration, despair, anxiety and exhaustion are common feelings when confronting the realities of ecological degradation. Some ecopsychologists have even developed specific terms and language to describe the unique and novel emotions evoked by our current moment, including ecoanxiety and solastalgia. In this course you will acknowledge and sit with your own emotional responses as you also begin to build the psychological tools you will need to move forward in a changing world — both for yourself and in solidarity with others and the planet itself. You will learn about the interdependence between humans and nature and the various ways in which our psychological responses come into being and can be understood. You will also see the unequal and unjust impacts of climate change and ecological degradation by exploring how histories and heritages of colonial exploitation and structural racism overlap with current issues like food insecurity and proximity to disaster. Altogether, you should come out of this course with an understanding of the interconnectedness of humanity with nature and with each other, and a critical awareness of the disparate psychological impacts of ecological crises.