Bridging Spirituality/Religiousness and Ecotherapy: Four Psychospiritual Themes to Guide Conceptualization and Practice

Abstract

Advances in the ecopsychology literature have yielded an increasing plurality of ecotherapy orientations. Simultaneously, clients' religious and spiritual (R/S) worldviews are becoming more diverse. Ecopsychology and ecotherapy, however, carry a common set of assumptions consistent with earth-based spirituality and religiousness. Though theoretically congruent this may be problematic; the worldview most common to American culture and clients—Christianity, and specifically Christian dualism—is understood and practiced in ways at odds with the holistic and ecocentric worldview of ecotherapy. Level One ecotherapy practices may not overtly cause dissonance for clients of all R/S persuasions, but how can ecotherapists make the riches of a Level Two ecospiritual worldview available without imposing values? Differentiating Level One ecotherapy from Level Two ecotherapy is a foundational step, but more work is still needed to align ecotherapy with many clients' worldviews. This article applies parts of the Ways Paradigm framework—the four psychospiritual themes of self, suffering, change, and flourishing—to conceptualize and bridge Level Two ecospiritual insights with a broader range of R/S traditions. Case applications are provided.