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Cybersecurity Research
  1. Art and Ecotherapy

Art and Ecotherapy

The idea of uniting the expressive therapies and the eco therapies is not new, it is an emergent field with its own name. The union of these practices is known as nature-based expressive arts or eco-art therapy. Nature-based expressive arts expand the notion of arts in service of life to encompass all life forms and the earth itself (Atkins, 2017, p.54). Eco-art therapy is defined as a holistic, integrative mental health practice in which clients, facilitated by the therapist, use natural art materials and settings, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to improve mental, physical, and emotional health (Pike, 2021, p.3). Pike (2021) explains that the practice of eco-art therapy applies ecopsychology theory to the practice of art therapy. Here individuals can benefit from the healing and therapeutic powers of both nature and art.

Eco-art therapy approaches are a combination of nature as subject, nature as setting, and nature as material (Pike, 2021, p.3). Pike (2021, p.2) explains that “natural materials, subjects, and settings can help clients process significant and meaningful events, places and relationships”. Within the eco-art therapies, art materials are seen as gifts from the Earth and there is an awareness of the connections and impacts that humans have on the rest of nature (Atkins, 2017, p.56). Nature can be used as the main setting where the therapy takes place. For example, therapy could take place at a garden, forest, beach, or park. Nature can also serve as for artistic exploration (i.e. creating nature imagery or sculptures inspired by nature). Another reason why nature-based expressive arts is selected it’s because of its theoretical characteristics. Nature-based expressive arts therapies are intermodal, informed by indigenous perspectives and deep ecology, and are biocentric.

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