ABSTRACT

This chapter explores the role of ecotherapy in a world threatened by multiple environmental issues, examining the place of therapists in mediating psychological and social factors. It explores the need for spiritual transformation, as presented by Paul Maitney. The chapter concludes with reflections on two distinctly Buddhist responses: The International Dharma Teachers' Statement on Climate Change, written by One Earth Sangha and Naikan practice reflecting on gratitude and responsibilities to the Earth. Working therapeutically with people outdoors, as health professionals themselves hold awareness of the relationship between human activity and degradation of the ecosystem, both in their lifestyles and in their ways of thinking, they may naturally invite questions among those with whom they work about lifestyle and environmental impact. In January 2014, the One Earth Sangha, a Buddhist environmental activist group, launched The Earth as Witness: International Dharma Teachers' Statement on Climate Change, and invited Dharma teachers around the world to sign.