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Jennifer Harrison

Professor Stalbird

English 1201

30 June 2018

Annotated Bibliography

What I hope to provide with my essay is a better understanding of what Eco-Therapy itself

consists of as well as the statistics that have been proven regarding how it can help improve the

mental health of an individual. I intended do to incorporate research done on multiply case studies

that show the affects, both positive and negative, of a holistic approach to mental health through

the basis of Eco-Therapy.

Beil, Kurt. Benefits of Ecotherapy for Survivors of Domestic Violence. Natural Medicine Journal.

December 2018. Online. https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2018-

12/benefits-ecotherapy-survivors-domestic-violence. Online. 18 June 2019.

This journal article by Kurt Beil, appears in the Natural Medicine Journal online. It

summarizes the study of 32 women who had been affected by domestic violence. Consisting of

an intervention type approach where they are isolated for 6 days and taken to various activities to

experience nature focused activities. The women are taught environmental awareness and

conservation through plant identification, of which not only creates a better understanding of

their surrounding but also works on building self confidence in the acquirement of new
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knowledge. They are also encouraged to participate in physical activities that focus on sensory

awakening, such as Yoga and swimming in the ocean.

The results of the study show significant improvements with not just emotional health but

also physical and mental wellbeing as well. Studies like this can show that the incorporation of

environmental awareness gives participants the strength to continue treatment therapies on their

own. It removes the normally dependency on treatment therapies that keep patients dependent on

others, rather than themselves.

Butler, Carole; Cousins, Alecia; Hughes, Carol; Phelps, Ceri. “Sowing the seeds or failing to

blossom? A feasibility study of a simple ecotherapy-based intervention in women

affected by breast cancer.” Ecancermedicalscience. Vol. 9, Issue 577-607, 2015, p. 1-9.

“Sowing the seeds or failing to blossom?” by Carole Butler was a scholarly journal that

was published in an issue of the US National Library Medicine. Originally it was published on

the website Ecancer.org. It provides a background on ecotherapy and better defines the ideology

behind it and what it incorporates. It then goes to discuss a study that focused on gardening as an

approach to therapy, with participants who were either suffering from cancer or were in a threat

range of developing cancer. It required participants to report back in self reviews through email,

photo sharing, and journal like entries. Though the process of journal sharing was not favored,

the women seemed to gain positive outcomes over all. Even some were inspired to experiment

more in other gardening ventures. Most importantly, they seemed to become more thoughtful in

their daily reflections.

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This study focused on the human connection to plants via indoor gardening. From sow to

harvest, the women of this study were able to experience the gaining of control in their lives

when battling ailments that they other wise have little to no control over.

Buzzell, Linda. Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind. Sierra Club Books, May 2009.

Linda Buzzell compiled an intriguing book that challenges those who work in the

psychology field to investigate the possibility of incorporating eco-therapeutic approaches. It

serves as a text that provides an overview to the concept of eco-therapy and is an introduction

into eco-psychology as well. The book consists of a compilation of articles from psychologist

who support the addition of nature based therapies and the diversity that it has to offer.

Hanscom, Angela J. Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong,

Confident, and Capable Children. New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2016.

Angela Hascom, who is a pediatric occupational therapist, focused her book around the

effect of nature and learning, specifically on younger children. With the development of fine

motor skills and sensory development begin crucial to childhood development, she emphasis the

why staying connected to nature is important to humans, even from a younger age.

With information provided in this book, I will be able to correlate the reasoning behind the

theory of stimulating our senses in a way that create a calming environment within our adult

minds.

Reigner, Robert. Personal interview. 23 June 2019.

Robert Reigner is a Licensed Massage Therapist and owner of Great Energy Bodywork

and Therapy PLLC, located in Cabot, Arkansas. He is a nature enthusiast himself and studied the

field of Reiki, alternative healing through energy, under the guidance of Reiki Master Jimmy
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Gialelis as he took the Master Bodywork Program at Utah College of Massage Therapy. Robert

is a prominent reference for this paper to stand as a perspective of the healer itself.

Through sharing his personal encounters and sessions, I will incorporate his experiences

into the paper to show support for the effects of natural healing through this specific Eco-

therapeutic approach. I will also include a section specific to discussing other alternative

methods of therapy like Reiki.

The act of Reiki is just as much the same as massage therapy, but with a better cognitive

awareness to the process. It requires mindfulness to your inner self and of your troubles that can

bring about a better understanding.

Williams, Florence. The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More

Creative. W. W. Norton & Company, 2017.

The “Nature Fix” is a book written by environmental journalist Florence Williams. In it

she highlights the association between nature and cognitive health. She presents scientific studies

that back the addition of nature in therapeutic treatment for ailments such as depression, PTSD,

anxiety, and those with learning disabilities.

I will use her writings to show the non-academic findings of Ecotherapy and it will also

serve as a tie into to another book that I will be using as reference material later in my paper,

called “Balanced and Barefoot” by Angela Hascom.

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Ecopsychology: Reinventing the Human-Nature Relationship in the Digital Age, Part 1 – 2013,

YouTube. Uploaded by UW Video, 27 Nov 2013,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18ZPpHUAowM&t=626s.

In this YouTube video, psychology professor Peter Kahn discusses the association

between the human emotion and its connection to nature and how interactions within nature

influence emotional and social wellbeing. The technological distraction that occurs in todays

society has severed our natural human connection to the world from which we came from. Like

removing an animal from their natural habitat, we are removing ourselves from our own by

creating a synthetic interpretation where we live vicariously through images that cover our social

media streams, of which the mass of our population is constantly scrolling through.

What would happen in our world, from a cognitive approach, if we continue to replace

our surroundings with artificial environmental replicas? How would this impact our cognitive

and emotional wellbeing? Peter Kahn, who is a Psychology Professor and Director of the Human

Interaction with Nature and Technological Systems Lab, studied these questions and shares his

results in the video. I will be able to reference the findings in his studies to support and at times

also cast doubt, on the concept of ecotherapy and its benefits. In addition, I will be able to

explain the effects of replacing aspects of nature with artificial ones to create more productive

work environments.