April 23, 2013

Thomas Doherty explores the natural world through mental health

Instructor Thomas Doherty’s recent appearance on Radio New Zealand highlights the connections between human relationships and environmental studies.

On a recent Radio New Zealand “Ideas” radio broadcast, Thomas Doherty and several contributors to the journal Ecopsychology explored the detrimental effects of environmental degradation on mental health. Doherty defined ecopscyhology as a remedy for the oppressiveness of routine technological culture and a response to “a yearning for better connection with nature or better sense of meaning in regards to the natural world.” His research and counseling work focus on grounding people in their environmental identities. Doherty co-directs Lewis & Clark’s Ecopscyhology in Counseling Certificate and is the editor-in-chief of Ecopsychology.