EcoWellness

This SpringerBrief provides a comprehensive synthesis of EcoWellness as both a theoretical framework and a practical methodology for ecotherapy. It traces how EcoWellness has been conceptualized, measured, and applied across counseling, education, supervision, and nature-based therapeutic practices, offering a clear pathway from foundational concepts to real-world implementation. Drawing on a systematic review of contemporary research, the book identifies the core components of EcoWellness, including access to nature, environmental identity, and transcendence, and demonstrates how these elements support emotional, cognitive, physical, and spiritual well-being. The brief also highlights significant gaps in the evidence-base, including limited methodological rigor, demographic diversity, and global representation, and proposes strategies for strengthening future research and practice. By integrating developmental theory, practical interventions, and empirical insights, the brief addresses the central problem of how to operationalize EcoWellness in meaningful, ethically grounded ways. It is written for scholars, practitioners, educators, and graduate students in counseling, ecotherapy, ecopsychology, and related helping professions.

Integrates a systematic review Identifies critical limitations in current research Bridges theory and practice

Autorentext

Dr Mary J. Thornbush is an environmental geographer and geomorphologist whose work integrates physical geography, sustainability science, and applied urban research to address contemporary environmental challenges. Her scholarship spans soils, landscape change, urban systems, and sustainability metrics, with a growing interdisciplinary extension into mental health and well-being. Across projects ranging from long-term vehicular air pollution monitoring in Oxford to analyses of Ecological Footprint accounting and smart city transitions at York and Cardiff universities, she consistently links empirical environmental data with policy-relevant frameworks. Her publication record, including multiple SpringerBriefs on urban sustainability, digital transitions, and ecological metrics, alongside numerous peer-reviewed articles, demonstrates a sustained commitment to advancing knowledge on climate change, urban resilience, and environmental governance, establishing her as a significant contributor to sustainability and urban environmental research.

Inhalt

Preface.- Introduction:The Emergence of EcoWellness in Ecotherapy.- Mapping the evidence:Methods, Measures, and Demographics in EcoWellness Research.- Foundations of Ecowellness:Concepts, Definitions, and Theoretical Roots.- The State of Ecowellness Science:Trends, Gaps, and Future Directions.- Conclusion:Toward a Nature-Connected Future.