Green Daily

Therapists come in handy for all sorts of emotional problems, and worrying about the state of the environment can definitely cause distress. Meet the ecopsychologist, a new form of therapy, according to a recent NY Times article.

Here's one happy client. Catherine McLendon and her husband went to an ecopsychologist, Dr. Shulmire, to talk about Ms. McLendon's increasing worry over the family's consumption habits and Mr. McLendon's worry about the disappearance of green space.

"Treatments" can include fasts from shopping, emailing and the news, while increasing time spent meditating or gardening or generally hanging out outside.

Some psychologists are skeptical about the approach. Scott O. Lilienfeld at Emory cautions that "there is a fine line between therapy and advocacy." Lilenfeld also cautions that some worrying about the environment may be due to larger issues like general anxiety disorders, where one may worry about everything.

To learn more or to find an ecopsychologist, see the International Community for Ecopsychology Web site (ecopsychology.org).