Nature loss : experiencing the human caused disappearance of nature
Date
2001
Authors
Taylor, Jennifer Lynn
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a greater understanding of the human-nature relationship and its place in the field of counselling psychology through researching the lived experience of "Nature Loss," where Nature Loss is defined as the progressive disappearance of nature caused by human behaviour. A literature review surveys relevant theoretical approaches in this area including the Deep Ecology Movement, Ecopsychology and Ecofeminism, with a focus on the Despair and Empowerment work of Joanna Macy. In-depth, unstructured interviews were used with four individuals who had experienced this phenomenon. The transcripts of the interviews were analyzed and summarized under the following categories: (a) Looking at Nature Loss: Examples, (b) Looking Ahead: The Future, (c) Responding to Nature Loss, (d) Plastic or Paper? Personal Participation in Nature Loss, (e) Coping with Nature Loss, (f) Speaking of Nature Loss, and (g) Suggest.ions for Counsellors.
The themes that emerged from the findings are presented, identified as (a) Giving Voice to Nature Loss, (b) Nature Loss as "Wrong," (c) Implications of Personal Participation in Nature Loss, (d) Valuing the Human Community, (e) Nature Loss as "Too much," (f) Transforming the Pain of Nature Loss, and (g) The Bigger Picture.
Overall, this study provides a deeper under-standing of the human-nature relationship and its significance for counselling psychology through description of the Nature Loss experience as lived by the individual. The results suggest that this experience can be one that is laden with strong emotional impact, as well as one that is often silenced in our culture through lack of language and audience, as well as other social, political and psychological factors. The findings imply that counselling psychologists ought to provide a context in which the client feels safe and encouraged to express their experience of Nature Loss, as well as validating the client's feelings of pain for what is happening to the world as a "normal" experience, This study concludes by describing the implications of these findings for theory, practice, and research.