Combating Eco-Anxiety with Ecotherapy and Community

Those working in environmental fields may know the story: defeating statistics, counter-progress, eco-washing, the list goes on. How can one keep going when the odds seem so insurmountable? 

Hopelessness, guilt, and fear relating to environmental crises like climate change or biodiversity loss are all emotions that can be connected to eco-anxiety, a psychological experience that is increasingly common. 

Eco-anxiety is often described as a "chronic fear of environmental doom” and can be experienced in many different ways. However, there are also outlets and opportunities to help people managing eco-anxiety find their sustainable path to supporting the environment and themselves.

Ecotherapy is one such resource, embracing the idea that healing and growth can be gained through interacting with nature and developing a deeper connection with the Earth. Now, students at the U of A can practice ecotherapy through Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

At this week’s Craft and Connect event on Thursday, March 5, Heather Straight and Mia Zamora, who are CAPS counselors with professional interest in ecotherapy, will speak on the future and features of ecotherapy, while attendees can connect and work on a craft.

“I am a firm believer in nature's healing properties as well as our place in a larger ecosystem and wanted to share this with U of A students,” Straight, a doctoral intern with CAPS, said.

Ecotherapy is a therapeutic approach that improves mental and physical well-being through nature-based activities, promoting well-being by fostering a connection with the environment, reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, Straight said. Even 20 minutes can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, improve mood, and increase self-esteem. 

When she came to the U of A, Straight started an Adventure Group that uses ecotherapy by visiting spaces around campus, such as the community garden, (the labyrinth and green spaces at Andrew Weil's Integrative Health Building, ENR2 and the turtle pond.

Straight said CAPS has also collaborated with Outdoor Rec to host mindfulness hikes and create spaces for "challenges by choice.”

Additionally, building community, widening support networks, and sharing emotions with those who will understand all help people cope with the difficulties of disheartening news and social isolation.

CAPS is part of a network of resources and services at the U of A that support students managing mental health issues like eco-anxiety. Former academic advisor Ursula Basinger has been another such leader in these efforts. 

Taking notice that many students who visited her as an advisor for Find Your Environment were struggling with eco-anxiety, she decided to provide a constructive space through her Craft and Connect series for students to process their emotions and learn more about the field of ecotherapy.

“Previous semesters of Craft and Connect have been focused on career exploration,” Basinger said. “This semester, instead of focusing on career paths, we are looking more at those eco-emotions and giving students a space where they can creatively process their eco-emotions and transform those emotions into action.”

Alongside eco-anxiety, social isolation has left people alone to cope with their mental health, despite recognition that connecting with like-minded people is a great reminder that many care and are working together to be part of the solution. 

Speaking openly of these feelings within environmental spaces - from group activities to checking in on someone’s well-being –  can foster greater engagement with the many ways communities are still working together for solutions

The next installment of Craft and Connect with CAPS counselors Heather Straight and Mia Zamora will take place on Thursday, March 5, 2026, from 6-7:30 p.m. in ENR2 room N595.  

Interested in the environment or psychology? Come and hear about a career path that aligns with your interests! Struggling with Eco-anxiety? Get an opportunity to widen your support network among your peers and hear from mental health professionals. Think your eco-anxiety is well managed? Have fun painting a pot and come home with a new succulent, all the while potentially helping another.