In this issue
Features
Wild therapy (free article)
How can we change our relationship听with the ecosystem of which we are a听part? Nick Totton argues that therapy听needs to help us shift our consciousness听and behaviour.
Explorations in intimacy
Have you ever considered the similarities听between psychotherapy and the Argentine听tango? Claire Spooner explains what the听most intimate of dances has in common听with psychotherapy.
Sexual addictions in couple counselling
More and more couples are presenting with听what are being called 鈥榮exual addictions鈥�.听How can counsellors work effectively with听these issues?
Haiti: responding to disaster
Having flown out to Haiti a year ago to offer听psychological support in the aftermath of the听earthquake, Ann Steel reflects on best ethical听practice in international volunteering.
Regulars
In practice
Kevin Chandler: Let us speak one time of live
In the client's chair
Orla Murray: A place to be
In training
Alex Erskine
From the chair
Dr Lynne Gabriel:听Enhanced voluntary registration
Fiction
The Wednesday Group
Dilemmas
Conflict with the Ethical Framework?
Day in the life
Roz Carroll
Questionnaire
Sue Gerhardt
Last word
Andrew Reeves
Additional online content
Why I became a therapist
Bernice Sorensen
Characters on the couch
Cleopatra
In conversation
Colin Feltham discusses with Nick Totton the role of 鈥榳ild therapy鈥� to address issues of social isolation and disconnectedness with the natural world.
All articles from this issue are not yet available online. Members and subscribers can download the pdf from the Therapy Today听archive.
Editorial
Many readers will be familiar with听ecopsychology 鈥� the study of our psychological听relationship with nature, particularly in the听context of climate change 鈥� first introduced听to this journal in 2003. In his new book,听Wild Therapy, Nick Totton argues that听therapy itself now needs to play an active听part in the way we change our relationship听with the ecosystem of which we are a part.
One of Nick鈥檚 central arguments is that听therapy is by nature 鈥榳ild鈥� and has always听stood against the dominant cultural drive听to want to be in control of oneself and one鈥檚听environment, being more concerned with听helping people tolerate existential uncertainty听and insecurity. Much therapy today of course听attempts to do the opposite of this: to help听highly urbanised people to function and be听鈥榮uccessful鈥� in contexts that are in many ways听alienated from nature.
In a way Nick is arguing that therapy needs听to return to its roots in order to help the world听heal itself 鈥� a pretty tall order as Colin Feltham听points out in our 鈥業n conversation with...鈥� on听TherapyToday.net . As a self-confessed听urbanised, 鈥榗ognitivised鈥� and technologised听individual, Colin asks how realistic is it to听expect that radical therapeutic change could听happen amongst the alienated urban majority?
As I was reading this piece a couple of days听ago, I was listening to Start the Week on Radio 4听with Australia鈥檚 leading climate change听campaigner Tim Flannery discussing rewilding听of the planet. In response to Andrew Marr鈥檚听challenge that if we believe in manmade global听warming there are no sources of optimism, he听also talked about how people all over the world听are discussing these issues and the internet is听helping us develop a global consciousness, a听鈥榟uman superorganism鈥� which could act as a听global intelligence for the planet. I listened to听this with a sense of relief that not everyone is听鈥� in Nick鈥檚 words 鈥� 鈥榠n overwhelm, under the听bedclothes with their fingers in their ears鈥�.
Sarah Browne
Editor