Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 9. Source pages: 12.
The U.S. Chapter of the World Council on Psycho- therapy (WCP) held a sym- posium featuring Thomas Doherty, PsyD, ecopsycholo- gist, as part of the it’s annual meeting, March 22, 2013, in Baton Rouge. Dr. Darlyne Nemeth and Dr. Kelly Ray organized the training experience that focused on environmental trauma.
Thomas Joseph Doherty is a clinical psychologist from Portland, Oregon, and founder and co-director of the Ecopsychology in Counseling Certificate Program at the Lewis & Clark Graduate School and the editor of the peer-reviewed journal Ecopsychology. He is president-elect of the American Psychological Association’s Division 34, The Society for Environmental, Population and Conservation Psychology.
According to an announcement from the WCP, Doherty emphasized that the term ecopsychology was coined in the 1990s when people began to explore their connection to the environment. And, that while indigenous peoples understood this connection, people in the Western societies have lost track of this connection. However, it is very important in psychotherapy. Doherty noted that climate change issues, global warming issues, etc., have underlying social justice components and emotional issues, which people do not want to address.
The conference included participants and discussants, Dr. Robert Hamilton, ecologist, Dr. Robert Muller, climatologists, Scott Nesbit, leader of an ecopsychologist project in Louisiana, and Dr. Donald Nemeth, geologist.
Dr. Nemeth currently serves as the Co- Secretary General, World Council for Psychotherapy. Dr. Ray serves as Vice President of U.S. Chapter, World Council for Psychotherapy.
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