Understanding Terrapsychology: Restorying Our Relationship with Nature

Terrapsychological Inquiry is a path of storied, imaginative research that takes seriously our intense inner responses to the state of the natural world. This place-rooted approach studies, from the standpoint of lived experience, how the world gets into the heart. Oceans and skies, trees and hills, rivers and soils, and even built things like houses, cities, ports, and planes: How do they show up for us inwardly? How do our moods, feelings, and dreams reflect what happens in the world?

Terrapsychological Inquiry evolved over a decade of exploration by graduate students, instructors, ceremonialists, workshop leaders and presenters, and other practitioners of embodied creativity to offer an Earth-honoring mode of storied qualitative inquiry, one that transforms all involved from passive spectators of the doings of the world into active, sensitive participants. Learn how to use this methodology of earthly reenchantment in a variety of settings inside and outside academia and by doing so reenter an animate world. This new edition has been revised throughout and offers fresh insights into how Terrapsychological Inquiry, a field with roots in depth psychology, ecopsychology, and Hermetic philosophy, can also be used as an ecospiritual path.

Thoroughly updated with a new chapter and added discussion questions and exercises at the end of each chapter, this introduction to an evolving research methodology will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental psychology, ecotherapy, and environment and sustainability studies more generally.

What is Terrapsychology?

Terrapsychology is an emerging field that explores the deep emotional and psychological connections humans share with the Earth. It examines how our relationship with nature, place, and planet influences mental health and wellbeing. By integrating ecological awareness with psychological insights, Terrapsychology helps individuals and communities heal both personal and environmental wounds. This approach encourages restorying—the process of reinterpreting our shared narratives with nature—to foster empathy and sustainable relationships. As environmental crises grow, Terrapsychology offers meaningful ways to reconnect with natural surroundings, addressing both human and planetary needs.

The Role of Restorying in Healing

Restorying in Terrapsychology involves reshaping the stories we tell about our interactions with land, ecosystems, and the planet. These narratives shape our values, behaviors, and emotional responses to environmental challenges. By consciously changing these stories, individuals can break patterns of disconnection and harm toward nature. Restorying promotes a more compassionate and reciprocal worldview, emphasizing our place within—not above—the natural world. This narrative shift supports healing trauma related to climate change and ecological degradation, encouraging proactive environmental stewardship and a renewed sense of belonging.

Applications and Benefits of Terrapsychology

Terrapsychology has practical applications across mental health, education, and community development. Therapists use it to address eco-anxiety and grief, helping clients rebuild resilience through connection with place. Educators incorporate its principles to foster environmental literacy and emotional intelligence in students. Communities engage in collaborative land-based practices and storytelling to strengthen collective identity and environmental care. The benefits of Terrapsychology include improved mental wellbeing, enhanced ecological awareness, and strengthened community ties. By cultivating a respectful relationship with the planet, Terrapsychology nurtures both individual healing and global sustainability.