Ecotherapy by Linda Buzzell

Author:Linda Buzzell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Counterpoint
Published: 2010-07-27T16:00:00+00:00

What Trans-species Psychology Teaches Us about Ecotherapy

The examples above contrast starkly with most mixed-species therapies, formally referred to as animal-assisted therapy (AAT). AAT is one of several growing areas in ecotherapy. Whether it involves a dog, cat, horse, dolphin, or elephant, the primary purpose of AAT is to improve human health through the healing properties of nature. On the surface, AAT appears benign. However, it has the potential to be exploitive and damaging to animals: a medium for using nature merely as a tool or stage upon which humans act out life.

Unlike their human counterparts, AAT animal therapists are generally not given the choice to engage in therapeutic work. Cetacean experts Drs. Toni Frohoff and Lori Marino both speak of the harm imposed by dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT). Even the “best” captive DAT facilities that capture dolphins from the wild endanger free-ranging populations by traumatizing individuals and depleting their numbers.14 Further, Frohoff who specializes in dolphin communication, notes that the famous “dolphin smile” is actually a fixed facial feature and by no means indicates joy.15 Our cultural projections can cause us to misinterpret dolphins who, when forced to interact with humans, may actually be expressing fear or distress that is masked by their “smile.” The same consideration holds for domestic animals.

For centuries, cats, dogs, horses, chickens, and other domesticated species have lived biculturally with humans. They have been defined by their place in human culture, and their behaviors have been judged by human values and standards. Horses, for example, are assumed to enjoy being ridden and wearing a bit because “that is what they do.” Indeed, many riders maintain that their horse seeks out to be ridden and harnessed. However, attachment theory—the field in psychology and neuroscience that describes how psyche is relationally shaped—suggests an alternative explanation: it may be less that horses enjoy the bit than they are desirous of emotional connection, almost any connection, with their primary relationship. The importance of bonding cannot be underestimated. Holocaust survivors, such as Elie Weisel and psychiatrist Henry Krystal, have described the strong emotional bond that develops even between prisoners and their keeper.16

At the sanctuaries and programs described above, the first and primary goal is to support animal well-being. Human healing and transformation are not ignored, but they take place in the process of being in service to animals. Focusing on the care of nature reverses the cycle of abuse and violence that has spawned today’s ills while it initiates human healing. When we work in a trans-species setting, we learn how much of our own healing comes from letting go of the idea that humans are so special and separate from everyone else. Respect and care for animals lead to respect and care for our own disconnected and disowned animal selves: a reunion of hearts and minds.

Trans-species psychology also teaches that nature is someone, not something, whose well-being is as important as our own. As we begin to interact with animals more closely, there is an implicit need to examine carefully the nature of the evolving relationship to avoid perpetuating abuse and objectification.

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