Mapping the Ecological Landscape
A Systematized Review of Climate‐ and Nature‐Related Content in Couple and Family Therapy Literature From 2009 to 2025
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17190871 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ari Bonagofski (0000-0001-9636-9993, Antioch University New England Keene New Hamshire USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 65 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | e70122-e70122 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-18 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Family Process (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0014-7370 • E-ISSN: 1545-5300 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/famp.70122 |
| PMID | 41708495 |
| OpenAlex | W7130355305 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 69 |
Attention to climate- and nature-related issues is largely absent from systemic practice and the field of Couple and Family Therapy (CFT). The effects of climate change and the consequences of living as if humans are separate from and dominate over the natural world are compromising health and driving planetary degradation. Ecological distress (including ecological anxiety, grief, and depression) is rising alongside increasing disconnection from nature. As a result, the demand for clinicians competent in addressing these issues is growing. This review examined climate- and nature-related content in 17 peer-reviewed systemic and relational therapy journals published from January 1, 2009 through September 7, 2025. Less than 1% (n = 102) of the total published original articles (N = 14,116) included climate- or nature-related content. These articles addressed seven broad themes: eco-informed thinking and practice; disaster effects and therapeutic responses; environmental and social justice challenges; reproductive and family planning decision-making; migration, immigration, and refugee experiences; cultural and historical contexts; assessment tools and validation. Over half (n = 55) of the included articles at least partially included social justice issues and over a third (n = 35) included diverse samples. Although publications have increased, climate- and nature-related concerns remain under-explored in the CFT literature. Anthropocentrism and the dominant practice of systems theory are discussed as contributing factors to the ongoing inattention to ecological topics. Researchers, educators, and clinicians are encouraged to integrate an eco-centric approach by utilizing eco-informed assessments to screen for ecological distress and facilitating discussions about climate- and nature-related topics
Anthropocentrism · Disconnection · Distress · Ecological systems theory · Economic Justice · Family therapy · Mental health · Systemic therapy · Therapeutic relationship · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Urban Green Space and Health
The Process of Eco-Anxiety and Ecological Grief
The PRISMA 2020 statement
Effects of land dispossession and forced migration on Indigenous peoples in North America
The Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing
Earth beyond six of nine planetary boundaries
The Relationship Among and Between Marital Satisfaction, Religious Faith, and Political Orientation
“Prayer is universal”
Economic Globalization's Polycrisis
Human–nature relationships through the lens of reciprocity
Disconnection from nature
Climate change impacts on child and adolescent health and well-being
The Impacts of Extreme Heat Days on the Prevalence of Domestic Abuse
Cross-country variation in people’s connection to nature
It's Hard to Give Hope Sometimes”
The Impact of Climate Change on the Mental Health of Populations at Disproportionate Risk of Health Impacts and Inequities
Don’t make me put out the flames of our burning planet with my tears”
(In)-justice
Nature-Based Positive Youth Development for Black Children
Naming and framing ecological distress
Transforming Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine to Address the Climate Crisis
Indigenous Carceral System Inequalities in the US
Negating Solastalgia
Settler colonialism and the elimination of the native
The Social Construction of Whiteness
From "brute" to "thug
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |