Narrative Eco-Therapy During Matrescence May Help Mothers Transform Climate Distress into Ecological Awakening
Results from a Five-Week Intervention
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15686243 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Allison Davis (0000-0002-8019-3628, New Mexico Department of Health, corresponding author), Lisa Sholomon (Pace University), Regan A Moss (0000-0001-9559-9973, Tulane University), Ding Xue (0000-0002-8429-8136, Pace University), Xiaoyang Yu (0000-0002-3419-4697, Columbia University), Maya Sikora (Pace University), Birce Murtezaoglu (Pace University), Aurélie Athan (0000-0001-6738-1176, Columbia University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 264-275 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-13 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Ecopsychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1942-9347 • E-ISSN: 1942-9347 |
| Publisher | Mary Ann Liebert, Inc (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1089/eco.2024.0071 |
| OpenAlex | W4411276328 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 40 |
This paper presents findings from a pilot study of a five-week feminist psychoeducational group developed for mothers experiencing eco-distress during matrescence, the developmental shift of motherhood. Weekly journaling prompts served as narrative provocations to catalyze reflection and identity transformation in a case study of five mothers. Rather than a clinical or therapeutic intervention, this study tested a scalable, consciousness-raising format grounded in developmental principles of relational growth, eco-feminist psychology, and narrative therapy principles. Thematic analysis of participants’ journals identified five core themes in eco-maternal identity development: nature relatedness, paradoxical emotions, ecological questing, intergenerational commitment, and environmental stewardship. By externalizing eco-distress and reframing and reconstructing narratives about their relationship to nature, participants articulated a more integrated ecological self. These findings suggest that structured narrative reflection, situated in a developmental and feminist framework, may be a promising pathway for supporting maternal well-being and ecological engagement in the face of climate crisis
Art · Biology · Developmental psychology · Distress · Intervention (counseling · Literature · Narrative · Narrative therapy · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Early Childhood Education and Development · Psychology · Ecology
Woman and nature
The cultural contradictions of motherhood
Feminism and the Mastery of Nature
In a Different Voice
Inclusion with Nature
Matrescence, Becoming a Mother, A “New/Old” Rite de Passage
Personal, Master, and Alternative Narratives
Introduction to the Special Issue
Motherhood and Environmental Activism
Ecopsychological Development and Maternal Ecodistress During Matrescence
Maternal Eco-Distress as Catalyst for Post-Traumatic Growth Amidst Climate Change
A critical need for the concept of matrescence in perinatal psychiatry
Eco-emotional Responses to Climate Change
Putting my life into a story
I am the person now I was always meant to be’
Nature and the Human Soul
Maternal psychology
Untangling the double bind of carework in green motherhood
Evaluation of a collaborative group intervention for mothers with moderate to severe perinatal mental illness and their infants in Australia
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Ecofeminism Revisited
Good green mothers consuming their way through pregnancy
Green moms
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |