Eco-Anxiety and Morita Therapy—A Review and Illustrative Case Report
Eco-anxiety, a growing psychological concern, affects an increasing number of individuals distressed about environmental degradation and climate change. Morita therapy, a psychological approach developed in Japan, that emphasizes acceptance and action has potential applicability for treating modern...
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MDPI AG
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Challenges |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/15/3/34 |
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| author | Paolo Raile |
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| description | Eco-anxiety, a growing psychological concern, affects an increasing number of individuals distressed about environmental degradation and climate change. Morita therapy, a psychological approach developed in Japan, that emphasizes acceptance and action has potential applicability for treating modern anxieties such as eco-anxiety. An illustrative case report focusing on Waltraud M., a 29-year-old legal professional experiencing eco-anxiety is used as an example for the basis of exploring eco-anxiety in general and Morita therapy more specifically. The therapeutic intervention was conducted over several months, and the progress was documented through therapeutic diary entries, which detailed her emotional state and actions. Waltraud reported significant improvements in managing her anxiety. Initially overwhelmed by her ecological concerns, she learned to channel her anxieties into positive actions, such as making lifestyle adjustments that align with her environmental values. Notably, her ability to focus on immediate actions rather than future uncertainties helped reduce her anxiety symptoms. Morita therapy proved beneficial in managing Waltraud’s eco-anxiety by facilitating a shift from passive worry to active engagement with life’s challenges. The therapy’s focus on accepting emotions as they are, without trying to change them, and prioritizing meaningful action was effective in reducing the psychological distress associated with eco-anxiety. While promising, these findings are based on a single case report, and further research involving diverse populations and control groups is necessary to generalize the results and fully ascertain the therapy’s efficacy across different cultural and clinical settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fbbe4a60073e4c67ab28c2d5112591ec |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2078-1547 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Challenges |
| spelling | doaj-art-fbbe4a60073e4c67ab28c2d5112591ec2025-08-20T01:55:28ZengMDPI AGChallenges2078-15472024-06-011533410.3390/challe15030034Eco-Anxiety and Morita Therapy—A Review and Illustrative Case ReportPaolo Raile0Faculty of Psychotherapy Science, Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna, 1020 Vienna, AustriaEco-anxiety, a growing psychological concern, affects an increasing number of individuals distressed about environmental degradation and climate change. Morita therapy, a psychological approach developed in Japan, that emphasizes acceptance and action has potential applicability for treating modern anxieties such as eco-anxiety. An illustrative case report focusing on Waltraud M., a 29-year-old legal professional experiencing eco-anxiety is used as an example for the basis of exploring eco-anxiety in general and Morita therapy more specifically. The therapeutic intervention was conducted over several months, and the progress was documented through therapeutic diary entries, which detailed her emotional state and actions. Waltraud reported significant improvements in managing her anxiety. Initially overwhelmed by her ecological concerns, she learned to channel her anxieties into positive actions, such as making lifestyle adjustments that align with her environmental values. Notably, her ability to focus on immediate actions rather than future uncertainties helped reduce her anxiety symptoms. Morita therapy proved beneficial in managing Waltraud’s eco-anxiety by facilitating a shift from passive worry to active engagement with life’s challenges. The therapy’s focus on accepting emotions as they are, without trying to change them, and prioritizing meaningful action was effective in reducing the psychological distress associated with eco-anxiety. While promising, these findings are based on a single case report, and further research involving diverse populations and control groups is necessary to generalize the results and fully ascertain the therapy’s efficacy across different cultural and clinical settings.https://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/15/3/34eco-anxietyclimate changeMorita therapyShoma Moritacase reporteco-distress |
| spellingShingle | Paolo Raile Eco-Anxiety and Morita Therapy—A Review and Illustrative Case Report Challenges eco-anxiety climate change Morita therapy Shoma Morita case report eco-distress |
| title | Eco-Anxiety and Morita Therapy—A Review and Illustrative Case Report |
| title_full | Eco-Anxiety and Morita Therapy—A Review and Illustrative Case Report |
| title_fullStr | Eco-Anxiety and Morita Therapy—A Review and Illustrative Case Report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eco-Anxiety and Morita Therapy—A Review and Illustrative Case Report |
| title_short | Eco-Anxiety and Morita Therapy—A Review and Illustrative Case Report |
| title_sort | eco anxiety and morita therapy a review and illustrative case report |
| topic | eco-anxiety climate change Morita therapy Shoma Morita case report eco-distress |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/15/3/34 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT paoloraile ecoanxietyandmoritatherapyareviewandillustrativecasereport |