Unmoored Yet Unbroken

Unmoored Yet Unbroken is less a final statement than a generative offering. It gathers voices from around the world―many early in their careers―who are working to articulate what it means to live and practice in an ecologically disoriented age. What emerges is a collective engagement with resilience, not as simple endurance, but as a relational process―a network of care that spans people, cultures, and ecologies, and leads to the deepening transformation of self. An important contribution to the ecopsychology literature.”

― PETER H. KAHN, Jr., Professor of Psychology and Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington; author of Technological Nature: Adaptation and the Future of Human Life

A rich tapestry of global narratives that highlights the psychological impact of environmental changes

Unmoored Yet Unbroken explores the intricate relationship between humans and the natural environment. With stories and observations from urban, suburban, rural, and wild environments, this book challenges ethnocentric perspectives and emphasizes our deep interdependence with the natural world. Protecting and stabilizing this relationship is vital for our mental health and essential in the broader fight against climate change.

This book uncovers the psychological challenges arising from our increasing disconnection from the natural world through a blend of diverse personal narratives, clinical insights, and cultural analysis. It addresses the urgent need to understand how environmental changes impact mental health in every community. By deepening our understanding of how climate change influences the human psyche, Unmoored Yet Unbroken offers an essential perspective for scholars, students, activists, and general readers.

• Explore the clinical implications of ecological change and how they differ globally

• Get a well-rounded perspective grounded in clinical evidence, personal stories, interviews, and survey results

• Understand how ecological changes impact marginalized communities in urban and rural settings

This book addresses gaps in existing literature and offers insights into the unique challenges marginalized groups face in environmental changes.

Susan Bodnar, PhD, is a psychologist and educator who created a popular graduate-level course on clinical ecopsychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she also teaches child psychopathology. She is the founder of DEWLab.org, dedicated to exploring the human connection with the natural world. She serves on the editorial board of Ecopsychology and is assistant editor for Psychoanalytic Dialogues. Susan maintains a psychotherapy practice in Manhattan, offering traditional, walk-and-talk, and pet-assisted therapy, and is clinical director of the Stamford Wellness Center, a rural start-up clinic in upstate New York.

Chrystal L. Dunker, PhD, is an environmental educator and researcher specializing in human–nature interaction patterns and their role in well-being. She is managing editor of Ecopsychology and an affiliate of the Human Interaction with Nature and Technological Systems Lab (HINTS Lab) at the University of WA – Seattle. Chrystal’s love of the outdoors and her joy in sharing the wonders of the more-than-human world fuel her ongoing work―rooted in her dissertation research and years in environmental education―to contribute new insights and scholarship that help advance the field of ecopsychology.

Jean Kayira, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) in Syracuse. Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to Indigenous knowledge systems, land-based education, and community-led research. With a passion for decolonizing methodologies and food justice, she brings diverse ways of knowing into both her scholarship and teaching. Jean finds joy in learning alongside others and in building relationships that honor place, stories, and lived experiences.