In this episode, Vanessa sits down with Clara Schroeder, ecotherapist and author of Re-Nature: How Nature Helps Us Feel Better and Do Better, for a conversation about ecopsychology, climate grief, ritual, and the healing intelligence of the natural world. Together they explore why “we are nature” is not just a poetic idea, but a psychological and spiritual reality - and how separation from the earth mirrors separation from self, body, belonging, and ritual. They also discuss nature as a co-regulating presence, the specific grief that can follow climate or human-caused ecological disasters, and what it means to repair our attachment with the original mother. This is a conversation about remembering that nature is not outside of us; it is one of the oldest relationships we have.
For educational purposes only. This isn’t therapy.
Resources mentioned:
Re-Nature by Clara Schroeder
Use for: Guest’s book, Re-Nature: How Nature Helps Us Feel Better and Do Better.
Link: https://www.claraschroeder.com/book
Note: Clara’s site describes the book as exploring nature connection, mental health, resilience, climate disruption, and sustainable action.
Ecopsychology / Theodore Roszak
Use for: Defining ecopsychology as the bridge between psychology and ecology / the human psyche and the natural world.
Link: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/psychology/ecopsychology
Note: Useful general background on ecopsychology and its association with Theodore Roszak’s The Voice of the Earth.
Nature exposure and health
Use for: Research support that exposure to natural environments is associated with decreased anxiety, rumination, and other mental health benefits.
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8125471/
Note: Review article on associations between nature exposure and health.
Nature relatedness and mental health
Use for: Research support that stronger nature relatedness is associated with fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6069224/
Note: Helpful support for the episode’s claim that relationship with nature matters for mental health.
Connectedness to Nature Scale
Use for: Research on emotional / experiential connection to the natural world.
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222621038_The_Connectedness_to_Nature_Scale_A_Measure_of_Individuals%27_Feeling_in_Community_with_Nature
Note: Mayer and Frantz’s Connectedness to Nature Scale is a common measure in environmental psychology.
Andy Goldsworthy quote
Use for: “We often forget that we are nature. Nature is not something separate from us…”
Link: https://www.theartstory.org/artist/goldsworthy-andy/
Note: This is a cleaner source than Goodreads for the quote used in the episode.
Lisa Miller / Spirituality Mind Body Institute
Use for: Lisa Miller’s work on spirituality, psychology, and the science of spiritual awareness.
Link: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/faculty/lfm14/
Note: This confirms Lisa Miller as Professor of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and founder of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute.
Lisa Miller — The Awakened Brain
Use for: Background on spirituality, resilience, and mental health.
Link: https://www.lisamillerphd.com/
Note: Important: I would not use wording that says Lisa Miller “proved synchronicities are real” unless you have a specific source from her work that says that directly. Safer wording: “Lisa Miller’s work explores the science of spirituality and awakened awareness.”
Fractal patterns and stress reduction
Use for: Nature’s fractal patterns and stress/mental fatigue reduction.
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8416160/
Note: Supports the episode’s discussion of repeated natural patterns and nervous system regulation.
Disaster / climate-related mental health
Use for: Mental health consequences of disasters, including trauma, anxiety, and depression.
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11430943/
Note: Broad support for the climate grief / disaster recovery part of the conversation.
Forest therapy after wildfire disaster
Use for: Nature-based, community-centered support after wildfire or disaster.
Link: https://natureandhealth.uw.edu/publications/forest-therapy-as-a-trauma-informed-approach-to-disaster-recovery-insights-from-a-wildfire-affected-community/
Note: Useful support for nature connection as part of disaster recovery.
Nature attachment theory
Use for: Nature as an attachment figure / the human-nature bond through an attachment theory lens.
Link: https://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/14214
Note: Useful support for the “Mother Nature / original mother / attachment wound” portion of the episode.
Attachment theory overview
Use for: Bowlby, Ainsworth, secure base, attachment needs, and early bonds.
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4085672/
Note: Good general research overview on attachment theory and secure base.
Clarissa Pinkola Estés — Women Who Run With the Wolves / life-death-life cycle
Use for: Life-death-life cycle, instinctual nature, and the archetypal feminine frame.
Link: https://bookshop.org/p/books/women-who-run-with-the-wolves-clarissa-pinkola-estes/9929947
Note: The concept is from Estés’s Women Who Run With the Wolves. I did not find a high-quality free source with the full concept explained, so best to cite the book directly rather than a secondary blog.
Human evolution / Homo sapiens
Use for: Vanessa’s comment that humans have existed far longer than modern attachment theory / nuclear-family assumptions.
Link: https://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-sapiens
Note: Smithsonian source states Homo sapiens have lived from about 300,000 years ago to the present.
Connect with Claire:
Clara’s website:
https://www.claraschroeder.com/
Book page:
https://www.claraschroeder.com/book
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/livingwithclarity/
Book Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ReNatureBook/
Substack:
https://claraschroeder.substack.com/
If you want to go deeper, check out the written companion on Substack and explore community + training at https://www.vanessaBennett.com.
Additional Resources
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Community: Inner Compass Collective
Training: Inner Compass Academy
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