Title: Nature As Resistance: Exploring Ecotherapy As a Culturally Liberatory Practice for Black Millennial Women in Urban Settings

Background and Purpose:

Black millennial women in urban areas face compounded challenges of psychological and social disconnection rooted in systemic oppression, environmental racism, historical trauma, and cultural displacement. Although nature-based interventions (NBIs) have shown promise for stress management, their use as culturally affirming tools for identity development and belonging among Black communities remains underexplored. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of NBIs to foster connection, identity formation, and resistance among Black American millennial women in urban environments. By integrating African-centered social work principles and ecowomanism, the study seeks to reclaim nature as a site of healing and liberation and to expand trauma-informed, culturally responsive social work practices.

Methods:

This qualitative study will involve 20 Black women aged 28–43 from urban areas with varied levels of engagement in nature-based activities and histories of identity-related mental health challenges. Data collection methods will include oral histories exploring ancestral and familial relationships to nature, archival research, and community-based focus groups. The focus groups will examine the influence of nature-based interventions on participants' sense of belonging and identity. Data will be analyzed using narrative analysis to identify themes of resistance, connection, healing, and identity development.

Findings (Anticipated):

Preliminary expectations suggest that participants will articulate nature as a space for healing and resistance, challenge dominant narratives of environmental alienation, and affirm cultural reconnection through ancestral practices. Findings are expected to emphasize the role of ecotherapy in counteracting disconnection and promoting self-knowledge and belonging among urban Black women.

Conclusion and Implications:

This study positions ecotherapy as a decolonizing mental health intervention with the potential to restore cultural connection and address the psychological impacts of environmental injustice. Implications include informing policies and mental health practices that center African American cultural identities, enhancing clinician toolkits with culturally relevant NBIs, and supporting community-based healing strategies. This research contributes to a growing movement within social work to integrate ancestral wisdom, ecological consciousness, and cultural responsiveness into therapeutic frameworks for historically marginalized populations.