Eco-Psychology: Arctic Field Studies

Semester & Location:	Beginning Summer 2026 - DIS Greenland
Type & Credits:	Arctic Experiential Studies - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Psychology, Sustainability, Arctic Studies
Prerequisite(s):	One course in psychology at university level.
Corequisite Course(s):	Kalaallit Nunaat: Greenland’s History, Culture and People, Sociology, Environmental Studies
Faculty Members:	Eleftherios Saftis (current students please use the Canvas Inbox)
Time & Place:	TBA

 

Course Description

Is the current climate crisis only environmental in nature, or does it also have roots that run deeper into our relationships with nature, with one another as humans, and with ourselves?  

Together, we will travel to Greenland to explore psychological areas such as ecopsychology, psychoanalysis, clinical psychology, and humanistic approaches and critical perspectives. We will explore how institutions and governing systems establish norms and standards of normalcy versus disorderliness while deciding whose perspectives or knowledge are valued and whose are disregarded entirely. Moreover, we will try to understand how the legacies of colonialism persist within individuals’ bodies, families, and collective consciousness, molding identities and psychological wellbeing across generations. 

The course emphasizes learning outside of the classroom and takes place outdoors in the Arctic environment, where you can interact directly with your surroundings and people through observation and conversation while engaging in hands-on activities.  

The course is rooted in theory, but also encourages you to explore beyond traditional scientific boundaries and contemplate the influence of local history, culture, and power on our understanding of knowledge, truth, and health. The goal is not to only comprehend concepts intellectually, but also to emotionally connect with them. The course encourages curiosity and exploration rather than providing final answers or solutions. 

We will approach knowledge as dynamic and embodied, emerging through relationships, reflection, and lived experience. Together, we will question and explore our own subjective experiences, personal histories, and internalized worldviews shaped by how we have participated in the world. Process groups and shared reflection will become spaces where personal story and academic discipline can co-exist. The course will function as an active community where all interactions and experiences are seen as a form of fieldwork. Being unsettled is welcomed and understood as part of learning. The community will be invited to hold tensions and approach them as sites of insight and engagement—psychology as a living experience, an evolving practice rather than be seen as fixed theory and generic categorizations.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Critically evaluate how colonial histories, capitalism, and dominant psychological discourses have shaped perceptions of mental health, cultural identity, and ecological change, using Greenland as a focal case while applying these insights to other populations with histories of colonization, knowledge repression, and displacement
• Apply and critically reflect on eco-psychological theory, liberation psychology, psychoanalytic, humanistic, clinical, and critical frameworks towards understanding climate change and climate justice.
• Engage in reflective, collaborative, and process-oriented learning by exploring the role of selfhood and embodied experience within an Eco Psychology framework.
•  Integrate interdisciplinary perspectives from psychology, anthropology, geopolitics, sustainability, and biology to understand how ecological, cultural, and political systems shape human experience and identity.
• Synthesize academic theory with stories, observations, and lived experiences gathered in the field, and communicate these insights through diverse forms of expression—such as art, performance, creative writing, or multimedia—beyond the traditional academic word.
• Engage in community‑based and relational learning by reflecting on personal experiences, interpersonal relationships, and group dialogue as valid and valuable forms of psychological inquiry and knowledge‑making.

Faculty

Eleftherios Saftis

M.Sc. in Health Psychology (City, University of London, 2000). B.Sc. Hons. in Psychology (City, University of London, 1997). Certified in psychotherapy and counselling and engaged in psychoanalytic training at the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research (London) and Freuds Agora in Copenhagen, currently working as a psychoanalyst in practice at Freud’s Agora, Copenhagen.

Co-author of several academic articles on post-traumatic stress disorder, psychotherapy, and psychoanalysis. Former Clinical Director at Community Housing and Therapy, a UK charity providing therapeutic community housing for adults with mental health diagnoses. Managed two specialized therapeutic community projects: one focused on homeless ex-service men and women with mental health difficulties, and another serving individuals with psychosis and  borderline personality structures

Previously worked as a psychologist in the Greek Army, offering psychological support in a military context. With DIS since 2015.

Readings

Suggested readings -

Readings are subject to change  

Arke, P. (1995/2010). Ethno-aesthetics / Etnoæstetik (2nd ed.). Kunsttidsskriftet ARK; Pia Arke Selskabet; Kuratorisk Aktion.

Arnfjord, S., & Perry, K. (2022, December 1). Exploring the social problem of homelessness in Arctic urban settings. Ilisimatusarfik Centre for Arctic Welfare, University of Greenland.

Bagge, N., & Berliner, P. (2021). Psychotherapy and indigenous people in the Kingdom of Denmark. Psychotherapy and Politics International, 19(2), Article e1586.

Bjerregaard, P., & Curtis, T. (2002). Cultural change and mental health in Greenland: The association of childhood conditions, language, and urbanization with mental health and suicidal thoughts among the Inuit of Greenland. Social Science & Medicine, 54(1), 33–48.

Bjerregaard, P., & Larsen, C. V. L. (2016). Health aspects of colonization and the post-colonial period in Greenland: 1721 to 2014. Journal of Northern Studies, 10(2), 85–106.

Bjerregaard, P., Larsen, C. V. L., Sørensen, I. K., & Tolstrup, J. S. (2020). Alcohol in Greenland 1950–2018: Consumption, drinking patterns, and consequences. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 79, 1814550.

Clayton, S., & Crandon, T. (2023). Climate change and mental health. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 19, 471–496.

Cullen, M. (2024). Climate change, colonialism and human rights in Greenland. In P. Butler & J. P. Gauci (Eds.), Small states and international law. Brill.

De Leon, G., & Unterrainer, H. F. (2020). The therapeutic community: A unique social psychological approach to the treatment of addictions and related disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, Article 786.

Fisher, A. (2012). Radical ecopsychology: Psychology in the service of life (2nd ed.). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Fisher, A. (2019). Ecopsychology as decolonial praxis. Ecopsychology, 11(3), 145–155.

Gullone, E. (2000). The biophilia hypothesis and life in the 21st century: Increasing mental health or increasing pathology? Journal of Happiness Studies, 1(3), 293–322.

Hickman, C., Marks, E., Pihkala, P., Clayton, S., Lewandowski, R. E., Mayall, E., Wray, B., Mellor, C., & van Susteren, L. (2021). Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: A global survey. Lancet Planetary Health, 5(12), e863–e873.

Jones, S., Callesen, M. B., Pedersen, M. M., Strunz, A., & Pedersen, M. U. (2017). Personal life barriers among young people in Nuuk [Personlige livsbarrierer blandt unge i Nuuk]. Psyke & Logos, 38, 72–89.

Jung, C. G. (2006). The undiscovered self (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1957)

A., & Rasmussen, M. A. (2023). The curious stranger: An approach to fieldwork. Nordicum Mediterraneum, 18(1).

Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), 169–182.

Kiehl, J. T. (2012). A Jungian perspective on global warming. Ecopsychology, 4(3), 218–225.

Kirmayer, L. J., & Sartorius, N. (2007). Cultural models and somatic syndromes. Psychosomatic Medicine, 69(9), 832–840.

Knudsen, R. (Ed.). (2016). Perspectives on skills: An anthology on informally acquired skills in Greenland – A Greenland Perspective publication. University of Copenhagen.

Laugrand, F., & Oosten, J. (2010). When toys and ornaments come into play: The transformative power of miniatures in Canadian Inuit cosmology. Anthropologica, 52(2), 239–254.

Lewin, K. (1946). Action research and minority problems. Journal of Social Issues, 2(4), 34–46.

Lynge, I., Munk‑Jørgensen, P., Pedersen, A. L., Mulvad, G., & Bjerregaard, P. (2004). Common mental disorders among patients in primary health care in Greenland. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 63(Suppl. 2), 377–383.

Merkur, D. (1987). Contrary to nature: Inuit conception of witchcraft. Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis, 12, 279–293.

Meziane, M. A. (2024). The states of the earth: An ecological and racial history of secularization. Verso.

Mullan, J. (2023). Decolonizing therapy: Oppression, historical trauma, and politicizing your practice. W. W. Norton & Company.

Oladejo, A. O., Malherbe, N., & van Niekerk, A. (2023). Climate justice, capitalism, and the political role of the psychological professions. Review of General Psychology, 28(1), 3–16.

Pomerville, A., Burrage, R. L., & Gone, J. P. (2016). Empirical findings from psychotherapy research with Indigenous populations: A systematic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 84(12), 1023–1038.

Reid, J. (2022). Biopolitics. In M. Lindroth, H. Sinevaara‑Niskanen, & M. Tennberg (Eds.), Critical Studies of the Arctic: Unravelling the North (pp. 59–76). Palgrave Macmillan.

Roszak, T. (1992). The voice of the earth: An exploration of ecopsychology. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Shulman Lorenz, H., & Watkins, M. (2001). Silenced knowing’s, forgotten springs: Paths to healing in the wake of colonialism. Radical Psychology, 2(2).

Starrs, C. J., & Békés, V. (2024). Historical intergenerational trauma transmission model: A comprehensive framework of family and offspring processes of transgenerational trauma. Traumatology. Advance online publication.

Swan, J. A. (2010). Transpersonal psychology and the ecological conscience. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 42(1), 2–25.

Szasz, T. S. (1960). The myth of mental illness. American Psychologist, 15(2), 113–118.

Thisted, K. (2022). Affects. In M. Lindroth, H. Sinevaara‑Niskanen, & M. Tennberg (Eds.), Critical Studies of the Arctic: Unravelling the North (pp. 37–58). Palgrave Macmillan.

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.

Watkins, M., & Ciofalo, N. (2011). Creating and sharing critical community psychology curriculum for the 21st century: An invitation. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice.

Watkins, M., & Shulman, H. (2008). Introduction (Part I). In Toward psychologies of liberation (pp. 1–20). Palgrave Macmillan.

Wendt, D. C., Huson, K., Albatnuni, M., & Gone, J. P. (2022). What are the best practices for psychotherapy with Indigenous Peoples in the United States and Canada? A thorny question. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 90(10), 802–814.

 

Movies/Documentaries and Podcasts

Abraham, N. (Producer). (2025, April). Greenlanders embrace pre‑Christian traditions and reclaim Inuit spirituality [Video]. AP News. https://apnews.com/...

Alluna, L. (Director & Co‑writer), & Peter, A. (Co‑writer) (2023). Twice Colonized [Documentary film]. Ánorâk Film / Red Marrow Media / EyeSteelFilm

Nigro, C. J. (Host). (2025, May 26). Jung and the collective unconscious [Audio podcast episode]. In Psychology Unplugged. Psychology Unplugged. Retrieved from https://podcasts.apple.com/bg/podcast/jung-and-the-collective-unconscious/id1547088092?i=1000709971136

Pidd, H. (Host), & Safi, M. (Host). (2024, April 19). The chilling policy to cut Greenland’s high birth rate [Audio podcast episode]. In Today in Focus. The Guardian. Originally aired April 19, 2024; re‑broadcast December 5, 2024.

Wille, N. (Host). (2024, April 22). The decolonisation of Greenland and Inuit healing [Audio podcast episode]. In Indigenous Futures Podcast. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4R0R2lmAbAsKgU8hBT6E0G

Visit Greenland; UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. (2018). Inuit drum dancing and singing [Video]. UNESCO Video and Sound Collections. Retrieved August 6, 2025, from https://ich.unesco.org/en/video/57856

Field Studies

TBA

Guest Lecturers

TBA

Approach to Teaching

The classroom space will seek to challenge prominent and pervasive ideas within the “helping professions”.  Teaching will move beyond the traditional frame of transmitting “knowledge and skills” from one party (student) to another (teacher).  The aim is to help students take responsibility for their own work and learning.  Learning will be experiential and relational—emerging through living, reflecting, and becoming aware.  Students need some initial education such as engagement with theory but at the same time realize the confines of theory and how it can become another form of alienation.

There are some key principles of learning we will strive towards during the course:

• Applying a dialectic operation to the learning environment, which puts the student actively at the center of their own learning.
• Understanding the intersubjective nature of knowledge with its locus, not only in theory but in history and the specificities that each community holds.
• Naming student and teacher desire as the ultimate object of learning.
• Helping students to resist being drawn in the position of expert, to forget what they know, in order to carefully listen to the outside world.
• Helping students engage with material in broad philosophical and literary ways, rather through narrow psychological or medical practice.

Students will be presented with material and invited to co-create spaces for engaging with six broad areas of inquiry during the Eco Psychology course —Critical Psychology & Liberation Frameworks, Eco-Psychological Perspectives of the Self, Eco-Embodiment, Clinical Eco-Psychology & Decolonial Psychological frameworks, and the Psychology of Activism. While in Greenland, these categories will serve as lenses through which students can explore lived realities, cultural dynamics, and ecological transformations, drawing on the insights that eco psychological theory can bring to each theme.

Learning will take place in the classroom and outdoors by creating spaces where students can develop and bring their own research, their own experience, and help them develop their own language in relation to the various experiences they have during the course.

Process groups and developing free dialogue

Students will participate in process groups—informal settings to discuss, reflect, and explore personal experiences and ideas. Inspired by group therapy and the work of Wilfred Bion, these groups function as a kind of laboratory for understanding how experience and learning coexist.  Bion’s insight that groups can act as a safety net for anxiety will shape our approach. These spaces allow students to share thoughts and feelings without the pressure of having immediate answers. They will serve as places to explore course material, field experiences, and time in Greenland openly, using emotional responses to deepen understanding.

The goal is to create an environment where we feel respected and able to discuss differences honestly, acknowledge challenges, and explore learning as a communal process. Recognizing that learning is more than absorbing facts—it is a shared, evolving process—these groups will develop into supportive communities where participants look out for one another. Here, group members can challenge each other’s thinking, listen deeply, and practice the difficult work of truly hearing others.

DIS Accommodations Statement

Your learning experience in this class is important to me.  If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter on the first days of class. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support academicsupport@dis.dk

Expectations of the Students

Academic Honesty:

Students are expected to adhere to high academic standards in both their participation and the work they produce for the course. All ideas and sources must be properly cited and referenced. If anything is unclear, students are encouraged to contact me by email or ask questions in class. While students may use AI tools, they must appropriately reference any material that comes from AI. However, AI will not be accepted as a valid reference; students are expected to consult and cite original sources directly.

Students are expected to engage fully in all classes, activities, and group sessions during the study tour. Nonattendance or poor engagement will result in a lower participation grade.

Participation and engagement:

This course is designed to mirror aspects of a living learning community, where participation extends beyond the classroom. Students are expected to be open, willing to take intellectual and personal risks, and ready to contribute to a shared living and learning experience.

This does not mean the community will always be comfortable or harmonious; productive tensions and differences are part of the learning process. Participation means co‑creating spaces for open expression on both personal and global issues. 

Students are expected to attend all events during the class.  I should be notified before hand for any absences and if you are finding it difficult to engage, you should be open and transparent with me, and we can discuss how we can help make it work for you.

Evaluation

Participation and Engagement

Active participation is at the heart of this course. Students are expected to contribute to discussions, activities, and community living in Greenland with openness, curiosity, and respect. This includes engaging fully in class sessions, field experiences, and group work; listening deeply to others; and being willing to enter into dialogue about personal and global issues raised during the course.

Eco Psychology Diary

Throughout the course, students will keep a reflective diary that documents their evolving thoughts, feelings, and observations. This diary is a space to integrate academic learning with personal experience—linking eco‑psychological concepts to moments in the field, encounters with people and landscapes, and shifts in self‑understanding.

Field presentation

Students will work individually or in small groups to prepare a short presentation based on a particular encounter, site visit, or observation during the study tour. This could be inspired by a conversation with a local person, time spent in a particular landscape, or an observation of cultural practice. Presentations should combine descriptive storytelling with theoretical insight, drawing on relevant readings and concepts from eco‑psychology, liberation psychology, or related framework

Activism project

The activism project is an opportunity to translate course learning into action. Working individually or collaboratively, students will design and present a project that addresses an environmental, cultural, or psychological dynamic explored during the course. This could take the form of a creative campaign, a multimedia work, a community initiative, or another imaginative format.

Process group participation and facilitation

Process group sessions are distinct from general participation and engagement and are designed to support an embodied understanding of course learning. They foster growth through collective reflection, emotional processing, and meaning making, and include shared dialogue, exploring contradictions, intentional silence, and recognizing the value of simply being together. In ecopsychology, they also illuminate the emotional bond between person and planet, linking our class community to our shared responsibilities as Earth’s citizens.

Together with the shared living environment, process groups provide a lived experience of values central to community psychology, therapeutic communities, and Indigenous psychologies—such as interdependence, mutual care, shared responsibility, participatory decision-making, respect for diversity, and connection to place. They also offer space to address the practicalities of living and planning together, recognizing how these everyday aspects are deeply tied to community functioning and emotional well-being. By engaging in these spaces, students practice these principles in real time, learning to navigate difference while maintaining unity, and recognizing that personal well-being is inseparable from the health of the community and the wider ecological world.

Grading

 

Assignment	Percent
Participation & Engagement	TBA
Eco Psychology Diary	TBA
Field Presentation	TBA
Activism Project	TBA
Process group participation and facilitation	TBA
Total	100%

Academic Regulations

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code

 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org