It’s not Easy Becoming Green: Student-Therapist Perceptions of Family Therapy in an Eco-sustainable age

Recent attention given to environmental concerns has been vaulted to the forefront of American society and the world. This has resulted in an increase in ecologically minded practices known as the ‘go green’ movement. Despite the overlap between environmental sustainability and systemic thought, marriage/couple and family therapists (M/CFTs) have remained relatively silent regarding ecologically friendly practices within training and clinical practice. In this qualitative study (the first one of its kind), we asked 25 M/CFT trainees to describe their perceptions of ecological and family sustainability in general, as well as in the context of applying eco-informed language and practice into their therapy. In general, M/CFT trainees reported that although they believe that ecological practices are important for families, they struggle with what the inclusion of such practices might look like practically. Implications for clinical practice and training are presented as well as suggestions for future research.