Therapist Integrates Environmental Responsibility in Workplace

“Health exists on many levels. It’s important to start with the self, and move out to the larger community.”

Teleosis congratulates Cambria Lowe for greening her workplace—a core component of the Green Health Care (GHC) Program. Lowe’s experience as a body worker and Somatic Psychotherapist has deepened her understanding of how our relationship with our bodies affects our relationship with the natural world. Lowe sees the body as a microcosm of the larger ecosystem, and believes the ideas we have about the health of our bodies determines our perceptions about the health of the Earth.

In her practice, Lowe addresses her client's relationship with her/his body, including personal history with exercise, sleep and sexuality. This is often accompanied with breath, sensory awareness, and movement. Lowe explains that the GHC program “has helped me complete the holistic view of health I hope to achieve in my practice. My work is about actively engaging in some larger political and social change.”

As a political activist, Lowe recognizes the importance of the political and social influences in people’s lives. She saw the field of psychotherapy as an opportunity to advocate for the positive social changes she would like to see in the world. The process of greening her workplace gave Lowe an additional opportunity to integrate sustainability and conservation into her practice as a psychotherapist--two values she believes to be critical for the health of future generations.

Lowe maintains a low-tech private practice in Berkeley, California and found the greening process to be simple and straightforward. “This was a real education process, which allowed me to look at my behaviors, habits, and choices; there was so much I hadn’t considered. Through this process, I found many places where I could do more to be sustainable.”

Lowe believes that our actions reflect our values. By integrating environmental responsibility in her workplace, she demonstrates how social and political values can empower our everyday choices and actions. She recently purchased a scooter to replace her car to commute to work: “I was tired of driving my car to work each day. I wanted to do something about it and decided I could get a smaller, more energy efficient vehicle.”

Some of the changes implemented in Lowe’s greener workplace include a recycling program for her building, “which now goes out full every week!” she exclaims. As a part of the GHC Program, Lowe will act as a coach for her peers and participate in conducting audits for other practitioners who are beginning the program. She is eager to bring what she has learned to the larger health care community.

The Green Health Care Program provides health professionals with tools and resources to create, maintain, and embody a sustainable practice. Lowe explains: “This program is valuable to those practitioners whose intention is for patients to be healthy. They can mirror that intention by what they do in their office. This will point clients toward health through their own actions. We can all learn more about our direct impact on the environment.”

Cambria Lowe, LMFT
1905 Berkeley Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 704-4002
Specialty: Somatic Psychotherapy