“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us.
When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
(Aldo Leopold, 1948)
“As scientific understanding has grown, so our world has become dehumanized. Man feels himself isolated in the cosmos, because he is no longer involved in nature…His contact with nature is gone, and with it has gone the profound emotional energy that this symbolic connection supplied.”
(Jung, 1964; p.95)
“It is obvious to me that the forests cannot be saved one at a time, nor can the planet be saved one issue at a time: without a profound revolution in human consciousness, all the forests will soon disappear. Psychologists in service to the Earth helping ecologists to gain deeper understanding of how to facilitate profound change in the human heart and mind seems to be the key at this point.”
(John Seed, Australian activist)
I am Andrea and my journey started as a journalist while completing my Masters in Research Psychology. After working as a journalist I worked for two international research agencies as a senior research executive. Looking for more experience in strategy I joined a boutique agency where I worked as a consumer psychologist after which I started my own qualitative research agency.
Over the years of working as a consumer psychologist I was invited as a guest lecturer for University of Pretoria, University of Johannesburg, University of Cape Town and University of South Africa. In 2013 I was invited as a guest speaker to the AMS Marketing Conference held in California, USA.
At the end of 2014 and after reading books about ecopsychology and climate change I decided to suspend my research and strategy work to pursue a PhD in Psychology focusing on ecopsychology, systems thinking and climate change. My thesis is currently under examination.
TO DECONSTRUCT THE HUMAN PSYCHE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH MOTHER NATURE BY USING SOLID PRINCIPLES FROM THE FIELD OF PSYCHOLOGY.
Over 16 years research experience working with many Blue Chip companies doing mostly qualitative and some quantitative research. Experience includes brand strategy and positioning, NPD, market and consumer understanding/exploration/segmentation, communication development and testing, packing testing, cultural exploration and behavioural navigation.
TO FACILITATE THE RAISING OF COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS AND COMPASSION IN ORDER TO STOP ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION.
Using in-depth experience of working with brands and consumers to now assisting ethical/green brands, NGO’s, NPO’s etc. to conduct compassionate research that aims to contribute positively to the planet.
Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi
PIGMY ELEPHANT JOSH ADOPTED BY PLUNGE
AFRICAN PENGUIN BOHDI ADOPTED BY PLUNGE
ZIYANDA WHITE LION ADOPTED BY PLUNGE
'All beings tremble before violence. All fear death. All love life. See yourself in others.
Then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do?' (The Buddha)