My climate journey: One cognitive behavioural psychotherapist's account

Therapeutic perspectives
Climate and ecological emotions

From The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist (Willsher & Freeston, 2024): Climate change distress is a challenge to people seeking help, and to those providing help. Those providing help are working in a new area of clinical practice where little is known, but they may also be experiencing climate change distress. The aim of this article is to highlight the personal and professional implications of the unfolding climate crisis and how we might better understand and support those with understandable, yet intense, emotional reactions to the climate crisis. The article consists of a first-person narrative by Claire Willsher, a CBT psychotherapist with lived experience of climate anxiety, and a commentary on the narrative based on the psychology of climate change literature by Mark Freeston.

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From The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist (Willsher & Freeston, 2024): Climate change distress is a challenge to people seeking help, and to those providing help. Those providing help are working in a new area of clinical practice where little is known, but they may also be experiencing climate change distress. The aim of this article is to highlight the personal and professional implications of the unfolding climate crisis and how we might better understand and support those with understandable, yet intense, emotional reactions to the climate crisis. The article consists of a first-person narrative by Claire Willsher, a CBT psychotherapist with lived experience of climate anxiety, and a commentary on the narrative based on the psychology of climate change literature by Mark Freeston.

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Therapeutic perspectives Reading List

The sources on this list relate to therapeutic perspectives. They are not freely accessible online - most require a library subscription, institutional access, or purchase.

Climate and ecological emotions Reading List

The sources on this list relate to climate and ecological emotions. They are not freely accessible online - most require a library subscription, institutional access, or purchase.

One Resilient Earth

Grows the climate resilience of young people, sustainability professionals and educators through transformative learning journeys, climate emotions circles, and training on climate anxiety and trauma, including a dedicated CLARITY programme for teachers and educators.

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