Andrew Barker

I am a Consultant Psychiatrist with 30+ years of experience, semi-retired age 60, still registered with the GMC / revalidated, undergoing clinical supervision, appraisal and indemnified. My main area of practice was old age psychiatry, though I was also accredited in general adult psychiatry, did a 1 year sabbatical in forensic psychiatry and during training did a placement in adolescent psychiatry. I also have 6 grown up children, so a fair bit of life experience with young adults!

From the perspective of psychotherapy; as well as my psychiatry training and experience, I have completed training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and have clinical supervision with an Act therapist with a long track record of involvement with climate activism. I think this approach works well with the values underpinning climate distress in all its forms. I am a member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (and a member of their climate justice and action special interest group).

With regard to climate and ecological crisis work, in my 50s I was able to develop a long standing interest in secular Buddhism and for the last 3-4 years have been attending weekly buddhist group meetings. I take a lead in our local eco-dharma group and am a member of the national equivalent with Triratna Earth sangha. I have actively engaged in Buddhafield events, including Green Earth Awakening and Joanna Macey’s Work that Reconnects. I am shortly to attend the week-long Routes to Resilience retreat. I have participated in Extinction Rebellion actions within the XR Buddhists and Healthcare groups. I am currently on an ‘Eco-sattva’ course run by One Earth Sangha. This includes a consideration of trauma and reviewing our own eco / climate emotional responses and blocks, building on from them with resilience.