Well Counselor

Your clients are probably worried about climate change…even if they aren’t talking about it.

You may feel unsure of whether to bring up climate change or the climate crisis in the therapy room. Keep in mind that a majority of Americans believe global warming is happening and will cause harm to people in the US and around the world (Leiserowitz et al., 2023). In fact, 64% of Americans say they are at least somewhat worried about global warming, with 27% saying they are very worried (Leiserowitz et al., 2023). 

For some, thinking about climate change causes psychological distress. Eleven percent of Americans report that they experience anxiety from global warming at least several days in the last two weeks and 9% report depressive symptoms from global warming at least several days in the last two weeks (Leiserowitz et al., 2023). 

Despite the number of Americans who report that they are worried about global warming, 63% report that they rarely or never talk about global warming with friends or family and only 2% report that they are already discussing their feelings about global warming with a therapist. Seven percent report some level of interest in discussing their feelings about global warming in therapy, but a large majority (60%) say that they definitely would not be interested. Why is this? Why do people not want to talk about a topic that is causing them distress?

Since the research on this topic is emerging, it is unclear why there is a discrepancy between the number of people who are concerned about the climate crisis, and the number who talk about it with their friends, family, or therapists. Is it because this topic has turned into a polarizing one? Is avoiding talking about it easier than facing reality? Hopefully we get some answers so we can better address in the therapy room. Until then, there are 3 tips for how to support your clients as they address their feelings about the climate crisis. 

3 Tips for addressing clients’ feelings about the climate crisis

1. Create space for clients to sit in their feelings. It may be easier for clients to focus on more action-oriented activities like advocacy, which is certainly important. But first, they should process the emotions they are experiencing. They could be feeling frustration, grief, anger, confusion, hope, or any combination of these complex emotions. Allow them the space to feel these emotions. Help clients develop resilience and encourage them to feel and make meaning of their emotions through cognitive interventions, expressive arts, or emphasizing self-care (Baudon et al., 2021).  
2. Normalize their worry. Your clients may be like the majority of Americans who are worried about global warming but do not talk about it with anyone (Leiserowitz et al., 2023). Assure them that they are not alone in their worry. On top of that, you can validate their concerns because anxiety about climate change is rational. Scientists agree that climate change is contributing to many of the extreme weather events that have been occurring around the world (IPCC, 2021). It makes sense that they are experiencing distress because of this reality.
3. Encourage social connections and action planning. Once your clients are ready, you can help them determine what steps they would like to take to address climate change. Support them as they turn their feelings about climate change into a motivating force for change. Get them connected with groups of like-minded individuals for advocacy and emotional support (Baudon et al., 2021).

Final Thought

If you are feeling less confident about your own knowledge of climate change and its’ connection with mental health, consider engaging in your own continuing education. The more you know, the more confident you will be as you engage in conversations with clients around this topic. There is always more learning and growth to be done as we support our clients, and the topic of climate change is one that is relevant to all of us. 

Resources

Review the statement from American Counseling Association about climate change. 

Visit the American Psychiatric Association’s webpage about Climate Change and Mental Health Connections. 

References

Baudon. P. & Jachens, L. (2021). A scoping review of interventions for the treatment of eco-anxiety. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public, 18, 9636. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189636  

IPCC. (2021). Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. In Press. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/

Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., & Kotcher, J. (2023). Climate change in the American mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, December 2022. Yale University and George Mason. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-december-2022.pdf