BY ANGELA HAUPT
FORGET CLIMATE ANXIETY: many people are in flat-out climate distress. About two-thirds of Americans (65%) report being worried about global warming, according to a January report from the Yale Program for Climate Communication. One in 10 say they’ve recently felt depressed over their concerns for the planet, and a similar percentage describe feeling on edge or like they’re unable to stop worrying about global warming.
No wonder more people are seeking care from climate=-aware therapists. Some go to therapy to figure out whether they should have kids in the age of rapid climate change. Others are dealing with post traumatic stress dis order from natural disasters or are burned out from advocacy work.
But if the threat is existential, is there value in sorting out how you feel about it? “The very first step is full validation,” says Leslie Davenport, a climate-psychology educator and author. Understand that it’s not irrational to be full of worry, rage, fear, or guilt when the planet’s on fi re. Instead of ignoring them, “take the energy of all those emotions and redirect them into constructive action,” says Dr. Lise Van Susteren, a psychiatrist in Washington, D.C., who co-founded the Climate Psychiatry Alliance. You could advocate for change and make changes yourself: reducing your carbon footprint by walking or biking instead of driving, for example.
Here, climate-aware therapists share their most effective coping strategies for going from overwhelmed to empowered.
Climate change tends to get the religion-and- politics treatment—people avoid talking about it, says Carol Bartels, a therapist in Long Beach, Calif. “But we need to talk about it,” she adds. “We need to know that other people are feeling the same.” Join a climate café— discussion spaces, both online and in-person, where people can talk freely about their fears and other feelings related to climate change. Or try the Good Grief Network, a peer-support group that follows a 10-step approach to help people process any type of grieving, including for the planet.
This is no time for humility. Make sure everyone around you knows what you’re doing to combat climate change, Van Susteren says. “What motivates people is not our independence—we follow the crowd.” Someone might not make green choices in the interest of future generations, but will do it if everyone else is. So post about your advocacy work or the trees you planted on Facebook, and tell whoever you’re standing next to at parties. If you’re surrounded by people who don’t appear to prioritize the environment as much as you do, lead by example rather than trying to change their minds, Bartels advises. “Getting angry with people does zero good,” she says.
Some research suggests that climate change is especially affecting young people’s mental health. If your kids are coming to you with concerns, listen to and validate them, Van Susteren says. Then get imaginative about how your whole family can take action together. If your kids are young, “you’re not going to talk about climate tipping points, but you can say, ‘Let’s plant a garden, let’s clean up a park. Let’s show Mother Earth that we care about her.’” Older kids might like to start or join climate clubs; if they express interest in going to a protest, ask if they’d like you to tag along, or if you can help them get there. “You can also have family meetings and say, ‘We’ve taken your feelings seriously, and we’ve decided as a family that these are some of the things we can do,’” Van Susteren suggests.
Making art can help people regulate and work through their emotions, says Ariella Cook-Shonkoff, a psychotherapist in Berkeley, Calif., who specializes in art therapy and eco-therapy. “You’re doing patterned, repetitive movements and getting into a flow state,” she says. “It’s calming.” Try it in the natural world—by sketching in front of the ocean or on a bench in the woods, for example.
Spending time outside in green spaces benefits well-being—though Davenport acknowledges it can be complex. You go to your favorite lake, but it’s closed because there’s toxic algae growth caused by warm water. A hike in the woods in the dead of winter is lovely, but the unseasonable warmth unnerves you. “Love and grief are two sides of the same coin,” she says. It’s worth pushing through, she says, “because doing so can renew your sense of why it’s important to fight for this.”
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