The Psychological Impact of Climate Change: How Therapists Are Responding
The Psychological Impact of Climate Change: How Therapists Are Responding In a world where the consequences of climate change have become more immediate and severe, the psychological impact is reaching new heights. Therapists are grappling with the changing landscape of mental health, as more clients come forward with concerns about climate change and its effects on their well-being. Not too long ago, around 2014, the Pacific Northwest was seen as a refuge from climate disruption, a place where the impact of climate change was theoretical at best. It rarely came up in therapy sessions, except in the context of other issues, such as ethical debates about having children in an uncertain climate future. But then, the smoke arrived, ushering in a new era. Wildfires in Canada, California, and Siberia began sending thick plumes of smoke into the region, choking the bluebird summers and transforming them into scenes of eerie tangerine skies and ash falling like snow. The world had chang...