Mind Over Chatter: Exploring Climate Psychology

We all know about the environmental and physical effects of climate change. But what about its impact on our mental health? Therapists report that their patients are exhibiting symptoms of what they call “climate anxiety” – loss of sleep, changes in appetite, feelings of grief, anger and hopelessness. How do we maintain our optimism in the face of a global existential crisis? And how do we talk with others about our fears without turning them off – or freaking them out? Three climate psychologists discuss how to cope with mounting anxiety brought on by climate change.

Guests:
Renee Lertzman, Climate Engagement Strategist; Author, Environmental Melancholia: Psychoanalytic Dimensions of Engagement (Routledge, 2016)
Leslie Davenport, Psychotherapist; Author, Emotional Resiliency in the Era of Climate Change: A Clinician’s Guide (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2017)
Bryant Welch, Clinical Psychologist; Author, State of Confusion: Political Manipulation and the Assault on the American Mind (2018)