Climate Change and Psychology — Interview with Wendy Greenspun, Ph.D.

Blog originally published on November 26, 2019

In a world where anxiety due to climate change is on the rise, what does climate psychology have to offer?

We interviewed Wendy Greenspun, Ph.D. to find out. Based in New York, Dr. Greenspun has written and presented internationally on ways psychologists and psychoanalysts can engage with the climate crisis. She has also taught courses on Ecopsychoanalysis. (Full bio below).

The following is an edited version of our interview.

Q: Can climate anxiety be treated by general psychologists as just another issue, or does it require in-depth knowledge of climate change?

A: I think it is generally helpful to have a psychologist with greater awareness of climate change to treat people suffering with climate anxiety. I have heard individuals struggling with distress about the climate crisis describe experiences they’ve had in trying to bring up their climate fears to their therapist (someone without climate psychology experience), only to feel dismissed and told that this is “not the real problem” or worth discussing, or that the problem is too big to take on and therefore not a topic for therapy.

Q: What makes climate change so unique to treat in therapy?

A: Unlike many other concerns that therapists address, the therapist is also affected by the very same stressor the patient is struggling with. In this way, the usual emotional distance and perhaps, greater objectivity from the problem experienced by the patient is not built in. If we think of climate change as a current and prospective trauma, this also is somewhat unique and challenging, since we aren’t able to say the traumatic event has passed and now we can focus on ways to move on.

Another psychological challenge with the climate crisis is the way that we all may be considered victims, perpetrators and bystanders simultaneously, so we need to figure out ways to address all the emotions that go along with these experiences, including helplessness, guilt and desire to not know fully what we are facing. In addition, the climate emergency is so big and doesn’t have clear solutions, so presents a gigantic challenge to cope with emotionally.

“Another psychological challenge with the climate crisis is the way that we all may be considered victims, perpetrators and bystanders simultaneously.”

Q: What makes a good climate psychologist?

A: In my experience, a good climate psychologist has learned a lot about environmental degradation and the realities of climate threat so that they are knowledgeable about the real implications.

In addition, such a psychologist would have learned ways to manage their own anxiety, fear and trauma in the face of the climate crisis, so that their emotions don’t interfere with the capacity to be responsive to others.

A good climate psychologist would also be skilled at helping patients process their difficult emotions, including the necessity to mourn present and future losses, and would know ways to help patients cope, build resilience and ideally find ways to make meaning in the face of existential threat.

Q: What advice would you give your patients to manage their climate anxiety?

A: As a therapist, I probably don’t so much tend to give advice, but try to work collaboratively with my patients to figure out what might work for each of them to manage their climate anxiety, based on who they are and how they’ve coped with other stressors in the past.

In general, though, both the research and my experience point to several important areas of coping: sharing the distress with others, finding a sense of community if possible, and engaging in meaningful action to combat hopelessness and giving up.

Generally, I recommend that anyone experiencing climate anxiety or any other kind of anxiety practice good self-care (eat well, get enough sleep, exercise) and engage in practices that help calm the nervous system, such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing practices, listening to music, or being in nature.

Q: Do you notice in your work a divide in how men and women bring up the issue of climate change?

A: Excellent question, since we might think that women in general might go toward describing their feelings more easily and men toward problem solving (based on ways men and women are socialized, which have perhaps become gross stereotypes.) In my experience so far, I don’t think I’ve seen such a divide in terms of gender. For example, I’ve run climate workshops where men were crying and women were not, or had individual patients who are women who stay focused on practicalities and men who express deep vulnerability and hopelessness. I will say that when I’ve taught courses on Ecopsychology for professionals in my field, all the participants have been women. This certainly may be due to a larger proportion of female than male therapists, but still makes me wonder a bit.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?

A: I would also add that going to a psychologist or therapist might not be the only way to help with climate anxiety. Climate activists tend to fare better emotionally than, say, climate scientists, as the activists are embedded in a network of others who share their concerns and who often speak openly about their feelings, which can help relieve some of the distress, whereas scientists are usually involved in an intellectual atmosphere where emotional reactions are given short shrift. A supportive network of other people can often help foster understanding of shared concerns and helps individuals manage their climate anxiety.

The field of climate psychology is growing. The climate psychology alliance (climatepsychology.org and climatepsychology.us), and the Good Grief Network might be helpful resources for therapists and the general public alike.

“Going to a psychologist or therapist might not be the only way to help with climate anxiety. […] A supportive network of other people can often help foster understanding of shared concerns and helps individuals manage their climate anxiety.”

Wendy Greenspun, Ph.D., is on the faculty of the Manhattan Institute’s Certificate Program in Psychoanalysis and Adelphi University’s Postgraduate Program in Marriage and Couples Therapy. She has written and presented internationally on ways psychologists and psychoanalysts can engage with the climate crisis, and has taught courses on Ecopsychoanalysis. She has also provided workshops and classes for university students on ways to build resilience in the face of climate anxiety. She is a supervising psychologist at Columbia University Counseling and Psychological Services and is in private practice in Manhattan.