Event Description:

The climate crisis is having substantial—and increasing—impacts on mental health, ranging from climate anxiety, eco-grief, and hopelessness to increased violence, suicide, and trauma. Psychologists have a critical role to play in helping individuals--and society as a whole--adapt to the now-inevitable changes in our world, as well as in helping people develop the resilience and motivation needed to take on the urgent challenge of mitigating climate change. Despite the importance of this work, however, education and training in it is new, and, faced with our own existential threat, many clinicians understandably often don’t know where to begin when it comes to addressing these topics. This talk aims to help to fill that gap by providing an introduction to the mental health effects of climate change, a history of the rise of climate psychology and climate-aware therapy, and an explanation of some of the relevant issues in this rapidly developing area.

Learning Objectives:

• Demonstrate awareness of the psychological impacts of climate change.
• Describe several psychological constructs relevant to the emotional experience of climate change.
• Explain several considerations important to working with clients affected by the climate crisis.

Presenter Info: 

Laura Carter Robinson, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Ann Arbor. She is the state/regional coordinators liaison for Climate Psychology Alliance of North America, as well as CPA’s state coordinator for Michigan, and volunteers as an advocate on climate change and mental health with the American Psychological Association. She received her degree from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers and completed her internship at the University of Michigan, and has received several awards for her personal statewide environmental work.