Climate Psychology in Whitefish Bay, WI

Counseling for anxiety and stress regarding climate change

In the face of our changing climate, the emotional landscape is evolving as well. The combination of unsettling weather patterns, alarming news headlines, and a sense of helplessness has given rise to a spectrum of emotions collectively referred to as climate psychology.

Climate psychology can include:

Climate Anxiety: This encompasses distress, persistent rumination, and excessive worry directly linked to environmental changes, disrupting the activities of daily life.
Solastalgia: A profound sense of yearning for a place that no longer exists due to environmental transformations, capturing the emotional toll of change on our connection to the environment (and ourselves)
Climate Nihilism: The daunting sensation of powerlessness and hopelessness arising from the vast scope of climate concerns, prompting existential questions about our ability to effect change. This is also sometimes referred to as “Climate fatalism”
Climate Displacement/Climate Refugee: Those forced to relocate due to catastrophic weather events or the overarching impact of climate change on their communities.

While the long-term effects of the climate crisis on mental health remain a subject of ongoing exploration, the immediate impact is palpable. Individuals grappling with eco-anxiety may find themselves troubled with nightmares, sense of dread, incessant rumination, and heightened vigilance.

Expressing distress related to the climate crisis can be challenging, often leaving individuals feeling isolated and misunderstood. Many folks report concerns about burdening their loved ones with their anxieties, convinced that they are the sole caretakers of the planet's future. This is where therapy can help.

Talking about the emotional toll of climate change is an essential step toward healing. Creating a place to talk openly about concerns for the environment can help folks feel a sense of connection, understanding, and unburdening. The collective responsibility of global climate change can be overwhelming, but building communities, creating lasting change, and openly discussing our experiences can be transformative.

If any of these experiences resonate with you, consider taking the next step. Submit a new client inquiry below to explore whether Kelsey might be the right therapist to help you navigate the nuances of your individual journey through climate change. Together, we can foster a space for understanding, support, and collective action in the face of our shared environmental challenges.

Submit a New Client Inquiry

FAQs About Climate Psychology:

Climate psychology is a field within psychology that studies the psychological impacts of climate change, including the emotions, social processes, and mental responses individuals and communities have to the ecological crisis, aiming to understand how people cope with and adapt to its effects, and to promote actions towards mitigation and resilience building; it also explores the factors contributing to climate inaction and seeks ways to encourage pro-environmental behaviors.
This encompasses distress, persistent rumination, and excessive worry directly linked to environmental changes, disrupting the activities of daily life.
Climate psychology therapy focuses on understanding and addressing the psychological impact of climate change on individuals. This specialized form of therapy helps people process eco-anxiety, grief, and helplessness related to environmental concerns. By acknowledging and working through these emotions, clients can build resilience, find a sense of purpose, and learn effective ways to cope with climate-related stress.
Common symptoms of climate anxiety include persistent worry about the future, feelings of helplessness, insomnia, irritability, and difficulty focusing. Therapy for climate anxiety can help manage these symptoms by offering tools to process emotions, foster hope, and develop meaningful actions that align with your values and well-being.
Therapy for eco-anxiety and climate grief is beneficial for individuals who feel overwhelmed by the current and future impacts of climate change. This includes climate activists, people in vulnerable areas, those who work in sustainability fields, and anyone who experiences distress due to environmental concerns. Therapy helps clients manage eco-anxiety, reduce emotional burnout, and build psychological resilience.
Climate psychology therapy incorporates elements specifically aimed at addressing climate-related emotions and existential concerns. Unlike traditional therapy that may focus broadly on life issues, climate psychology therapy integrates strategies that confront eco-anxiety, climate grief, and related stresses directly. This may include education on the psychological impacts of climate change, mindfulness techniques, and action-oriented approaches that empower clients.
Effective therapy techniques for eco-anxiety include cognitive-behavioral strategies, mindfulness practices, and narrative therapy. These methods help clients reframe negative thinking patterns, stay present, and create personal narratives that emphasize empowerment rather than fear. Therapists may also introduce eco-centric approaches that encourage connecting with nature and community to foster hope and reduce isolation.
Climate psychology therapy may be right for you if you frequently feel anxious, overwhelmed, or paralyzed by thoughts related to climate change and environmental degradation. If these feelings are impacting your mental health, relationships, or daily functioning, seeking therapy can help you understand these emotions, develop coping skills, and find balance.
Yes, therapy for climate change grief can help you move from a state of despair to active engagement. While grief can feel paralyzing, therapy works to transform that energy into constructive actions that align with your values and capacities. By processing emotions and building emotional resilience, clients often find new ways to contribute to climate solutions without sacrificing their well-being.
Therapists use various strategies to build resilience, including mindfulness-based stress reduction, self-compassion techniques, and eco-therapeutic practices that emphasize connection to the natural world. Cognitive-behavioral tools may also be employed to challenge catastrophic thinking and foster a balanced perspective on climate realities. The goal is to help clients find stability and strength to face eco-related challenges with greater confidence and hope.