Inviting Eco-Anxiety into the Therapy Room: An Exploration of Current Research and Interventions
Inviting Eco-Anxiety into the Therapy Room: An Exploration of Current Research and Interventions
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Issue Date
2022-11-24
Authors
Nichele, Zoe
Journal Title
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Abstract
This paper discusses the current literature on eco-anxiety and what the therapeutic community is doing to support clients through their experiences. As the topic of eco-anxiety is fairly new due to the recent cultural awareness of the climate crisis, the need for therapeutic support is high, however, the research is still in its beginning phases. Research has demonstrated how various types of therapy can assist with the experience of eco-anxiety, therefore, this paper brings light to those specific forms of therapy and how they are used. There is also a consideration of the populations these therapeutic models are likely to be conducted with, as most of the people experiencing eco-anxiety are in the Generation Z and Millennial age groupings. This paper presents a robust literature review to gather what information currently exists around the topic of eco-anxiety, and then uses this information to inform the outline for an eco-anxiety support group. The major findings within the research were that due to eco-anxiety being a very rational response to the climate crisis, that rather than supressing the client's experience practitioners can assist clients in managing their experience. The most profound way to manage the eco-anxiety experience was demonstrated to be community connection with others who feel similarly about the climate crisis. The support group outline in chapter 3 focusses on group sharing for connection, and regulation strategies.
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Keywords
eco-anxiety , climate crisis , climate change , climate anxiety , eco-grief , climate emotions
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States , openAccess