Climate, Psychology and Change

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review: Climate, Psychology, and Change - Reimagining Psychotherapy in an Era of Global Disruption and Climate Anxiety compiled by Steffi Bednarek. Published by North Atlantic Books. 

“Psychotherapy in a time when the familiar is dying.”  

This academic book was written during the CoVid epidemic. It is in the form of communications, conversations and presentations between eminent international professionals, such as humanitarians, activists, and healers in the psychology sector. Described as a ‘gateway’ book, it is ideal for students, as a gift, and for those who work in the mental health fields who are interested in future health, community and culture. It draws our attention to the rapid changes and various crises that take place in our fragmented world and that these larger problems are not covered by psychology training but are part of everyday dreams, concerns and aspirations. 

The text is interesting. It is personal as it describes case studies, personal recollections, opinions, suggestions, ideas and stories. Psychotherapy training is based on the self; the larger picture that involves environmentalism, oppression and politics is ignored. This book, described as a ‘gateway’, fills this void and presents solutions where possible. The contributors are seeking supervision from their colleagues as they articulate their own fears, confusions and sadness, and they quote from sources that offer strategies to deal with the issues they were not trained for. 

Though the contributors describe a dark and pessimistic scenario, and question what we can do about natural catastrophe and the necessity of a healthy natural world, they wish to deal with what could materialise in the future and provide their immense wisdom and caring to the problems that are on the horizon. It states what needs to be said. No sweeping difficult problems under the table! This is what psychology needs to attend to! The true difficulties of life in the world today! 

Reviewer Wendy Stokes, https://wendystokes.co.uk