Sustainable Self

Thomas was interviewed for The New York Times - Well - Health by Christina Caron who covers mental health. Highlights include featured colleagues Maria Nazarian, Beach Therapy and Portland Hiking Therapy

📰 READ MORE:
nytimes.com/2024/02/05/well/mind/outdoor-therapy-depression-anxiety.html

Therapists are noticing that a nature-informed practice can improve their own well-being and help to stave off professional burnout, too.

Years ago, when Aimee Frazier had finished a clinical internship in a dimly lit, windowless office, she realized that she needed a “more enlivening setting” — for her clients and for herself.

“I began to feel a lot like my wilting office plant that sat in the dark corner,” she said. “I longed to be out in the sun and the rain, surrounded by the calming presence of nature.”

In 2021, she began offering hiking therapy to clients under the supervision of Thomas J. Doherty, a Portland psychologist who founded the certificate program in ecotherapy at . For some clients, she said, the setting makes therapy feel more approachable and less intimidating.

Thomas was interviewed by Gosia Wozniacka, an environmental justice reporter for The Oregonian.

📰 READ MORE: oregonlive.com/environment/2024/02/whats-the-mental-health-impact-of-fallen-trees-other-climate-disasters-beat-check-podcast.htmlz

🎧 LISTEN: megaphone.link/ADLM4190294746

They discussed the week-long ice, snow and wind storm in January that felled trees, power poles and lines, crushed cars, and split people’s homes in half.

"Watching the devastation unfold over a long, cold week left many people traumatized and anxious – and reexamining their relationships with trees and their local municipalities’ tree rules. That’s a natural reaction, said Dr. Thomas Joseph Doherty, a Portland-based psychologist who focuses on helping clients overcome anxieties linked with climate change."

"He has some unexpected pointers on how people can cope with climate anxiety, despair and guilt. He also hosts the podcast, which examines the personal and emotional side of climate disruptions."

On the Beat Check podcast, Doherty talked about the mental health impacts and emotional burden of the storm and of climate-related extreme weather events."

A lot has happened since 2015 when I had a chapter on climate change and mental health in the first edition of the Climate Change and Public Health textbook — this revised edition brings us up to speed for 2024. This time I am writing with my colleague Amy Lykins from Australia.

Out February 16th, 2024
📗 Pre-order available at Oxford Academic (Oxford University Press)

https://bit.ly/ccph224

Climate Change and Public Health
Second Edition

Barry S. Levy and Jonathan A. Patz

✦ Written by leading experts who offer a comprehensive review of public health and climate science

✦ 20-chapter structure ideal for courses in public health, environmental sciences, and other fields

✦ Clearly-written and well-referenced chapters, supplemented by textboxes, case studies, photographs, tables, graphs, and suggestions for further reading

New to this Edition:

✦ New chapters on the policy development process, health adaptation, nature-based solutions, building social movements to address climate change, and promoting climate justice

✦ Completely rewritten and updated to incorporate the latest scientific evidence

Climate Change and Public Health offers a clear guide to the health consequences of climate change and the available preventative measures. Written by leading scholars and practitioners in the fields of climate science and medicine, this comprehensive volume introduces the health impacts of climate change with chapters covering topics such as heat-related disorders, food insecurity, mental health impacts, and climate-related violence. It describes the relevant policymaking processes and features policies intended to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions across sectors including energy and transportation. Further chapters highlight modern adaptation measures for the consequences of climate change and offer evolving methods for adaptation and mitigation new to this second edition. Most importantly, Climate Change and Public Health promotes a climate justice framework with crucial insights for strengthening the public and political will to address climate change.

It was great to chat with Kim Kenney at Climate Decoded on climate aware therapy. Learn about climate communication in this new, innovative podcast!

bit.ly/CCAHCDS1E5

Climate Anxiety:
Feeling Our Way Towards Climate Solutions

In this week's episode, we delve into climate anxiety, exploring its various forms, from ecological grief to solastalgia. Professor John Aruta from De La Salle University, Manila, sheds light on the psychological impacts in climate-vulnerable regions. Cielo Barrow discusses Finding hope amidst General and climate anxieties, while Ayomide Olude, from the Eco-Anxiety Africa project, examines the emotional Spectrum linked to ecological concerns. Oregon-based psychologist Thomas Doherty offers practical strategies to navigate these complex emotions.

This episode is a deep dive into how different communities experience and cope with the growing challenge of climate anxiety.

Helping Clients Navigate Climate Anxiety: Mental Health in a Warming World⁣
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Research shows that the climate crisis has become an ever-pressing concern, impacting not only our physical environment but also our mental well-being. ⁣
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In this webinar, Dr. Thomas Doherty delves into the psychological repercussions of climate change. This includes the emotional toll of witnessing environmental degradation, enduring extreme weather events, and worries about our own and our planet's future. ⁣
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Dr. Thomas explores the profound emotions evoked by these climate changes, encompassing feelings of anxiety, guilt, grief, and despair, and how these emotions influence the overall well-being of individuals. ⁣
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Throughout this webinar, participants will gain insights into effective coping strategies, mindfulness techniques, and the significance of community support systems to help clients navigate climate-induced anxiety. ⁣
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Dr. Doherty will also provide guidance on how to assist clients in building resilience and nurturing a sense of empowerment to enhance their mental well-being in the face of climate-related stress. ⁣
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About Dr. Thomas Doherty ⁣
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Dr. Thomas Doherty is an award-winning professional psychologist who is internationally recognized for his research on nature and mental health and the psychological impacts of global climate change. ⁣
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Dr. Doherty is Past President of the Society for Environmental, Population and Conservation Psychology, and was the founding Editor of the academic journal Ecopsychology. Thomas served on the APA’s first Task Force on Global Climate Change and founded one of the first environmental-focused training programs for mental health counselors in the USA. ⁣
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DATE AND TIME:⁣
North America: Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 2:00PM-3:00PM Pacific/5:00PM-6:00PM Eastern ⁣
United Kingdom: Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 10:00PM-11:00PM⁣
Australia (Sydney): Thursday, October 19, 2023, 8:00AM-9:00AM ⁣
New Zealand (Auckland): Thursday, October 19, 2023, 10:00AM-11:00AM ⁣
If your time zone is not listed above, check it here. ⁣
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Watch your email for the Zoom link if you've already signed up for the support webinar series. ⁣
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Sign up here, if you haven't already signed up for the support webinar series: 👉👉👉https://buff.ly/3NmNoPI

I am a part of a great training opportunity featured in the Los Angeles County Psychological Association (LACPA) upcoming CE/CPD Programs in California on November 4, 2023.

This workshop provides guidance for mental health practitioners to address climate change and environmental concerns from a variety of therapeutic orientations. Opportunities for integrating outdoor and walking therapy will be presented, with a focus on practical aspects and managing risk.

Rather than just a training, this event is also meant to seed collaborations in the Los Angels area. So we arranged a panel of locals to join us including a local beach therapy practitioner, researchers, and activists. We'll take the second half of the day outside.

Join us or share with mental health professionals in the LA area.

Integrating Climate and Walking Therapy: An Experiential Introduction

REGISTER NOW: bit.ly/cwt114

PANEL:

Maksim Batuyev, M.A., is an artist, activist and Climate Cafe host who helps run the intersectional environmental education platform Q***r Brown Vegan.

Debra Borys, Ph.D., is a clinical, forensic and health psychologist in Los Angeles and co-chair of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association (LACPA) Ecopsychology Special Interest Group.

Larissa Dooley, Ph.D., is a research psychologist at the See Change Institute and a science advisor at the Climate Mental Health Network.

Dr. Maria Nazarian has a psychotherapy practice exclusively on the beach (beachtherapist.com).

TONIGHT! 7pm

Thomas Doherty will be speaking at Northern Arizona University in the Northern Arizona University- Cline Library Lecture Hall.

"Environment, Identity and Coping in the Current Climate Emergency"

Have you felt anxious, sad, angry or distressed about the climate and biodiversity crises? You are not alone.

Come join one of the pioneering ecopsychologists in the country to learn about:

🌍 Coping with eco-anxiety, ecogrief, and climate disasters
🌍 Linking coping and identity concepts to meaningful environmental action
⛰️ Integrating these concepts into university and community norms

Thomas Doherty was interviewed with Sarah Jaquette Ray on The Connection with Marty Moss-Coane. A podcast from WHYY and NPR podcasts:

bit.ly/ecoanxwhyy

Earth Day is supposed to prompt us to pay attention to our planet and think about how to protect it. But many people can’t stop worrying about the future of the Earth.

Climate anxiety is growing, particularly younger generations, as they watch forests disappear, species vanish, and glaciers melt. The American Psychological Association defines eco-anxiety as a “chronic fear of environmental doom,” and is harmful to mental health.

This conversation from April 13th, 2023, covers climate anxiety, strategies for coping with it, and how to turn those feelings of hopelessness into action.

Thomas Doherty, a clinical psychologist practicing as Sustainable Self in Portland, Oregon who specializes in climate psychology.
Sarah Ray, Environmental Studies Professor at Cal Poly Humboldt and the author of A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet.

[image: redcharlie / unsplash]

Erica Berry wrote an article for Outside Magazine on her emotions around climate change and Thomas Doherty's use of walking-based ecotherapy to address clients’ environmental grief and anxiety. It is both a generous profile with a nod to the Climate Change and Happiness podcast and a beautiful piece of writing grounded in the natural imagery of Oregon and its seasons.

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“Eco-anxiety is a normal feeling,” Doherty said. “You can’t get rid of it, you just moderate the unhealthy or disordered manifestations. Someone who is too anxious is like having a smoke alarm that’s too sensitive, going off too much. What are the possibilities instead?”

Doherty’s approach acknowledges the push-and-pull that global forces and institutions have on our bodies. He works to help clients parse the difference between their “capital I” issues and “lowercase I” ones. The former includes things like systemic poverty, social injustice, and sustainability; the latter, things like mental health, family, and relationships. My climate anxiety was wrapped up in my generalized anxiety. Untangling them might help in both realms.

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Climate Grief Was Clouding My Time Outside. So I Turned to Ecotherapy. Therapy on the hiking trail couldn’t fix the new normal of Oregon wildfire season, but could it help me grapple with it?

You hear a lot of talk about “privilege” these days, access or advantages granted to certain people just because of their membership in a social group. What does privilege mean in terms of access to healthy and safe natural settings, and the ability to go on outdoor adventures? My colleague and I, Aimee Frazier of Portland Hiking Therapy, recently wrote about a group exercise “The Privilege Walk” that explores this questions and reveals, in real time, hidden privileges we have. Aimee led a real life privilege walk at a recent outdoor therapy conference.

We published an account of this in the 2023 Jan/Feb Mazamas Bulletin. The complete write up is on the blog so you yourself can answer the questions and take your own privilege walk.

https://selfsustain.com/blog/doing-the-privilege-walk/

Doing the Privilege Walk - Sustainable Self You hear a lot of talk about “privilege” these days, access or advantages granted to certain people just because of their membership in a social group. What does privilege mean in terms of access to healthy and safe natural settings, and the ability to go on outdoor adventures? My walking therap...

The recent Climate Change and Happiness episode with former Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford has received a lot of positive feedback for its uplifting message. If you enjoy this material, please consider supporting the podcast!

Season 2, Episode 6: On Nature, Poetry and Creativity with Kim Stafford — Climate Change and Happiness Thomas and Panu were joined by long-time writing teacher and former Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford for an uplifting dialogue about creativity and finding daily inspiration in our relationship with nature. Kim shared poems, quotes and lessons drawn from his teaching and daily writing practice. Ech

Sustainable Self

⭐$120 for LACPA Members
⭐$140 for Non-Members

Abstract:
To support eco- and climate therapy, we re-vision competencies associated with all therapy approaches including rapport, assessment, and multicultural awareness. An important new tool is familiarity with the process of environmental identity, one’s self-concept, and sense of relationship with nature. Environmental identity intersects with a person’s other identities in unique ways and provides a base on which to build eco- and climate therapy interventions.

Follow the link below to register 👇

https://lacpa.memberclicks.net/doherty2022

Symposium at the 2022 American Psychological Association Meeting in Minneapolis, MN: Environmental Identity-Based Counseling and Psychotherapies: A New Agenda in the Era of Climate Change -- Thomas Doherty with fellow psychologists, Susan Clayton, Kelsey Hudson, Christie Manning, Derrick Sebree, and Kristi White. Also Thanks to Elise Amel.

"Environmental Identity and related findings on environmental values, beliefs, and behaviors provides a foundation on which to integrate a variety of current mental health therapy approaches to support human wellbeing during the climate crisis."

Thomas Doherty of Climate Change and Happiness had the honor of speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival this past week, with NBC News's Gadi Roget Schwartz and Tik Tok Science communicator Alaina Wood (AKA The Garbage Queen). When you get a chance, check out Alaina's accurate — and — positive climate news. It's a needed reframe. At Aspen, Thomas learned that approximately 97% of the news we hear about climate change is negative. Solutions-focused journalism corrects this imbalance.

Climate Change and You | Aspen Ideas How do you impact climate change? How does climate change — and the fraught conversation about it — impact you? Are feelings of climate doom even justified? What are the best ways to combat hopelessness? In this panel, the country’s leading climate-anxiety psychologist joins a popular TikTok s...

The Circle is Expanding: The Gift of Climate Grief (Please note: this is a two part workshop taking place on May 4 and May 7.) Climate grief, also known as climate anxiety or eco-anxiety, is a psychological response to ecological loss driven by our unfolding climate crisis. It can be felt as profound sadness, helplessness, guilt, anxiety...

I am honored to be a speaker at this year's Global Resilience Summit beginning March 29. Such an incredible group and many talks available. Find info here: https://fleetmaull.krtra.com/t/CogW87QJ9xCp

Global Resilience Summit 2022 Resilience For These Challenging Times

I am excited to offer a new Eco- and Climate Conscious Therapy Training series for mental health professionals beginning the week of April 6, 2022. https://selfsustain.com/eco-and-climate-therapy-consultation/consultation-group/…

Consultation Group - Sustainable Self New Groups Begin on April 6 and 8, 2022: Ecotherapy and Climate Conscious Therapy Training and Consultation for Mental Health Professionals. This is a 10-session online group, presented in English, open to participants worldwide. The group meets weekly for 60 minutes with optional 20 minute debrief....

Thomas Doherty spoke to Mimi Jung and Jake Whittenberg at KING 5 News in Seattle about the emotional stresses of climate change impacts in the Pacific Northwest, for their climate series "The Tipping Point."

'Climate hostages': Overwhelming impacts of climate change have many feeling trapped Dr. Thomas Doherty talked about how ongoing effects of climate change have left many people feeling trapped.

For folks interested in eco and climate therapy, the latest Climate Change and Happiness podcast episode features a dialog with Montreal psychologist Karine St. Jean about her use of mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to address people's climate distress.
https://climatechangeandhappiness.com/episodes/episode-04-acceptance-commitment-and-climate-karine-st-jean

Season 1, Episode 4: Acceptance, Commitment and Climate with Guest Karine St. Jean — Climate Change and Happiness Thomas and Panu welcome Quebecois psychologist Karine St. Jean as their first guest on the podcast. Karine practices mindfulness and uses Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) in her climate-focused work with clients in Montreal, Canada. In a wide ranging discussion, the three discuss the value of sit

Recent feature in The New York Times:

At 56, Thomas Doherty is one of the most visible authorities on climate in psychotherapy, and he hosts a podcast, "Climate Change and Happiness.” In his clinical practice, he reaches beyond standard treatments for anxiety, like cognitive behavioral therapy, to more obscure ones, like existential therapy, conceived to help people fight off despair, and ecotherapy, which explores the client’s relationship to the natural world.

Climate Change Enters the Therapy Room Ten years ago, psychologists proposed that a wide range of people would suffer anxiety and grief over climate. Skepticism about that idea is gone.

I enjoyed contributing to this story on the South Korean practice of "hitting mung." I had not heard of "Mung" but it made sense: purposely trying to cultivate an empty or blank mind state by observing meditative nature scenes. Not surprising given people's constant immersion in technology. I was able to travel to South Korea some years ago to speak at a Forest Therapy conference and they have a system of national parks designed for connecting with nature (e.g., with special paths for walking barefoot, etc.). This is a more Asian approach than we have in the US, as Korea and many countries don't have a "wilderness" concept as we do. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-26/why-hitting-mung-may-be-the-key-to-a-much-needed-mental-reboot

Why ‘Hitting Mung’ May Be the Key to a Much-Needed Mental Reboot This South Korean trend ties together our current crisis of attention with ancient techniques of mindfulness.

People ask, why the title? It is provocative. You never see “climate change” and “happiness” in the same sentence. That’s the point. What happens when you bring these two ideas together? What does it mean to be happy in the modern world?

Find out the backstory about my new podcast on the blog.
https://selfsustain.com/blog/the-story-of-the-climate-change-and-happiness-podcast/

The Story of the Climate Change and Happiness Podcast - Sustainable Self In late 2019, I began to create a podcast to help people cope with the climate crisis. I had been involved with climate change and mental health issues for many years and had many contacts among researchers and climate change experts. My original plan for “Climate Change and Happiness” was both ...

I’m proud to announce the new podcast Climate Change and Happiness: An international dialog on the personal side of climate change feelings and coping. Episode 2 “Holding Space” is out today. https://climatechangeandhappiness.com/

Climate Change and Happiness   An international podcast that explores the personal side of climate change. For people around the globe who are thinking deeply about the personal side of climate change, particularly their emotional responses and their feelings.Most of you around the world recognize the dangers of human-caused c...

In September, 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to the American Psychological Association. His words about the need for "creative maladjustment" ring true today. "You who are in the field of psychology have given us a great word. It is the word maladjusted." "But on the other hand, I am sure that we will recognize that there are some things in our society, some things in our world, to which we should never be adjusted. ... We must never adjust ourselves to racial discrimination and racial segregation. We must never adjust ourselves to religious bigotry. We must never adjust ourselves to economic conditions that take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few. We must never adjust ourselves to the madness of militarism, and the self-defeating effects of physical violence." https://www.apa.org/monitor/features/king-challenge

King's challenge to the nation's social scientists Full text of Martin Luther King's address to the APA convention attendees in September 1967 which urged a change in society regarding racism.

The need for training up mental health providers to address the impacts of the climate crisis is growing. In the Pacific Northwest, with the wildfires, smoke, and extreme storms of recent years, climate issues have become an everyday stressor. This is true for me and my family, my friends and neighbors, and clients I work with. This is also true for counselors and therapists worldwide.

I am excited to offer a new group series beginning on January 19, 2022. Over ten weekly meetings, the group will instruct mental health providers how to recognize and diagnose mental health problems associated with climate change and other environment issues, how to adapt their current therapy techniques, and how to support healthy coping and adapting to a climate-changed world.

Dr. Thomas Doherty offering a New Series of his Ecotherapy and Climate-Conscious Therapy Consultation Group - Sustainable Self New Cohorts of the Ecotherapy and Climate-Conscious Therapy Consultation Group Start on January 19, 2022 The need for training up mental health providers to address the impacts of the climate crisis is growing. In the Pacific Northwest, with the wildfires, smoke, and extreme storms of recent years,....

I was interviewed in Prevention Magazine on coping with climate anxiety. There were also several good points shared by David H. Rosmarin, Ph.D. an assistant professor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and founder of the Center-for Anxiety.

Thomas Doherty in Prevention Magazine - Sustainable Self I spoke with Jake Smith for this article from Prevention on coping with climate anxiety. There were also several good points shared by David H. Rosmarin, Ph.D. an assistant professor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and founder of the Center for Anxiety.

I am pleased to announce my new Ecotherapy and Climate Therapy Consultation Group for mental health professionals, starting on October 7, 2021. This group will be a resource for a new generation of climate change-conscious healthcare providers looking for expert guidance and peer support for their ecotherapy or climate-focused therapy work.

Dr. Thomas Doherty offering Climate Therapy Training for Mental Health Professionals - Sustainable Self I am pleased to announce my new Ecotherapy and Climate Therapy Consultation Group for mental health professionals, starting on October 7, 2021. This group will be a resource for a new generation of climate change-conscious healthcare providers looking for expert guidance and peer support for their e...

When someone asks me, as a psychologist, “Why do you offer walking therapy?” Or “Why would you take therapy outdoors?” I generally respond “Why not do walking therapy? Why not get outside?”

I think of Walking Therapy as an innovative, evidence based practice. Read my view of the research on nature and walking therapy with a list of public talks, videos, writings and other resources.

Walking Therapy and Nature-Based Stress Reduction | Sustainable Self When someone asks me, as a psychologist, “Why do you offer walking therapy?” Or “Why would you take therapy outdoors?” I generally respond “Why not do walking therapy? Why not get outside?”

Thomas Doherty appeared in FASHION Magazine, saying it’s important to unplug from the incessant “bad news” that appears on our feeds. “And unplugging does not equate to being unaware. It does not equate to being complacent and doesn’t mean you’re giving up,” he says. When we unplug, we are able to take care of ourselves better and build our capacities, he adds. But it’s important to acknowledge that the ability to unplug comes from a place of privilege.

He says it’s also a question of what you choose to plug into: if we unplug from social media, perhaps we can plug into our relationships, what brings us joy, or our neighbourhoods. Additionally, identifying your “environmental identity,” can help you ground yourself. For example, if you live in Toronto, you might feel more connected to the lakes nearby, or if you live in Calgary, you might have an affinity to the mountains. Strengthening your connection to the places you love can help solidify your values in relation to nature. “And that’s really rich and fulfilling,” Doherty says. “When we build that identity, it makes you way more resilient.”

Eco-Anxiety Related to Climate Crisis Is Real — Here's What You Can Do Eco-anxiety describes our persistent worries about the future of the earth and the life it sustains. Here's how you can ease your climate change dread.

Thomas appeared on OPB 's Think Out Loud program. Listeners shared personal stories about their emotional challenges coping with Oregon’s changing climate and finding a sense of hope about climate change, stressing the importance of creating welcoming spaces for people to talk about their thoughts and feelings about environmental issues and learning to work together with others who have different approaches to the climate crisis.

For some, climate crisis leads to anxiety, depression and grief - Thomas Doherty on Think Out Loud | Sustainable Self Thomas appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting's daily Think Out Loud program. Listeners shared personal stories about their emotional challenges coping with Oregon's changing climate and finding a sense of hope about climate change. Thomas stressed the importance of creating welcoming spaces for peo...