As we confront the compounding crises of the last several years, and as direct experience of climate disruption broadens and intensifies, grief and other painful emotions have become a shared condition for many. Further, the deferral and suppression of these feelings has long contributed to the astounding gap between the percentage of US adults who are worried about the climate crisis—65% in 2021—and who speak about it even a little–35%. This gap must be closed. 

The field of psychotherapy has begun to orient toward understanding how individuals process the climate crisis. In this event, the President of the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America, practicing clinician Rebecca Weston, discussed the emotional impacts of the climate crisis and how they are affecting psychotherapy with Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow Samira Siddique. This open, engaging dialogue brought Rebecca’s expertise to bear on what it takes to feel meaningfully connected with others on the existential, tangible, and inequitable effects of climate change while grappling with the daily challenges of living within environments that are often individualistic and siloed. 

We invited questions and topics to be submitted in advance through the event registration form, with an eye to sharing them anonymously during the event.

The conversation was followed by a reception with refreshments, where the audience could connect with others in attendance and engage with the art, social science, and action programming presented at the Climate Museum Pop-Up.

For those unable to attend in-person, the event was livestreamed on our Instagram account.