As we face the polycrisis of existential threats like climate change, nuclear weapons, pandemics and more, it’s common to feel difficult emotions like fear, anxiety, depression, guilt and anger. These feelings can make day-to-day life difficult, and can also keep our society from mobilizing public policies to solve these problems. Psychotherapists have seen a dramatic increase in clients struggling to cope with the state of the world. As more and more people face these issues, it could overwhelm traditional mental health systems and require new forms of peer support. Fortunately, there is a growing network of professionals innovating new approaches to these mental health issues.

One of them is today’s guest, Eva Jahn. She is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice, and is also co-founder and executive director of the Climate Emotional Resilience Institute. CERI is a group of climate-aware psychotherapists, psychologists and other helping professionals around the world working at the intersection of mental health and our planetary crisis.

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The Human Survival Podcast, hosted by Shelby Mertes.

This show is offered by The Human Survival Project, a global grassroots organization pushing for a redesigned and much stronger United Nations, so humanity has the global tools to manage its global existential threats. We’re working to protect the future of humanity and create a world we can be proud of.

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RESOURCES:

Climate Emotional Resilience Institute (CERI)

https://climateemotionalresilience.org

Eva’s website

https://www.evajahn.com

CERI Climate Cafes -

Spaces to share experiences and feelings related to this polycrisis.

Blog post about Climate Cafes:

https://bit.ly/4gLRdgx

Upcoming Cafes are scheduled January 30 & March 8

https://bit.ly/3DyHvz9

CERI's Thicket Course -

Thicket is an eight-week online experiential training program for medical and mental health providers, educators, activists, researchers, public servants and others confronting this polycrisis in their work and beyond. This course offers support in emotional resilience through nature journeys, contemplative practices, community support and resources to engage with.  The next course starting in January will be running through the Bioneers Learning Platform.

https://bit.ly/4iVo3g2

Climate Psychology Alliance North America -

The umbrella organization for everything Climate Psychology.

Find groups, resources, training, events, and other organizations on their website.

https://bit.ly/3BUK79Z

Good Grief Network

GGN runs peer-to-peer 10-step groups

https://bit.ly/4iRjtj6

Psychology for a Safe Climate (Australia)

https://bit.ly/3ZPIdQ9

Resilience and Acceptance in the Face of Collapse

This 9-week course explores the state of the world and how individuals and communities can be resilient in challenging times. It is educational and a chance for participants to support each other.  Shelby has done this course and highly recommends it.

https://bit.ly/3VZM3VB

350.org

Resources for Care and Resilience

For use by individuals or teams/groups

https://bit.ly/3VXyRjY

New York Times Magazine

Climate Change Is Keeping Therapists Up at Night

How anxiety about the planet’s future is transforming the practice of psychotherapy

https://bit.ly/3Pfgfse

How to Find Joy in Climate Action | Ayana Elizabeth Johnson | TED

https://bit.ly/3PfggfM

Jem Bendell

The Collapse of Ideology and the End of Escape

https://bit.ly/49YziR8

TIMESTAMPS:

1:30 - Introduction

5:00 -  Why Eva started Climate Emotional Resilience Institute

9:20 - “Climate Hostage”

11:10 - Getting people to talk openly about climate change, instead of staying silent

13:55 - Overwhelmed by the hyper-object

16:05 - Why traditional psychology is not equipped for our new climate reality

22:00 - Dealing with uncertainty

23:40 - Peer support, climate cafes

29:45 - Emotional healing to support political activism

36:10 - Ecological self vs. consumer self

39:20 - Connection in nature / loneliness in society

45:00 - Managing anger

49:50 - Anxiety of future threats vs. anxiety of current threats. Pre-traumatic stress disorder.  

54:45 - Overcoming hopelessness by finding purpose

59:15 - How to feel empowered while facing huge problems

1:00:25 - Joanna Macy, “The Great Turning”

1:05:25 - Social change can happen quickly. Tipping points.

1:08:25 - Emotional support for activists

1:12:45 - What should people know about CERI?

1:16 :25- Hope

1:23:35 - “Polycrisis” - many interconnected crises