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Digital Seminar

Eco-Therapy in Action: Addressing Climate Concerns in Clinical Work


Faculty:
Thomas Doherty, PsyD
Duration:
4 Hours 18 Minutes
Copyright:
Jan 14, 2022
Product Code:
NOS096181
Media Type:
Digital Seminar
Access:
Never expires.


Description

Last summer was this country’s hottest on record. Worldwide, all living creatures suffered through excessive droughts, heatwaves, and a wildfire season that only halfway through the calendar year was larger than any in previous history. With two-thirds of the population anxious about climate change, and more than half worried about its effects on their mental health, becoming a climate-aware therapist is a competency we should all be considering. The mainstay of good ecotherapy is your familiarity with your own “environmental identity.” This self-concept and sense of relationship with nature provides the base on which to build client-specific, ecotherapy interventions. In this experiential session, you’ll discover how to:

  • Explore one's environmental identity, beliefs, and experiences
  • Adapt your existing clinical orientation and skill set to address clients’ environmental and climate concerns
  • Unpack your clients’ sources of environmental well-being and resilience as well as their sense of environmental traumas or injustice
  • Stay mindful of ethics, context, and messaging when applying environmental interventions with diverse individuals

CPD


CPD

PESI Australia, in collaboration with PESI in the USA, offers quality online continuing professional development events from the leaders in the field at a standard recognized by professional associations including psychology, social work, occupational therapy, alcohol and drug professionals, counselling and psychotherapy. On completion of the training, a Professional Development Certificate is issued after the individual has answered and submitted a quiz and course evaluation. This program is worth 4.5 hours CPD for points calculation by your association.



Faculty

Thomas Doherty, PsyD's Profile

Thomas Doherty, PsyD Related seminars and products


Thomas Doherty, PsyD,  is a clinical and environmental psychologist who specializes in addressing personal and organizational concerns about environmental issues and climate change. He’s a fellow of the American Psychological Association, past president of the APA Div. 34 Society for Environmental, Population, and Conservation Psychology, and founding editor of the academic journal Ecopsychology. His publications on climate change issues include “The Psychological Impacts of Global Climate Change,” coauthored by Susan Clayton, and he cohosts the Climate Change and Happiness podcast.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Thomas Doherty maintains a private practice and receives royalties as a published author. He receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Thomas Doherty is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Oregon Psychological Association.


Objectives

  1. Analyze recent research on mental health impacts of climate change and other environment issues, and possible interventions, including disaster response and addressing chronic or subjective impacts.
  2. Catalogue common responses and stressors regarding ecological issues and practice skills for responding clinically.
  3. Differentiate between (1) normal feelings of anxiety and despair regarding environmental issues and (2) clinical anxiety, depressive and adjustment disorders.
  4. Practice adapting common therapy approaches to ecological.
  5. Demonstrate specialized approaches for unique populations including ways to support environmental professionals and developmental needs of children and young people.

Outline

  • Mental health impacts of climate change and environmental issues
  • Diversity, equity, and social justice issues related to environmental issues
  • Assessments for identifying links between nature values and sustainability actions
  • Differentiating between normal eco-stressors and clinical significant and / or diagnosable eco-anxiety or trauma
  • Therapeutic interventions for ecological related mental distress
  • Demonstrations and role-plays of eco- and climate-conscious therapy, ethics, practices, risks, and limitations.
  • Working with special populations

Target Audience

  • Psychologists
  • Physicians
  • Addiction Counselors
  • Counselors
  • Social Workers
  • Marriage & Family Therapists
  • Nurses
  • Other Behavioral Health Professionals

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