Climate Crisis Conversations

Sophia Cheng and Emma Palmer in conversation with Judith Anderson. Sophia is developing a collaborative creative project involving personal stories from self-identifying women wrestling with these two topics at the same time. She and her colleagues want to challenge the taboo and put this conversation on the map, NOT to position one woman against another but explore all the nuances around how the climate crisis is shaping how (and if) we mother. Emma's book Other Than Mother - Choosing Childlessness with Life in Mind (Earth Books 2016) was groundbreaking in exploring the terrain of this decision-making process, including the cultural changes brought about by the rise in voluntary childlessness. ecological and environmental considerations and living with the decision.

In this Podcast Renee Lertzman talks about 'this moment we are in now', collective awakening and how to respond emotionally without shame or judgement with Caroline Hickman. They talk about the vulnerability faced in ‘speaking’, fears about being openly angry, and falling in love. Renee discusses themes explored in her recent Ted talk, windows of tolerance, attunement, climate anxiety in relation to action, and why it's so hard when things are so urgent. And she swears - just enough! https://reneelertzman.com Recent TED talk

Tree Staunton, Clinical Director of BCPC talks with Caroline Hickman about our current climate and biodiversity crisis, and the important role that psychotherapists may have in facing these difficult truths, and supporting a self -reflective dialogue about our relationship to the world around us as well as our responsibility for it. Asking many questions and not necessarily providing all the answers, they discuss many issues and dilemmas for practice especially how we can nourish a level of deep listening and engagement which may lead to empowerment and appropriate action.

In this podcast Sally Weintrobe, psychoanalyst and editor of Engaging with Climate Change, is in conversation with Caroline Hickman about the natural relationship which children have with animals. They feel close to them and fascinated by them. Sally sees our prevailing culture of un-care as working to break links between humans and animals and to invite us to treat animals (and the animal we are) as “distanced others”. How are we facing the Sixth Mass Extinction? Can children help adults repair their inner representations of the natural world and our place in it? The danger is animals will die in their millions without being sufficiently loved to be mourned and fought for. Children are as Vaclav Havel put it “pre-political”, meaning not yet so influenced by culture. The pre-political is, however, deeply political.

Clover Hogan is a 20-year-old climate activist, researcher on eco-anxiety, and the founder of Force of Nature. In this Podcast, Clover Hogan talks with Caroline Hickman about how depth psychology transformed her approach to her activism, the role of holding despair and optimism in the same breath, and her path to igniting agency in a diversity of audiences - from Wall Street bankers, to 11-year-old students in the classroom.

Two Extinction Rebellion activists reflect with Wendy Hollway of CPA on their experiences with Extinction Rebellion from 2018 through wellbeing roles in the Uprisings in London and active engagement in XR locally. They speak of deep experiences and learnings from focusing on growing the group's regenerative culture. Structures that build awareness and support emotional processing, so necessary for engaging with the reality of climate and ecological crises, have the potential to bring transformation for XR and ultimately wider society.

Climate psychology gives us a method of listening to peoples' experience of climate change which can inform how we talk to friends, family and colleagues, how counsellors/therapists could listen to peoples’ worries and how researchers could investigate it. Paul Hoggett in conversation with Verity Sharp and Caroline Hickman. Paul, with Adrian Tait founded the Climate Psychology Alliance in 2012. In this podcast he draws upon his experience of being a social scientist and psychotherapist to explore the nature of ‘deep listening’. In the process the conversation also examines some of the essential themes of climate psychology such as the nature of denial and disavowal, the connections between thinking, feeling and acting, and how to "stay with" and manage the disturbing feelings, conflicts and dilemmas provoked by awareness of the climate crisis.

Verity Sharp & Caroline Hickman try to wrap their heads and hearts around eco-anxiety for the second time following their first discussion in BBC Radio 4's "Costing The Earth" in April 2019. They may have to talk again in a few weeks. It’s all changing so fast.

Many of us were inspired to see children marching in the Youth Climate Strike on 20th September, including in war-torn areas where they were putting their lives at risk in order to to speak out. It’s hard to avoid the thought that the children are the adults, whilst the grown-ups are like children. On the other side, taking attention away from the children are the nay-sayers. Could it be that those adults who criticise cannot process their own feelings and have to get rid of the protesting children, sending them "back to school”? Verity Sharp and Caroline Hickman discuss this disturbing phenomenon.

A conversation about “myth” and its relevance to the climate emergency between Jo Blake, who works across the disciplines of storytelling, theatre and dance and Sarah Deco, art therapist, group analyst, story teller, with a long connection to the Climate Psychology Alliance. How can working with the nuanced nature of myth and story be emotionally nourishing for us on a planet where destructive binary narratives of endless growth and separation from nature hold sway?

It is easy to forget that the majority of Environmental destruction has taken place within just one human lifetime... So imagine: what might be achieved in the next? Overwhelm, grief and terror are the first emotions which come to mind when young Environmentalist Martha Stringer discusses the future. And yet, through discussion with psychotherapist Caroline Hickman, she recognises the huge potential for unity, imagination and shared meaning which the Climate Crisis brings. In the first part of the interview, Martha described her work in Bath Youth Climate Alliance and discusses the value of ‘Imperfect Environmentalism’. In this, part two, Martha and Caroline explore the concept of generational accountability and the power of shared guilt.

It is easy to forget that the majority of Environmental destruction has taken place within just one human lifetime... So imagine: what might be achieved in the next? Overwhelm, grief and terror are the first emotions which come to mind when young Environmentalist Martha Stringer discusses the future. And yet, through discussion with psychotherapist Caroline Hickman, she recognises the huge potential for unity, imagination and shared meaning which the Climate Crisis brings. In this episode, part one, Martha describes her work in Bath Youth Climate Alliance and discusses the value of ‘Imperfect Environmentalism’. In the next episode, part two, Martha and Caroline will explore the concept of generational accountability and the power of shared guilt.

Asking existential questions has always been a defining part of what it is to be young, but how does it feel to be a young adult at this time of Climate breakdown ? Sophia Thornton describes her experiences as a 19 year old activist looking for answers and fighting for a future, in conversation with Caroline Hickman (CPA, Psychotherapist)

Art has a huge role to play in helping us connect emotionally and imaginary with the enormity of climate change. In this episode, marine artist Sonia Shomalzadeh talks to Caroline Hickman about the power and vision of her ephemeral art, including life size sand drawings of whales and charcoal sharks for fashion shows.

How far is it appropriate to engage children and young people in talking about the frightening situation we are in with regards to the climate and the biodiversity crisis? Psychotherapist Caroline Hickman has worked with children for many years and, in conversation with Verity Sharp, shares her experience about ways we can think about addressing this all-important question

The Earth needs a good lawyer, and it found one in the late Polly Higgins. An environmental lawyer, she fought for the word ‘ecocide’ to be recognized in a court of law against those who are knowingly contributing to the breakdown of our planet’s life support systems. Her inspirational character, intellectual and spiritual life and remarkable achievements are celebrated here by her good friend Tree Staunton of Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling in conversation with psychotherapist Caroline Hickman of the University of Bath and Verity Sharp. Climate Crisis Conversations, ‘Catastrophe or Transformation’, is a podcast series hosted by Verity Sharp for the Climate Psychology Alliance and produced by Parity Audio.

As the reality of the climate and biodiversity crises unfolds, our mental health is increasingly at risk. If we are to avoid falling into isolation and despair, we need to talk about how we’re feeling. Here to open this podcast series psychotherapist Caroline Hickman discusses with Verity Sharp why we find it so hard to face climate change, how we can process grief and how falling apart is a vital part of the solution. Climate Crisis Conversations, ‘Catastrophe or Transformation’, is a podcast series hosted by Verity Sharp for the Climate Psychology Alliance and produced by Parity Audio.