Climate Mental Health AotearoaAn inter-disciplinary network addressing the hauora impacts of climate change
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Draft ... please note this has not been formally adopted as yet
Purpose: to address the hauora impacts of climate change in Aotearoa
Who? Anyone interested, especially mental health professionals, educators, psychologists and researchers.
To address: Use a range of mediums including webinars, hui, climate cafes and newsletters, to raise awareness, share research and create conversation spaces.
Hauora: Hauora is a Te Reo Māori word which has become well used in Aotearoa to refer to holistic wellbeing. It includes mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health. It includes individuals, whānau and communities.
Impacts of climate change: There is substantial research happening globally, and increasingly in NZ, about the complex effects on people of global warming and environmental degradation. Specific topics include: understanding denial and disengagement, anxiety for the future, post-disaster trauma, heat effects, anger, grief and loss. Climate impacts vary significantly across cultures and generations, between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’, and between men and women.
Why?
a) To equip the mental health sector to effectively support all Kiwis in a warming world
b) To encourage each other, across our diverse communities of practice, in our own wellbeing
c) To promote research and advocacy to increase public and government awareness.
We function as a Tangata Tiriti network, with a foundational commitment to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Human health is inseperable from environmental health; tangata and taiao. We support Māori tino rangatiratanga in this land, for the wellbeing of all.
Who? Anyone interested, especially mental health professionals, educators, psychologists and researchers.
To address: Use a range of mediums including webinars, hui, climate cafes and newsletters, to raise awareness, share research and create conversation spaces.
Hauora: Hauora is a Te Reo Māori word which has become well used in Aotearoa to refer to holistic wellbeing. It includes mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health. It includes individuals, whānau and communities.
Impacts of climate change: There is substantial research happening globally, and increasingly in NZ, about the complex effects on people of global warming and environmental degradation. Specific topics include: understanding denial and disengagement, anxiety for the future, post-disaster trauma, heat effects, anger, grief and loss. Climate impacts vary significantly across cultures and generations, between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’, and between men and women.
Why?
a) To equip the mental health sector to effectively support all Kiwis in a warming world
b) To encourage each other, across our diverse communities of practice, in our own wellbeing
c) To promote research and advocacy to increase public and government awareness.
We function as a Tangata Tiriti network, with a foundational commitment to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Human health is inseperable from environmental health; tangata and taiao. We support Māori tino rangatiratanga in this land, for the wellbeing of all.
Formation
Climate psychology was first addressed nationally in Aotearoa by the Psychotherapists Association. In 2021 they ran a virtual conference called Te Ipu Taiao - The Climate Crucible, with awesome speakers from around the world.
In Christchurch, psychotherapist Michael Apathy was promoting awareness about climate mental health. Climate Psychology was taught at the University of Auckland by Professor Niki Harre. Several students across various academic programmes chose this as their research topic for Masters and PhD theses.
In 2023 Ora Taiao, NZ's Climate & Health Council, began discussions about forming a network for mental health professionals.
In 2024, counsellor Silvia Purdie took the initiative to reach out to a range of people and organisations across Aotearoa. She called a series of 4 zoom meetings to discuss climate mental health. She created a web page, and a data base. This rapidly grew to 200 members by the end of 2024.
As part of forming a network we are actively supported from Australia by Psychology for a Safe Climate.
In Christchurch, psychotherapist Michael Apathy was promoting awareness about climate mental health. Climate Psychology was taught at the University of Auckland by Professor Niki Harre. Several students across various academic programmes chose this as their research topic for Masters and PhD theses.
In 2023 Ora Taiao, NZ's Climate & Health Council, began discussions about forming a network for mental health professionals.
In 2024, counsellor Silvia Purdie took the initiative to reach out to a range of people and organisations across Aotearoa. She called a series of 4 zoom meetings to discuss climate mental health. She created a web page, and a data base. This rapidly grew to 200 members by the end of 2024.
As part of forming a network we are actively supported from Australia by Psychology for a Safe Climate.
Links
Aotearoa organisations
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Aotearoa Climate Educators Coalition
working for "intergenerational transformative, climate-responsive education" climateeducation.org.nz/ Ora Taiao: Climate & Health Council www.orataiao.org.nz Climate change, health and general practice Position statement by the Royal College of GPs www.rnzcgp.org.nz/resources/our-voice/climate-change-health-and-general-practice-in-aotearoa-new-zealand-and-the-pacific-position-statement/ Te Tira Whakamātaki an independent Māori not-for-profit working across Aotearoa and the globe to enact our right to protect the taiao, our environment. www.ttw.nz/ |
Ecotherapy training is available in NZ through David Key at ecoSelf Learning:
https://www.ecoselflearning.com/ NZAC, NZ Association of Counsellors, has a Tikitu Taiao working party group, shaping Professional Development in the space of ecology and climate.
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Global Organisations
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Climate Psychology Alliance
www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/ Climate Mental Health Network www.climatementalhealth.net The Work that Reconnects workthatreconnects.org/ Climate and Mind (USA) www.climateandmind.org/ The Mental Health and Climate Change Alliance (Canada) mhcca.ca/ Climate Barometer: Analysis of what people think about climate change climatebarometer.org Britt Wray, Unthinkable www.unthinkable.earth Bob Doppelt, writer bobdoppelt.com/ Good Grief Network Incl a programme of '10 Steps to Resilience & Empowerment in a Chaotic Climate' www.goodgriefnetwork.org/ Training Resources for the Environmental Community (TREC) www.trec.org/ |
in Australia:
Psychology for a Safe Climate https://www.psychologyforasafeclimate.org Climate Cafes: https://www.psychologyforasafeclimate.org/current-events Professional development: https://www.psychologyforasafeclimate.org/professional-development Climate Feelings Space https://www.climatefeelings.space/feel Climate and Health Alliance https://www.caha.org.au/ Doctors for the Environment https://www.dea.org.au/ Connecting Climate Minds: Regional research agenda for Oceania hub.connectingclimateminds.org/rc/oceania |