Addressing eco-distress in psychotherapy: a guideline developed from the thematic analysis of practitioners’ experiences in simulation-based training scenarios
Emotional reactions to the ongoing climate crisis, termed eco-distress, eco-anxiety or climate anxiety, are experienced more and more frequently by patients. However, evidence-based recommendations for practitioners on how to deal with eco-distress are scarce. The aim of this study was to provide a...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
29 December 2025
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| In: |
Journal of mental health
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| ISSN: | 1360-0567 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/09638237.2025.2607984 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2025.2607984 Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09638237.2025.2607984 
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| Author Notes: | Nadja Gebhardt, Molly Sutcliffe, Hans-Christoph Friederich, and Christoph Nikendei |
| Summary: | Emotional reactions to the ongoing climate crisis, termed eco-distress, eco-anxiety or climate anxiety, are experienced more and more frequently by patients. However, evidence-based recommendations for practitioners on how to deal with eco-distress are scarce. The aim of this study was to provide a guideline for working with eco-distress in counseling and psychotherapy, based on the analysis of practitioners’ perspectives. Three semi-structured in-depth focus group interviews were conducted with n = 23 psychotherapists in training who had taken part in three different scenarios of eco-distress with standardized patients. Transcripts were analyzed from a phenomenological perspective, employing thematic analysis. Three superordinate themes were identified: (1) “Necessary Basic Understandings;” (2) “Particularities of the Psychotherapeutic Relationship”; and (3) “Useful Skills.” Based on the thematic analysis, a guideline for practitioners was developed. The presented guideline can inform current practice and form a basis for the development of trainings on dealing with eco-distress. It enables practitioners to familiarize themselves with the specific aspects of dealing with eco-distress in counseling and psychotherapy and to integrate these into their existing competencies. |
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| Item Description: | Gesehen am 12.03.2026 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1360-0567 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/09638237.2025.2607984 |