Environmental Trauma and Climate Change

Environmental Trauma and Climate Change
By Charmaine Fuller, MC, LPC, NCC

In the intricate web of interactions between humans and the natural world, the issue of environmental trauma has emerged as a pressing concern. I’ve had many clients come into my office who are experiencing heightened anxiety, stress disorders, depression, and climate anxiety as they grapple with the uncertainty and unpredictability of environmental changes. For some, the loss of homes, communities, or natural environments can be particularly devastating, leading to complex grief and trauma reactions. Defined as the psychological and societal distress caused by environmental degradation and disasters, environmental trauma is deeply intertwined with the global issue of climate change. As a counselor, addressing environmental trauma in therapy is not only important but increasingly necessary in our changing world. Understanding and addressing this type of trauma requires a nuanced approach that considers both individual experiences and broader societal dynamics.

Understanding Environmental Trauma

Environmental trauma encompasses a range of psychological and societal impacts. At its core, it reflects the profound disruption of ecosystems and the resulting consequences for human well-being. Psychologically, individuals may experience heightened anxiety, depression, and other stress-related disorders in response to environmental crises. Moreover, the ripple effects of environmental trauma extend beyond the individual to shape societal dynamics, exacerbating inequalities and fostering social unrest.

Climate Change as a Catalyst for Environmental Trauma

The accelerating pace of climate change serves as a potent catalyst for environmental trauma. Rising temperatures fuel extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, which not only directly imperil lives and livelihoods but also leave lasting scars on communities. Moreover, the displacement of populations due to environmental degradation, sea-level rise, and resource scarcity further amplifies the trauma experienced by affected individuals and societies. In one study, researchers found that victims of Hurricane Katrina were still experiencing post-traumatic stress symptoms 12 years after the storm. Renée Funk, Hurricane Response Team Manager for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, speaking in 2017 about the long-lasting negative impact of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina stated, “People have trouble coping with the new normal after a storm. Many have lost everything, including their jobs. Some may have lost loved ones, and now they have to rebuild their lives. They’re faced with a lot of barriers, including mental illness and substance abuse.…”

Environmental Trauma in Therapy

As therapists, it’s crucial for us to recognize the psychological impact of environmental trauma on individual. What I’ve discerned from working with clients, especially those who are younger, is that environmental trauma doesn’t occur in isolation and it has far-reaching societal implications. Economic instability, social disruption, and political unrest can all stem from environmental degradation and disasters, exacerbating existing inequalities and vulnerabilities within communities. Vulnerable populations, including members of indigenous communities and those in low-income households, are often disproportionately affected, facing greater challenges in coping with and recovering from environmental trauma. Brandi Wagner, a survivor of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans discussed the long-term effects of surviving a natural disaster. “I didn’t think it was the storm at first. I didn’t really know what was happening to me. We could see the waterline on houses, and rooftop signs with ‘please help us,’ and that big X where dead bodies were found. I started sobbing and couldn’t stop. I was crying all the time, just really losing it.” Twelve years after Hurricane Katrina, Brandi was still experiencing the long-term effects of PTSD.

Depression and Climate Anxiety

In addition to increased stress, environmental trauma also manifests as depression and climate anxiety. The overwhelming scope of climate change and its potential consequences can weigh heavily on individuals, leading to feelings of hopelessness and despair. Climate anxiety, a specific form of anxiety focused on environmental concerns, is showing up more often in the therapy office and is increasingly recognized as a legitimate psychological phenomenon evidenced by the number of articles and amount of research going into this specific kind of anxiety and depression. This existential dread reflects the growing awareness of threats posed by climate change.

Vulnerable Populations

Not all communities bear the brunt of environmental trauma equally. Indigenous people and low-income populations are often disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and disasters, lacking the resources and infrastructure to weather the proverbial storm. Historical injustices compound the vulnerability of these populations, exacerbating the trauma they experience in the face of environmental upheaval.

Addressing Environmental Trauma in Therapy:
Coping Mechanisms and Resilience

In therapy sessions, it’s essential to create a safe and supportive space for clients to explore and process their experiences of environmental trauma. Therapists can employ a variety of techniques, including trauma-focused therapy and narrative therapy, to help clients make sense of their experiences, reframe their narratives, and develop coping strategies for managing environmental anxiety and depression.

As therapists, we often act as a client’s first support network. As such, it’s important to help clients develop coping skills, resilience, and community outside the therapeutic relationship. Support networks with community resilience play a vital role in providing emotional and material support to those affected by environmental disasters. Additionally, psychotherapeutic interventions, such as trauma processing, narrative therapy, community building, and mindfulness-based approaches, can help individuals manage anxiety, process trauma, and build resilience. Interventions tailored to the unique needs of affected populations can help individuals cope with trauma and rebuild their lives in the aftermath of environmental disasters. Community support networks can strengthen an individual’s resilience and play a crucial role in fostering a sense of solidarity and shared purpose.

Case Studies and Community

Examining case studies of therapeutic interventions in post-disaster communities can offer valuable insights regarding the efficacy of various approaches for addressing environmental trauma. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of extreme weather events on vulnerable communities, exposing deep-seated inequalities and systemic failures in disaster response and recovery efforts. Similarly, the prolonged drought in the Horn of Africa highlights the intersection of environmental degradation, resource scarcity, and societal upheaval, underscoring the urgent need for solutions at the micro and macro levels to mitigate risk of crises. Malnutrition and large-scale displacement for those affected by the drought have increased outbreaks of disease due to lack of consistent hygiene.

Ideally, therapists work collaboratively with other professionals and community organizations to provide comprehensive support to individuals and communities affected by environmental disasters. Long-term therapy is often a necessary part of the larger need for support of communities and individuals grappling with complex trauma and grief related to environmental losses.

Community resilience often begins with the people’s connection to the place itself: the natural environment, the history, and community places of gathering. A strong sense of belonging may directly relate to the resiliency of the community itself. Notably, in research on community rebuilding after disaster, “community recovery is not about returning to ‘normal’ or even creating a ‘new normal’.” Climate crises often change the environment in permanent ways, thereby changing the community, and the members of that community, in permanent ways. ‘Normal’ becomes a foreign concept. In a meta-analysis study done in Australia, research participants “described community recovery as being about accepting and expressing their loss and grief in their own ways, of finding ways to adapt, to celebrate who they are and to incorporate the disaster experience into their individual and collective identity. These community members did not talk of recovery as a finite state or ‘an end point’ (i.e. being recovered); they talked about it as a long-term process.”4
Future Outlook

Looking ahead, therapists continue to have a crucial role to play in integrating environmental awareness into therapeutic practice and advocacy efforts. By raising awareness of the psychological impacts of environmental trauma and advocating for environmental justice and mental health support, therapists can contribute to building more resilient communities and promoting greater well-being in the face of environmental challenges.

Conclusion

In the intricate tapestry of human experience, environmental trauma represents a poignant reminder of our interconnectedness with the natural world. As we confront the existential threat of climate change, we must reckon with the profound psychological and societal implications of environmental degradation and disasters. Addressing environmental trauma in therapy requires a multifaceted approach that acknowledges the interconnectedness of environmental and mental health issues. By providing support, building resilience, and advocating for systemic change, mental health professionals can help clients navigate the psychological and societal impacts of environmental trauma and work towards healing, recovery, and building a more sustainable future.

February 22, 2024February 26, 2024

Black History Month 2024

Black History Month 2024

By Charmaine Fuller

Writing about Black History Month as a White woman is a daunting task. How do I use my privilege and position to talk about the struggles of Black people and honor their amazing contributions to the fields of psychology and therapy?

Well, first, I think it is important to acknowledge that as a white woman, the privilege I was born into makes it so that I will never know what it is like to live as a Black person in our country. And as such, I will likely make mistakes as I try to engage in empathy and understanding. I invite others to correct me or point out when I am blinded by my privilege.

In the same beat though, it is my responsibility to be informed. It absolutely is not the responsibility of my clients, friends, or colleagues to educate me. As a licensed professional, I am literally responsible to seek out education and resources pertaining to multicultural competency as a part of my licensure. And as such, I wanted to highlight a few of the things I have learned from Black people.

Who Was Audrey Lorde?

Audre Lorde was a feminist during the second wave of feminism and a lesbian who spoke often about the plight of queer women in America. In a letter she wrote to the author of Gyn/Ecology in May of 1979, she explained her frustration in attempting to teach white women about racism: “I had decided never again to speak to white women about racism. I felt it was wasted energy because of destructive guilt and defensiveness, and because whatever I had to say might better be said by white women to one another at far less emotional cost to the speaker, and probably with better hearing.”

Throughout my career I have been reminded in several ways that if I want to be an advocate and an ally, I have to know how to use my privilege appropriately. One way is by speaking up about how racism manifests at both micro and macro levels. Black people face unique difficulties when it comes to mental health. We know that they are less likely to have access to healthcare and less likely to seek out services.

When they do seek that care, they are less likely to receive appropriate help, accurate diagnoses, or enough care. Black people are overrepresented in schizophrenia diagnoses and underrepresented in neurodiversity and PTSD diagnoses. As mental health professionals, it is our job to be aware of these disparities. Our work is to understand how cultural differences, history of trauma, and abuse all impact psychological well-being . As an advocate for my minority clients and ally of movements like Black Lives Matter, I want to be aware of these things and know how to speak to others about them.

Who is Luvvie Ajayi Jones?

Luvvie Ajayi Jones is a Nigerian American writer who, in her TEDtalk, spoke about being a “professional troublemaker.” She gave us a simple guide for having difficult conversations. I’ve used and taught her questions countless times. She offers these three questions to ask yourself before saying difficult things or having uncomfortable conversations: Did you mean it? Can you defend it? And, did you say it with love? These three questions are a brilliant start to open conversations for deeper understanding, appreciation, and care.

Generational trauma is one area that is getting more and more attention in the mental health field. Every one of us has trauma that has been passed down through actions and behaviors in our family systems, and genetically. Resmaa Menakem, a leader in the field of psychotherapy, has spoken and written about generational trauma often. He says, “The answer to why so many of us have difficulties is because our ancestors spent centuries here under unrelentingly brutal conditions.

Generation after generation, our bodies stored trauma and intense survival energy, and passed these on to our children and grandchildren.” Understanding that everyone carries around the trauma passed on to them is imperative as a mental health provider. Which means, it’s also important for us, as mental health professionals, to be curious. I can learn and read about the systems of oppression for my Black clients, but it’s also important to be curious about the individual’s experiences: of their history, their family, and their family’s history. Resmaa Menakem has also stressed this when he said,

“Trauma in a person, decontextualized over time, looks like personality. Trauma in a family, decontextualized over time, looks like family traits. Trauma in a people, decontextualized over time, looks like culture. ” Context matters, and curiosity gets us more context.

Being Multiculturally Informed

So, how do we, as White people, in a field where Whiteness is overrepresented, build context so that we can be more multiculturally informed? Seek out Black creators in all the places you look for content. Read poetry from people that look different from you. Listen to the music and seek art from artists of all backgrounds and cultures. Follow Black creators on social media. And most importantly, be quiet and curious. What do I mean when I say, “be quiet?” I mean don’t take up space that isn’t meant for you.

As White people we have privilege and take up more space than we always need to. If the space is specific or particular to Black individuals, be quiet and curious. One blogger, Flavia Dzoden, wrote “My feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit.” I am reminded repeatedly that my privilege often blinds me to the plight of those less privileged than I am. Being quiet and curious when people speak and write about their experiences, which are different my own, helps to remind me that being an intersectional feminist means doing the work of diversity, equality, and inclusion of everyone.

Happy Black History Month!

When I Dare to Be Powerful
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies
Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso (Podcast), Episode 200

My Feminism Will Be Intersectional or it Will Be Bullshit, published Oct 10,
2011, on Tigerbeatdown.com

February 9, 2024February 9, 2024

Self-Esteem: A Revolution

By: Charmaine Fuller, MC, LAC, NCC

Over the last several years, I have seen many clients come through my office who have struggled with self-confidence. It is almost a universal struggle. The reasons for poor self-esteem vary from childhood abuse or neglect to recent divorces, breakups, or abusive relationships. Sometimes we don’t even know why we struggle with low self-esteem. The ways that low self-esteem manifest in our lives also vary just as widely. It can look like struggles in our relationships with partners, family members, or colleagues. It can look like disordered eating or addiction. Sometimes it manifests as anxiety, depression, or panic attacks. Other times, it is all of those things and more.

Re-Building Self Esteem

As an adolescent and young adult, I too struggled deeply with feelings of low self-worth. I was a deeply closeted (even to myself!) queer kid in the 80’s and 90’s who also had undiagnosed ADHD. I started puberty much earlier than my contemporaries and never felt like I fit in physically, emotionally, culturally, or socially with my peers. Those feelings lasted well into my thirties. It wasn’t until I started doing my own work in addressing the shame and guilt of being different that I was able to start to build feelings of self-worth. Here is what I’ve learned. This may be helpful for you, or it may not. The journey to better mental health is a deeply personal one and is very much like throwing spaghetti at a wall. Hopefully, something sticks. If not, that’s ok. We’re going to keep throwing that spaghetti until it does.

1. Knowledge is power

The more I learned about psychology, personality, human development, queer history and theory, and feminist history and theory, the more I learned about myself. I journaled, read, went to therapy, and listened to people that were smarter than me. The more I learned about the human experience, the more I saw myself in it. Somethings were helpful and some weren’t. One thing that was life-changing was learning about archetypal psychology and the study of personality development. I had been told my whole life that I was supposed to be one way: “Children are…” “Women are…” “Adults are…” Again, being queer and neurodivergent meant that I often did not fit into the typical or “normal.” I carried a lot of shame and guilt about that and tried to be more “normal.” It didn’t work out for me and led to a lot of pain and suffering for myself and those around me also. Through learning about my different identities and those that came before me, I had greater context for understanding myself and my place in this world.

2. Mindfulness

I’m pretty much always going to mention mindfulness. It’s the first thing I teach all my clients and it has been, quite possibly, the most important thing I’ve learned in my journey to better mental health and overall well-being. Through mindfulness, I’ve been able to better understand the emotions and sensations in my body. Our bodies are magical and amazing machines that give us information all day long. The emotions and sensations in our bodies are the biofeedback data we need to understand our world. Sometimes, it is not safe to be in our bodies. Trauma often leaves us feeling a decreased sense of security and safety. That’s common. This is where working with a trauma-informed mental health professional is so important. It’s ok to need that extra help and support. That’s what we’re here for! We want to build our mind-body connection so that we can get to know our bodies more intimately and appreciate the magical machines that they are.

3. A Revolution

This part of my journey to a better, healthier sense of self-worth was all about revolution and rebellion. I started feeling confident in myself as a deliberate and intentional act of rebellion against all the systems that told me I should feel shame or guilt or embarrassment about myself and my identities. I decided I was going to be an out and proud queer person as an act of rebellion against all the queer jokes and pejoratives made by myself and everyone around me in my youth. I decided I was going to be fat and confident as an act of rebellion against the beauty standards of the 90’s that told me I was disgusting and anything above a women’s size six was “plus-sized.” I was going to love the soft, emotional, empathetic parts of me as as an act of defiance against patriarchal ideals that tell us that being “an emotional woman” is a weakness. My self-confidence started as an act of rebellion. It was a revolution to liberate me from old ways of thinking. One of my clients stated it so perfectly: “My existence is resistance.”

4. Connection

Going through these phases of my growing self-worth was a little bit of “fake ‘til you make it.” I often experienced a kind of imposter syndrome in my confidence that had me often wondering if I was worthy of my own love and kindness. This is where connecting to my support network (people who love, appreciate, celebrate, and support me) made all the difference. We all need support networks. We need others in our lives to help us in all the big and small ways. Sometimes that support looks like someone reminding you that are loved and worthy of that love. Being able to talk about our struggles in secure and supportive environments is absolutely transformative. Telling a trusted therapist, friend, or family member that you are struggling and in need of validation or reassurance is going to help in a couple different ways: First, being able to accurately identify your feelings and your needs is empowering; Second, having a person respond to you in empathetic and appropriate ways is healing. Irvin Yalom, a brilliant psychiatrist and therapist, called them “corrective emotional experiences.”

How To Re-Build Confidence and Self Esteem

So, there you have it, go forth and be confident! Except it’s not that simple, right? Even though this appears to be a pretty straight forward plan, it’s likely something that will be a struggle. That’s ok! Anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly. You must be bad at something before you can be amazing at it and that includes building self-confidence. So, try these suggestions. Be bad at them! And then do them again and again until you’re amazing.

December 2, 2023December 2, 2023

Ringing in the New Year

Ringing in the New Year
By Charmaine Fuller

The beginning of the year is often the time of reflection and projection. We look back on the previous year sometimes with fondness, other times it may be guilt, or perhaps we do so with gratitude that it’s done. As we close out the year and begin a new one, it feels natural to set goals and intentions for the upcoming twelve months. We at AZRI, have been doing some of that ourselves.

Since the beginning of the COVID we, like so many of you, have had to change the way we operate and engage with our clients, care partners, and ourselves. We improved access and ease to getting treatment including virtual appointments. As a result, our therapists see clients all over the state. We’ve been able to hire more therapists. We’ve expanded our intern program, which means we can offer more affordable therapy options to a wider variety of clients. We’ve added more treatment partners in pursuit of offering a holistic approach to mental health. And we’ve added psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to our treatment options.

As we close out 2023 and prepare to welcome in 2024, we are excited about our plans to continue to growth of AZRI in line with our values of offering the highest levels of relational therapy to Arizona residents and continuing to provide training and education to therapists, old and new. We are so excited about our goals for the future of Arizona Relationship Institute and are incredibly grateful for all our amazing clients who trust us to accompany them on their journey to healing and better mental health.

New Goals For A New Year

So, in pursuit of all of us being intentional and deliberate in setting our new year resolutions, here are some suggestions for setting goals.

Be mindful!

Take some time to meditate on the previous year and how far you’ve come. You can do this by sitting down and setting aside time to think about this exact subject, but meditation can also be journaling, making a list, or even talking to a friend about it.

Write it down!

The simple act of taking pencil to paper is magical (and actual psychological) experience that helps our brains encode information more efficiently. So, write down how far you’ve come in the last year and use that information to help guide you toward where you want to go next year.

Keep it simple!

When setting goals, make sure you have kept it simple and plausible. By taking the time to reflect on the previous year, you will have a better idea of what you have accomplished, thereby informing on what you are capable of accomplishing. Throw in a goal or two that are incredibly easy to accomplish for that extra hit of dopamine and serotonin, to keep your motivation going.

Remind yourself!

When you’ve set your goals, put them in a place where you will see them often – on the refrigerator, a white board, the lock screen on your phone, or your bathroom mirror. To further encode those goals into your brain, state them out loud often. The act of using your voice to state your goals frequently is an exercise in mindfulness and helps to keep those goals in the forefront of your mind.

Be mindful!

Yep, this one gets stated twice. When the time comes (as it inevitably will), that you have gotten off track, forgotten about those goals, or simply gotten burned out, that’s ok! Practice some compassion and patience for yourself. We all get off track sometimes. That’s all a part of being human and growing. Simply notice that you have gotten off track. This is an invitation to take some time to reassess your goals and see if they still work for you. If they don’t, good job figuring that out! Take some time to set some new goals. If they do still work for you, switch up the way you remind yourself of your goals. If you had them on your fridge before, moving them to your bathroom mirror may be helpful to getting yourself back on track.

Reward yourself!

As you accomplish your goals or meet milestones in pursuit of your goals, reward yourself. This can be as simple as asking a friend for a high-five or as elaborate as you can imagine. Acknowledging your hard work to yourself or to others is an important part of growth. You’ve done well, you deserve the acknowledgement!

Tips and tricks

Some other tips and tricks for accomplishing your goals:

- - Find an accountability partner. Asking a friend our family member to help keep you accountable on working towards your goals can be a huge help.
  - Talk to your therapist. Your therapist can help you meet your goals through a variety of ways including making them a part of your treatment plan, helping you find resources, or teaching you new skills.
  - Make it fun. This is where you get to be creative! Maybe you make it fun by getting a poster board a drawing a thermometer that you get to fill in as you get closer and closer to goal, maybe it’s a habit tracker in your journal, maybe it’s an app on your phone. The ways to make goal setting and accomplishment more fun are countless!

And as always, we at Arizona Relationship Institute are here for you and excited to help you reach all your goals, in the new year, and always.

Environmental Trauma and Climate Change By Charmaine Fuller, MC, LPC, NCC

Understanding Environmental Trauma

Climate Change as a Catalyst for Environmental Trauma

Environmental Trauma in Therapy

Depression and Climate Anxiety

Vulnerable Populations

Addressing Environmental Trauma in Therapy: Coping Mechanisms and Resilience

Case Studies and Community

Conclusion

Who Was Audrey Lorde?

Who is Luvvie Ajayi Jones?

Being Multiculturally Informed

Happy Black History Month!

When I Dare to Be Powerful

My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso (Podcast), Episode 200

2011, on Tigerbeatdown.com

Self-Esteem: A Revolution

Re-Building Self Esteem

1. Knowledge is power

2. Mindfulness

3. A Revolution

4. Connection

How To Re-Build Confidence and Self Esteem

New Goals For A New Year

Be mindful!

Write it down!

Keep it simple!

Remind yourself!

Be mindful!

Reward yourself!

Tips and tricks

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Environmental Trauma and Climate Change
By Charmaine Fuller, MC, LPC, NCC

Addressing Environmental Trauma in Therapy:
Coping Mechanisms and Resilience

Location:
7565 East Eagle Crest Drive
Suite 201 (Top Floor)
Mesa, AZ 85207