Emotional Resiliency in the Era of Climate Change

For way too long the global discussion on how to deal with climate change had lead us nowhere because we were blaming others or were feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem. Over the past few years we have learned to go beyond blame to the recognition of self-responsibility, to go beyond overwhelm to constructing possibility step by step. Climate change is undoubtedly a global challenge, but in addressing it we are learning about ourselves as individual members of society. We are learning about our still only partially unleashed potential for good. In her unique style, Leslie Davenport takes us through this remarkable journey of self and planet. -- Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Climate Change Leslie Davenport has created an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to address climate change effectively and wisely. This book shines a light on the psychological underpinnings that thwart climate progress, and provides tools for meaningful conversations and creative solutions. She reconnects us to the essence of our humanity as part of the diverse web of life. There are a wealth of practices that support an eco-harmonious lifestyle and courageous resiliency for promoting change from personal to policy levels. This book is a hopeful light and a practical asset for navigating the challenges of climate work. -- Lynne Twist, Co-founder of Pachamama Alliance In an era of climate change and climate denial, all of us need ways to connect to the people and resources that will make us more resilient to challenges. This focused, deeply passionate book provides us with the tools that we all need to recognize the impediments to resilient action and create lives where we can connect with each other and our environment in ways that improve and nurture them. Using a mix of actual disaster cases, applied exercises, and theory, this book sets the bar for the field. -- Daniel P. Aldrich, professor and director of the Security and Resilience Studies program at NEU and author of Building Resilience Mental health professionals have been slow to move beyond individualistic paradigms of mental health. This important book adds a clinically informed and clearly articulated set of tools and insights to the discussion of how we shall adapt to an ecologically changing world. This resource for resilience puts psychotherapeutic tools and ecological science in service to personal and social wellbeing. -- Craig Chalquist, Department Chair East-West Psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies and author of Terrapsychology: Reengaing the Soul of Place We know it's no longer enough to simply unleash more startling facts and blast images of our planet being violated. We also need to cultivate a pragmatic form of hope by helping develop empowering actions, a clear direction, ways to connect with collective and systemic support, practices for effective self-care, and the tools and methods necessary for change. By taking a dive into the prospects and practices that this book offers, we will all learn to do just that. -- From the foreword by Lise Van Susteren, Climate Energy and Environmental Committee of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in Washington, DC Breaking new ground with healing responses to climate chaos, Leslie Davenport brings not only abundant psychological methodology, but also deep ecological wisdom. This is a book of rare significance. Extending far beyond a "clinician's guide", it recognizes that climate change and action let us experience our unity with all life, and serve as catalyst for collective transformation. -- Joanna Macy, Author of Coming Back to Life. As we enter this revolutionary time on the planet, Leslie Davenport breaks new ground in synthesizing climate science, conscious self-awareness of our interconnectedness with all species and the living earth, ecological psychology, and deep resiliency practices that provide practical guidance fo

Leslie Davenport, M.S., MFT, is a founding member of the Humanities Program at Marin General Hospital, CA, which evolved into the Institute for Health & Healing in collaboration with California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. She is in private practice, on faculty at California Institute of Integral Studies, and at John F. Kennedy University, where she currently trains therapists on emotional resilience in the era of climate change. She is the editor of Transformative Imagery, published by JKP. She lives in Northern California.

Foreword. Lise Van Susteren, M.D. Acknowledgement. Introduction. Part One: Clinical Themes in the Era of Climate Change. 1. The Psychology of Climate Denial. 2. Climate Change Grief. 3. An Overview of Clinical Themes Involving Climate Change. 4. Mindful Disaster Response: Perspectives from Ground Zero. 5. Long-Term and Complex Clinical Themes. 6. Resiliency Stories. Part Two: Twelve Body, Heart/Mind, and World Wise Practices for an Ecoharmonious Life. 1. The (Really) Big Picture. 2. Kindness. 3. Grounding. 4. Humor. 5. Love. 6. The Pulse of Life. 7. Garden State. 8. Who's Driving the Bus? 9. The Stretch Zone. 10. Seeing Clearly. 11. One Body. 12. Gratitude.