“Collective, Slow-Motion Trauma.” Mental Health Professionals’ Experiences Working with Climate Anxiety in New Zealand

As the environmental effects of climate change are felt across the globe, the psychological impacts of a warming planet are growing. The term climate anxiety is frequently used to describe these indirect effects, and while this form of distress is expected to increase, research exploring the experiences of clinicians working with climate anxiety is still nascent. This exploratory qualitative study examined how mental health professionals in New Zealand understand and work with client presentations of climate anxiety. In-depth interviews were conducted with six climate-aware practitioners and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four main themes were developed: Climate anxiety is rational, A multidimensional construct, Connection, and Taking action. Future directions include examining how climate anxiety may present as an ambient stressor, how colonization processes may affect this experience, and exploring alternative frameworks for understanding climate distress that account for wider structural influences.