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Addressing eco-distress in psychotherapy: a guideline developed from the thematic analysis of practitioners'
Nadja Gebhardt1, Molly Sutcliffe1, Hans-Christoph Friederich1
1Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Background:
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.
Methods:
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.
Findings:
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.
Implications:
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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