Facing Climate Anxiety - by Jon Gorman (Paperback)

About the Book

As devastation from extreme climate disasters become the new normal, more and more people are deeply concerned about how it will affect their lives and the lives of future generations. Written for anyone struggling with climate anxiety, depression, and grief, this evidence-based guide offers practical tools to cope with distressing emotions stemming from fear and uncertainty about the planet. Grounded in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and mindfulness, Facing Climate Anxiety empowers readers with strength, wisdom, and clarity to take action and find meaning in the midst of this global crisis.

Book Synopsis

Printed on wood-free paper with nontoxic ink.

Ignoring climate change is no longer an option. Climate change is real--and so is the fear and anxiety building in its wake. This timely guide offers evidence-based tools to transform your fears about this environmental crisis into meaning, purpose, and action.

Is climate anxiety keeping you awake at night? Have you or your family been impacted by climate-driven fires, floods, or other extreme weather events? Do you worry about the future, and what it means for the next generation? As devastation wrought by extreme weather becomes the new normal, it's getting harder and harder to ignore a crisis that is not only inevitable--but already upon us. How does one cope with this existential realization? So, how can you overcome feeling so paralyzed and powerless that you lose hope, give up, or stop taking action?

Written for people struggling with climate anxiety, depression, and eco grief, this groundbreaking guide offers practical, evidence-based tools based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help you cope with climate change right now. This book can help you gain strength, wisdom, and clarity to move past feelings of hopelessness. You'll also learn self-care strategies to reduce the fear, anger, and despair triggered by the next inevitable headline.

Discover powerful tools to help you:

• Work through difficult thoughts and feelings
• Regulate your emotions and fears
• Identify your values through an environmental lens
• Transform fear into meaning and purpose

A crisis of this magnitude demands maximum psychological flexibility to avoid being overwhelmed by an avalanche of distressing emotions. Ignoring the problem is not an option. This book will help you tap into the wisdom needed to weather the coming storms.

Review Quotes

"Facing Climate Anxiety is an insightful and practical resource for managing the emotional distress brought on by climate change and other calamities. The author skillfully blends psychological principles with actionable steps toward acceptance, clarifying values, building strong communities, and resilience. A must-read for anyone seeking to navigate these challenging times with meaning and purpose."
--Dan Morhaim, MD, former Maryland state legislator, and author of Preparing for a Better End

--Dan Morhaim, MD

"A candid yet compassionate approach to confronting climate anxiety, Gorman offers us a thoughtful pathway toward living a more authentic and meaningful life in this age of climate emergency. His sincere, evidence-based strategies provide the necessary grounding and orienting needed to navigate a range of often overwhelming feelings. Gorman helps us to reevaluate our principles, and inspires us to take radical action with both presence and purpose."
--Merritt Juliano, JD, LCSW, founding copresident of Climate Psychology Alliance North America (CPA-NA), and former member of the American Psychological Association's Task Force on Climate Change

--Merritt Juliano, JD, LCSW

"I picked up Jon Gorman's book, Facing Climate Anxiety, out of professional interest but read it cover to cover in a single sitting for personal reasons. I know from personal experience that climate anxiety can be overwhelming. This book helped connect me to productive coping strategies I know about professionally, but have neglected to use in my own life. It's a perfect example of #StrongerTogether."
--Edward Maibach, George Mason University Distinguished University Professor, and founding director of the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication

--Edward Maibach

"I'm so pleased that Jon Gorman could share his psychological approach to coping with climate anxiety in an easy-to-understand and compassionate way for the public. The reassuring message is that you can meet the climate crisis, and Jon's guidance will help you express your feelings and values, connect with your community, and practice self-care and resilience."
--Thomas Doherty, PsyD, fellow of the American Psychological Association, and host of the Climate Change and Happiness podcast

--Thomas Doherty, PsyD

"In Facing Climate Anxiety, Jon Gorman offers a compassionate and deeply relatable guide for those feeling overwhelmed by ecological crisis. His voice is both reassuring and empowering, inviting us to stay connected to what matters. The practices are accessible and grounding, especially the reminder to hold climate distress with a loose grip. This book is a balm for anxious hearts in a rapidly changing world."
--Heidi Schreiber-Pan, PhD, LCPC, author of Taming the Anxious Mind

--Heidi Schreiber-Pan, PhD, LCPC

"Jon Gorman's account of the range of psychological responses to climate change is both sophisticated and accessible. He provides readers with effective tools to understand and manage their climate concerns, enhance psychosocial health and resilience, and take positive action for the climate. This book is an excellent example of the important contributions psychologists can make to addressing the climate crisis."
--Howard S. Kurtzman, PhD, former senior science advisor at the American Psychological Association

--Howard S. Kurtzman, PhD

"This book provides fundamental knowledge to those struggling with troubling emotions in the face of climate threats. Jon Gorman brings years of experience as a therapist to the urgent need to experience feelings, and provides strategies to control overwhelming emotional states--what he calls softening 'the grip.' He then guides the reader to articulate core values which create the foundation to chart a path to meaningful action and purposeful living."
--Robin Cooper, MD, cofounder/president of Climate Psychiatry Alliance; associate clinical professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, San Francisco; and project lead at Ecopsychepedia

--Robin Cooper, MD

"With clear and compelling language, Gorman brings to life the tangled emotional complexities of the climate crisis and its embedded injustices. Building on the tenets of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)--as well as other psychological traditions--Gorman helps readers develop emotional sturdiness and a capacity for meaningful engagement through evocative illustrations coupled with insightful exploratory exercises. A must-read for weathering the growing storms of uncertainty on a changing planetary landscape."
--Wendy Greenspun, PhD, Introductory Climate-Aware Therapy Course faculty, and Climate Cafe Facilitation Trainer at CPA-NA

--Wendy Greenspun, PhD

About the Author

Jon Gorman, PsyD, is owner of Towson Therapy Group--a psychotherapy group practice in Towson, MD. He is an assistant clinical professor at Loyola University Maryland, a licensed psychologist in Maryland, and is licensed to provide teletherapy in thirty-nine states through PSYPACT. An active member of Climate Psychology Alliance North America (CPA-NA), Gorman is trained in ecopsychology and nature-informed therapy, and is listed in the Climate-Aware Therapist Directory. He has given talks to environmental legislators around the United States to advocate for pro-climate legislation, has testified in front of the Maryland General Assembly in support of climate legislation, and his letter to the editor about climate legislation was published in The Baltimore Sun. He was also featured on the CPA-NA podcast, Climate Psychology Conversations. His therapy office is listed in the Maryland Green Registry, and he is continually striving to reduce the environmental impact of the office.

Foreword writer Lise Van Susteren, MD, is a general and forensic psychiatrist in Washington, DC; an environmental activist; and expert on the physical and psychological toll of climate distress, especially in youth. She is the coauthor of several books, chapters, and research papers on the topic, and has served as an expert witness in multiple cases against state and federal governments for inaction on climate change.