Module 2: Introduction

“It’s deeply painful to face what’s happening on our planet right now.”

These are the opening words in Dr. Renee Lertzman’s 2019 TED talk (Lertzman, 2019). This pain, whether experienced as solastalgia, pre-traumatic stress, ambient stressors, anticipatory loss, ecological grief, climate anxiety or in other forms, has a real implication for the ways we participate in, as well as design and facilitate engagement and dialogue for climate adaptation.

This module aims to provide an overview of these psychological impacts, identify the ways they might show up in ourselves and in our work with others, and support you to develop strategies and approaches you can use to work skilfully with these unavoidable and critical aspects of the work.