BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 1, 2021
The impacts of climate change, as humans have experienced so far, can be terrifying — warming waters, multiplying wildfires, intensifying hurricanes and, in general, the transformation of the world as we once knew it. So terrifying that for some, these fears can become overwhelming. In a state where most people have some connection to the natural world, Maine therapists are seeing more clients reporting experiencing “climate anxiety,” a sense of foreboding about the future related to climate change. Will Hafford, a clinical psychologist, facilitates the Bangor Area Psychological Society, a monthly gathering of doctoral level colleagues, and has informally surveyed participants about the topic of climate anxiety. He said around 63 percent report working with clients around ecological grief, anxiety or stress in their practice on a weekly or monthly basis.