UPDATE 24
3 February 2026
Dear Supporter
Welcome to the latest Update from Save Mental Health. We are delighted to have a new article by Lucy Beney on ‘eco-anxiety’ – a subject that has been our focus of attention since the launch of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive and Psychotherapy’s (BABCP) new ‘Climate Conversations’ guide in September last year. We thought we would share our concerns with you in this edition, as the guide illustrates clearly the worrying extent to which psychologists, and now CBT therapists, are prepared to engage in activism and social engineering rather than help people recover their mental health. We will let Lucy Beney set the scene:
Time to Stop Being ‘Green’ About Green Issues’ by Lucy BeneY
In her latest article, Lucy explores claims made by professional psychotherapeutic bodies that young people are experiencing ‘eco-anxiety’. She asks, if this is indeed the case, who might be to blame for causing this anxiety? Lucy refers to the BABCP’s guide for CBT therapists that we discuss below and brings her wisdom and experience to this subject in an enjoyable and enlightening article.
Changing the Conversation: A CBT approach to addressing the crisis
In September last year, Carole Sherwood re-joined the BABCP after a period of absence. The BABCP is a charity that describes itself as ‘the lead organisation for CBT in UK and Ireland’. Its purpose is “to advance the theory and practice of Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapies (CBT) by the promotion of scientific research and the application of evidence-based practice”. It has a membership of approximately 23,000 and offers accreditation of CBT therapists, including those who work in the NHS. In the past, it has been an effective and reliable organisation, fulfilling its designated purpose, but in its current form, the BABCP’s decision-making appears to be driven by EDI and activism. In other words, it is no different to the other main professional therapeutic organisations.
The BABCP’s recently published guide on climate change is a good example. It’s stated aim is to “increase awareness of the importance of talking about climate change in therapy and non-therapy settings and to build practitioner’s confidence in exploring the subject.” You might well ask why practitioners need to talk about climate change in ‘non-therapy settings’ or even in therapy settings if clients do not wish to have such conversations. But this is the world of so-called ‘therapy’ now. It is no longer about helping people with their distress and restoring them to health, it is about changing the world. Here are some highlights from the guide which:
(1)
advocates the use of Motivational Interviewing (MI)* to encourage clients who are ambivalent about giving up fossil fuels to change their views and motivate them to take action on climate change (pp 10–11).
* a psychological intervention created by Miller & Rollnick, designed to help clients with addiction and substance misuse difficulties
(2)
suggests that one way people can 'be compassionate to others affected by climate change' might be to be 'more involved in climate activism' (p 17).
(3)
proposes broadening the discourse 'beyond scientific evidence about the crisis' and 'facilitating positive action' (p 23).
(4)
states that: "Western civilization with its dizzying triumphs of science and technology, have driven us up a blind alley; into deluding ourselves that the heroic individual and the power of the intellectual way of knowing is the only solution" and advocating instead "... indigenous wisdom, if we and our descendants are to survive"(p 23).
(5)
recommends: 'Using CBT to explore climate change with children: ‘Making room for despair in the therapeutic process using creative arts'. This section references a paper by the same author claiming that “allowing children to experience and explore despair in the face of climate change is ultimately an appropriate and authentic response". The children to which the paper refers are aged 8-12 years. The paper also suggests that children should be encouraged to "explore 'structural social causes' of the problem such as 'the interests of private owners of the means of production to maximise profits" (p 24).
(6)
states that: people who "react with denial - either in the form of disengagement ("head in the sand') or active dismissal 'global warming is a myth' is a 'flight' reaction" triggered by the fight/flight/freeze survival mechanism (p 26).
(7)
suggests that: for a positive vision of the future to become reality: "the current economic system - driven by neoliberalism and late-stage capitalism - must undergo profound transformation... Movements like degrowth, which advocates for a steady-state economy, and the rise of the 'Solarpunk' aesthetic, an optimistic, eco-futurist vision of a world that thrives within planetary boundaries show that a positive sustainable future is within reach, if we can reimagine our priorities" (p 31).
(8)
concludes: "To inspire action, we must evolve the climate narrative - emphasising not only the risks of inaction but the rewards of sustainable living. Psychology can guide this shift, helping us move from survival to thriving." "If you want to find out more about Climate Change and want to take (more) action, it's good to keep learning about what's happening and how you can make a difference." "There are strategies aimed at 'mitigation' - limiting the use of fossil fuels that cause climate change." "Every conversation is an intervention" (p 31).
This guide is a piece of activist dogma. It is not therapeutic or ethical for therapists to impose their own agenda on their clients. As Lucy points out in her article, the BABCP’s objective is to promote evidence-based interventions, not encourage its members to indulge in indigenous wisdom, economic theories or environmental activism. No matter what your beliefs are about climate change, I hope you will agree that the leading organisation for CBT in the UK and Ireland, should not be encouraging its members to engage in social engineering and activism. We will be raising our concerns with the BABCP and will let you know the outcome.
RECOMMENDATION
As an antidote, you might like to watch some of the videos made by Lucy Biggers on YouTube. Lucy is a former Climate influencer who is now Head of social media at The Free Press where she, in her own words, ‘calls out climate alarmism’. Are you listening BABCP?