"Now tell me how you feel about the climate crisis?". Deliberations on dealing with climate change in psychotherapy

Background: Climate change impairs human physical and mental health in many ways. As it progresses, the impact on the work of psychotherapists is becoming increasingly more evident; however, it remains unclear to what extent aspirations to preserve the sociocultural livelihood of patients can or should influence the psychotherapeutic treatment of individuals.Objective: In which way does climate change influence the psychotherapeutic setting, and how should it be dealt with?Methods: Various scenarios in which climate change is brought up by the patient or the therapist are discussed against the background of the therapeutic relationship, norms, and values in psychotherapy.Results and discussion: Integrating climate change as a topic into psychotherapy can be in accordance with the treatment mandate and ethical guidelines. Depending on the situation, different norms and values may be in conflict and it is up to the therapist to decide.