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SatH02 Roundtable |

Tracks
Room A315
Saturday, June 27, 2020
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Presentation

Healing and Climate Sustainability: Our Role as Community Psychologists | Unanue


Presenter(s)

Ms Isabel Unanue
Palo Alto University

Healing and Climate Sustainability: Our Role as Community Psychologists

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Abstract

Societal transformation towards sustainability is urgently needed not only to avert catastrophic instability and loss, but to stimulate a process of healing — environmentally and socially. A burgeoning body of research is demonstrating that extreme climatic events, beyond bringing devastation, may also serve as a “site of possibility” for community transformation. In the aftermath of disasters, alternative discourses arise that promote collective action, sustainable practices, and increased appreciation for nature. These post-disaster discourses, however, are often reabsorbed into the dominant discourse effectively losing their hold and returning to business-as-usual. In a similar vein, despite relevant knowledge on personal and community-level transformation, much psychology research on sustainability focuses on “resilience” rather than “healing.” Whereas resilience implies a speedy return to the status quo (i.e., becoming healthy and strong after misfortune), healing has been defined as a process of moving individuals towards a greater sense of wholeness within themselves and in relationship with their surroundings. In contrast to the language of resilience, healing implies deep transformation in response to global change — including relearning how to relate to ourselves, one another, and our environments in ways that promote flourishing communities and thriving ecosystems. In this roundtable, we will explore ways in which community psychologists can promote healing and at micro- and macro-levels. Facilitators will draw on their experiences working with children, families, activists, and communities in the U.S. Mountain West, Haiti, Florida and Puerto Rico towards facilitating community-level action and transformation in response to climate change. We will use participatory methods to bring all voices into the discussion and to establish a network of scholars working to promote healing and transformation in response to global sustainability challenges.

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