Caroline Hickman: The Psychotherapist Transforming How We Face Climate Anxiety

In a world where the weight of ecological collapse increasingly presses down on our collective psyche, few voices speak with the clarity, compassion, and depth of Caroline Hickman. She is not merely a therapist sitting in a quiet room listening to individual worries; she is a researcher, a lecturer, a diver, and a pioneering force in the emerging field of climate psychology. Her work sits at the crossroads of mental health and environmental crisis, arguing that our emotional responses to climate change—the grief, the dread, the paralysis—are not signs of weakness but rational, human reactions to an unprecedented threat. Over the past decade, as eco-anxiety has moved from a niche term to a global talking point, Hickman has been there from the beginning, mapping the inner landscapes of a generation growing up with the future on fire. Her journey from child protection social work to the forefront of climate psychology is a story of profound dedication, intellectual curiosity, and a deep-seated belief that the path to a sustainable future must begin with healing our relationship with our own emotions.

Quick Facts About Caroline Hickman

Roots and Foundations: The Making of a Climate Psychologist

Long before she became a leading authority on eco-anxiety, Caroline Hickman’s career was rooted in the trenches of social work and child protection. She began working in social work in 1983, a time when the environmental movement was still finding its voice and the psychological toll of ecological breakdown was hardly a topic of conversation. Her early years were spent in mental health social work and community mental health projects, gaining firsthand experience with the most vulnerable members of society. This period instilled in her a profound understanding of trauma, resilience, and the systemic failures that leave individuals and families struggling to cope.

Driven by a desire to go deeper into the human mind, Hickman pursued training as an integrative psychosynthesis psychotherapist, qualifying with Revision. She further honed her craft by studying archetypal and cultural psychology for three years with Thiasos in London. These foundational years were not just about acquiring qualifications; they were about developing a philosophical framework. She was drawn to the idea that human psychology cannot be separated from the world we inhabit—a concept that would later become the cornerstone of her climate psychology work. Her dissertation, which explored grief, depression, and humanity’s relationship with the sea and salt water, hinted at her future path, blending the internal world of emotion with the external, natural world.

A Career Forged in Academia and Practice

Hickman’s academic career began in earnest when she took a position as a Senior Lecturer at the University of East London, where she taught counselling and mental health on the Psychosocial Studies degree for eight years. She then moved to the University of Plymouth, teaching on the Social Work program for three years before joining the University of Bath in 2008. At Bath, she has served as a lecturer in the Department of Social & Policy Sciences, teaching social work and climate psychology. Her academic work is complemented by a thriving private practice as a psychotherapist, where she has worked with children, couples, and adults for 25 years.

It was at the University of Bath that Hickman’s research began to crystallize around a central, urgent question: how are children and young people experiencing the climate and ecological crisis? Since 2012, she has conducted international research exploring the emotional distress of young people in the face of a warming planet. Her methodology is as innovative as her subject matter, employing a psychosocial free association approach to uncover the deep, often unspoken feelings children carry about biodiversity loss, rising seas, and an uncertain future.

The Lancet Study and Global Recognition

The moment that catapulted Caroline Hickman into the global spotlight came in 2021 with the publication of a landmark study in The Lancet Planetary Health. As co-lead author, Hickman helped survey 10,000 children and young people across ten countries, producing the first quantitative global snapshot of climate anxiety among the youth. The findings were staggering: 75% of respondents said the future was frightening, and a majority reported feelings of sadness, anxiety, anger, and helplessness. Hickman described the results as painting a “horrific picture of widespread climate anxiety in our children and young people”.

The study was a watershed moment, providing hard data for what psychologists and activists had long suspected: young people are not just aware of climate change; they are deeply traumatized by it. Hickman’s work framed this not as a mental illness but as a “completely rational reaction” to a real and present danger. This distinction is crucial to her philosophy. She argues that pathologizing eco-anxiety is a mistake; instead, we must validate these feelings as healthy responses to an unhealthy situation.

Beyond Anxiety: Eco-Empathy, Moral Injury, and Hope

Hickman’s research goes beyond simply measuring fear. She explores the full spectrum of emotional responses to ecological collapse, including eco-empathy, trauma, and moral injury. She has spoken extensively about how climate anxiety can impact family relationships and how children often feel a profound sense of betrayal when adults dismiss their fears. For Hickman, the goal is not to eliminate anxiety but to transform it into something productive. She encourages people to turn “eco-anxiety into eco-compassion and eco-empathy”, shifting the narrative from paralysis to purposeful action.

This nuanced approach is what sets her apart. She is not a doom-monger; she is a realist who believes that facing difficult truths is the only way forward. As she puts it, “it is only through facing our vulnerability, painful truths, collective denial, grief and loss that we will be able to develop the emotionally informed and sustainable action that we need to take to save ourselves as well as the planet”. This philosophy of “inner activism” is central to her work.

Books, Podcasts, and Public Engagement

Caroline Hickman is a prolific public intellectual, bringing climate psychology to a wide audience. She is a co-editor of the influential book Being a Therapist in a Time of Climate Breakdown (2024), which introduces readers to the psychological aspects of climate change and explores how they are relevant to clinical practice. She has also contributed chapters to other key texts, including Climate Psychology: On Indifference to Disaster.

Her voice is a regular feature on BBC Radio 4, including appearances on All in the Mind and Costing the Earth. She has also created a series of podcasts titled Climate Crisis Conversations: Catastrophe or Transformation for the Climate Psychology Alliance. Through these platforms, she breaks down complex psychological concepts into accessible, compassionate language, helping listeners understand their own feelings and find pathways to resilience.

A Life Immersed in the Natural World

Hickman’s professional life is deeply intertwined with her personal passions. She is a PADI diving instructor and has spent many therapeutic hours underwater in the Sinai, Egypt. This connection to the ocean is not just a hobby; it is a source of inspiration and a reminder of what is at stake. Her early dissertation on the sea and salt water suggests a lifelong fascination with the deep, both psychological and literal. This unique blend of academic rigor, clinical practice, and personal immersion in nature gives her work a rare authenticity.

Personal Life, Beliefs, and Daily Rhythms

While Caroline Hickman keeps much of her private life out of the public eye, her professional output offers a window into her values and daily rhythms. She is a practitioner who lives what she teaches. Her daily life likely involves a balance of university lectures, one-on-one therapy sessions, research, writing, and public speaking. She is known to work with schools, parent groups, and youth activist groups, suggesting a commitment to community engagement that goes beyond the ivory tower. Her belief in the transformative power of facing difficult emotions is not just a clinical stance but a personal philosophy.

Financial Overview and Income Sources

As a public servant and academic, Caroline Hickman’s net worth is modest compared to celebrities or business moguls. Her primary income streams include her salary as a lecturer at the University of Bath, earnings from her private psychotherapy practice, fees for speaking engagements and workshops, and royalties from her book contributions. Public records for a company associated with a Caroline Hickman show net assets of around £7.4K, but this likely represents a side venture rather than her primary wealth. Her true wealth lies in her intellectual capital and the profound impact of her work.

Social Media and Digital Presence

Caroline Hickman maintains a professional presence on X (formerly Twitter) under the handle @Carolinehickma, where she shares insights from her research and engages with the climate psychology community. Her website, www.caroline-hickman.com, serves as a hub for her work, detailing her services, research, and upcoming events. While she may not be a prolific social media influencer, her digital footprint is significant in academic and activist circles. She uses these platforms not for self-promotion but to amplify the message of climate psychology and connect with those seeking help or collaboration.

Recent Updates and Future Horizons

Caroline Hickman continues to be at the forefront of her field. In March 2025, she was a keynote speaker at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Cymru Annual Conference in Cardiff. Her ongoing PhD research at the University of Bath explores children and young people’s relationships with nature and their feelings about the climate crisis. She is actively involved in developing outreach programs for the Climate Psychology Alliance, including therapeutic support for people struggling with eco-anxiety.

Looking to the future, Hickman is likely to continue pushing the boundaries of climate psychology, advocating for the integration of emotional resilience into climate policy and education. Her work is more relevant than ever as the psychological impacts of climate change become increasingly undeniable.

Conclusion: A Legacy of Emotional Courage

Caroline Hickman’s journey from social worker to global authority on climate psychology is a testament to the power of following one’s convictions. She has dedicated her life to understanding the most profound challenges of our time, not through the lens of technology or politics alone, but through the deeply human lens of emotion and psychology. Her work has given a name to the nameless dread so many feel and has provided a framework for transforming that dread into a force for good.

As Caroline Hickman continues to pave the way for future generations, her story stands as a reminder of how resilience and purpose can shape a meaningful legacy. She teaches us that the first step to saving the planet is saving our own capacity to feel, to grieve, and to act with compassion. In a world that often demands we look away, she asks us to look closer—at our fears, our hopes, and our shared humanity. That is a lesson that will resonate long after the climate crisis has passed.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Who is Caroline Hickman?
Caroline Hickman is a psychotherapist, lecturer at the University of Bath, and a leading researcher in the field of climate psychology. She specializes in eco-anxiety, climate distress, and the emotional responses of children and young people to the ecological crisis.

2. What is Caroline Hickman known for?
She is best known for co-leading the 2021 global study published in The Lancet Planetary Health, which surveyed 10,000 young people about their feelings on climate change. She is also a prominent voice in the Climate Psychology Alliance and a co-editor of Being a Therapist in a Time of Climate Breakdown.

3. What is climate psychology?
Climate psychology is a field that explores the emotional and psychological impacts of climate change and ecological destruction. It examines how individuals and societies process climate-related grief, anxiety, and trauma, and how these emotions influence our ability to take action.

4. What is eco-anxiety?
Eco-anxiety is a term used to describe the chronic fear of environmental doom. Caroline Hickman emphasizes that it is a rational and mentally healthy response to the climate crisis, not a mental illness.

5. How does Caroline Hickman help people with eco-anxiety?
She offers individual “climate-aware” therapy, gives talks and workshops, and works with schools and activist groups. Her approach focuses on validating emotions, building resilience, and channeling anxiety into meaningful action.

6. What is the Climate Psychology Alliance?
The Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA) is a group of psychologists, psychotherapists, and researchers who apply psychological knowledge to the climate and ecological crisis. Caroline Hickman is a member of its Executive Committee.

7. Where can I find Caroline Hickman’s work?
You can visit her official website at www.caroline-hickman.com, follow her on X (Twitter) @Carolinehickma, or read her articles on The Conversation and various academic journals.

8. What is Caroline Hickman’s educational background?
She qualified as a psychotherapist with Revision and studied archetypal and cultural psychology with Thiasos in London. She is also a PhD candidate in Education at the University of Bath.

9. Does Caroline Hickman only work with children?
No, while much of her research focuses on children and young people, she also works with adults, couples, and families in her private practice.

10. What is Caroline Hickman’s net worth?
Her net worth is not publicly disclosed in detail, but it is estimated to be modest, derived from her academic salary, private practice, speaking fees, and book royalties.