Climate and ecological reality: A blind spot in our practice?

Abstract

The climate and ecological emergency is widely acknowledged to be the defining issue of our time. Psychologists speak of a pervasive silence across many areas of society in relation to the unsettling realities of climate and ecological breakdown. In this article, I propose that reluctance to engage with stark implications of the crisis risks diminishing our capacity to practise inclusivity and core guidance principles for certain clients. To get a sense of the extent to which the career guidance profession is addressing the emergency, I undertook a survey of the published literature. The findings suggested limited explicit discourse around these issues. I conclude that research informed practice would benefit from increased attention to the implications of the stark realities of the crisis. We can begin to address this challenge through engaging in frank professional discourse around uncomfortable truths and their implications for career education, information, advice and guidance.