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‘The Work That Reconnects’: a groupwork methodology for enhancing adaptive responses to the climate and ecological crisis

Part of: CBT in a Time of Climate and Biodiversity Crises

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2024

Rosie Jones Open the ORCID record for Rosie Jones [Opens in a new window]  and
Chris Johnstone
Rosie Jones*
Affiliation:
Independent Scholar, Bath, UK
Chris Johnstone
Affiliation:
Independent Scholar, Moray, UK
*
Corresponding author: Rosie Jones; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Abstract

The dominant economic, political and sociocultural system is leading the Earth towards climate and ecological breakdown (IPCC, 2023) as well as causing adverse mental, physical and social health consequences (Eisenberg-Guyot and Prins, 2022). To address these inter-related crises there is an urgent need for cultural evolution to life-sustaining ways of living and organising human life (Brooks et al., 2018). This requires concurrent psychological and ideological shifts and psychological contexts of support, in which people can explore their relationship with, and response to, the planetary predicament and the roles they would like to play in its transformation. The Work That Reconnects (WTR) (Macy and Brown, 2014) is a groupwork methodology developed to address this need. It consists of a set of philosophical and psychological teachings and experiential practices drawn from deep ecology, living systems thinking, Buddhism, and indigenous, spiritual and other wisdom traditions. It originated outside the field of CBT and psychotherapy, within activist movements, within which it is an increasingly well-known methodology for psychological support. The WTR has many characteristics which align with cognitive behavioural approaches with regard to processes, techniques and mechanisms of change. The WTR has, as yet, received minimal scientific research attention. The aim of this paper is to raise awareness of the methodology within the cognitive behavioural field, introducing philosophies, concepts, and techniques that may be of utility to CBT practitioners and stimulate research and evaluation of a methodology with potential to address psychological needs at this time.

Key learning aims

  1. (1) To learn about a groupwork methodology, the Work That Reconnects (WTR), for developing adaptive resilience, motivation, agency and wellbeing when facing concerns about the world.

  2. (2) To learn about the four stages of the spiral of practices of the Work That Reconnects: gratitude, honouring our pain for the world, seeing with new and ancient eyes, and going forth.

  3. (3) To understand the key concepts of the model including cultural schemas such as ‘the three stories of our time’ and application of living systems thinking to create cognitive and behavioural shifts towards adaptive action.

  4. (4) To explore the parallels with cognitive behavioural approaches, review the evidence base, highlight the need for further research, and outline areas for investigation.

  5. (5) To suggest ways in which the WTR can inform individual therapy for climate and ecological concerns.

Keywords

Climate change distressCommunityGroup interventionPerspectivesPhilosophySelf-concept
Type
Invited Paper
Information
the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , Volume 17 , 2024 , e30
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

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References

Further reading

Active Hope (Macy and Johnstone, 2022) provides a thorough primer on the concepts of the WTR alongside exercises for self practice or use in study groups. An online self-help course (https://activehope.training) has recently been developed that can also form the basis of either a solo, paired or group process. The theory and detailed description of how to facilitate group practices of the WTR are provided in the facilitation manual Coming Back to Life (Macy and Brown, 2014) and are also available online at https://workthatreconnects.org/resources along with articles, audios and training videos.Google Scholar

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