Climate change represents not only an ecological and political crisis but an existential one. Its accelerating impact will dramatically alter humanity’s relationship with the four givens of existence: death, meaning, freedom, and connection. Rising seas, intensifying storms, and global displacement bring mortality into sharper focus, forcing individuals to reckon with the fragility of life on an unprecedented scale. The givenness of death becomes less abstract, more immediate, as entire communities face the possibility of erasure.

At the same time, the pursuit of meaning is destabilized. As landscapes vanish, livelihoods collapse, and cultural traditions are disrupted, individuals increasingly question life’s purpose in a world where continuity and legacy are threatened. Climate change also restricts human freedom. Choices regarding where to live, how to cultivate the land, or how to sustain communities are narrowed by environmental degradation, scarcity, and migration pressures. Freedom—once taken for granted—is constrained by forces beyond individual or collective control.

Finally, the foundational human need for connection—to others, to nature, and to future generations—is imperiled. Ecological destruction fosters both physical displacement and psychological isolation. Communities suffer from collective grief and dislocation, while individuals struggle to preserve bonds in the face of uncertainty.

These existential disruptions correlate directly with rising rates of mental illness. Anxiety manifests in anticipatory dread of environmental collapse. Trauma-related disorders proliferate among survivors of natural disasters and within populations repeatedly destabilized by climate events. Depression emerges as individuals feel powerless, despairing at the magnitude of global forces and the erosion of meaningful connections.

By framing climate change through an existential lens, clinicians and scholars can move beyond symptom management toward deeper engagement with the human condition. Existential psychotherapy, emphasizing authentic meaning-making and resilience, offers critical pathways for adaptation in an era defined by ecological crisis.

Andre R. Marseille is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Counseling at Chicago State University and an internationally recognized psychotherapist specializing in Positive Psychotherapy and existential counseling. Trained through the Wiesbaden Academy of Psychotherapy and the London School of Positive Psychotherapy, he brings advanced expertise in transcultural approaches that integrate universal human capacities with cultural and historical frameworks. As a mentee of the late Dr. Clemmont Vontress, a pioneer in existential cross-cultural psychology, he has continued to advance an existential perspective in psychotherapy that highlights the inescapable givens of life—death, freedom, meaning, and connection. In April 2025, he organized and chaired a symposium on Climate Change and Mental Health at Chicago State University, bringing together scholars, poets, and practitioners from around the world. This groundbreaking gathering explored how environmental crises intersect with cultural identity, mental health disparities, and existential resilience, positioning climate change as both a psychological and a human survival issue. Beyond the classroom and clinical practice, he is deeply passionate about reading, history, and the exploration of diverse cultures. These passions enrich his work as a scholar-practitioner, enabling him to situate contemporary psychological practice within the broader arc of human history, philosophy, and global interconnectedness.