Climate-Informed Counsellors Chapter CCPA

The wildfires across Southern California have brought overwhelming devastation, with thousands of structures incinerated, at least 24 dead, and a paradise lost. Every hour brings news of more wreckage, and I’m heartbroken for everyone affected. Watching from afar, the fires feel like the plot of a dystopian novel—grief, shock, and numbness abound, and the systemic dysfunction on climate is almost too surreal to believe. Yet here we are. We’ve collected a list of mental health and wellbeing resources for those affected by the wildfires, which you’ll find in the full post. We’ve had the very best thinking devoted to solving the climate crisis for decades, and yet, emissions are still going up, disasters are compounding, and more people are becoming climate refugees. I believe that the climate movement needs more approaches that go beyond narrow technocratic and scientific thinking, that venture into the felt, behavioral, psychological, somatic, imaginative, and generative possibilities of moving –and healing– hearts and minds. As a nod to this idea, this newsletter is getting a new name that will be used from today onwards, and that name is: Unthinkable. Read on for the reveal of our name, new resource hub, and a plethora of wildfire-specific supports for coping in the aftermath of this destruction. 

Calling health and urban development professionals! Did you know that fewer than 25% of cities have a climate resilience plan or other planning tool that integrates climate and health? Download our new Urban Climate-Health Action Report to get insights on how you can climate-proof your city's health system.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been slowly chipping away at my next climate care and communication handbook. It's FINALLY ready to share. 🌱 The intent of this handbook is to weave together an accessible tapestry of climate communication approaches, strategies, and ideas to support caring conversations and messaging to meaningfully address magnifying impacts of human caused climate change on individuals, communities and systems.    Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s Climate Venn Diagram calls us in to reflect on what brings us joy, what we are good at, and what needs doing. Creating care-based, climate focused resources that support community climate engagement, conversation, creativity, wellbeing and a feeling of possibility toward meaningful action and better futures for all, sits at the nexus of my Venn diagram.   This is not a perfect resource, nor a complete guide on these important issues. But hopefully it is a welcoming stepping stone for anyone looking for ways to deepen or expand their approaches to communicating climate change issues, challenges, stories, hope, joy, uncertainly, possibilities, and pathways for uplifting collective, interspecies dignity and thriving 💚 https://lnkd.in/gyTZKz5q

💡 💚 🧠 Inside Out emotions but for climate, inspiring work by Time for Better climate communications agency, based on research by Panu Pihkala, who created the climate emotions wheel and inspired by a recent Atmos Magazine post. Couldn't relate more when they say: 'When it comes to climate change, we may feel a range of emotions. Remember that all are welcome, you aren’t alone, and to ask for help'. This was taken from their Instagram account but I think it is also relevant for LinkedIn as many professionals are experiencing these emotions daily at work. They also share some of their favorite climate and mental health professionals and projects: Climate Mental Health Network, Britt Wray, PhD, Force of Nature, Aishah-Nyeta Brown, Tori Tsui, and Anne Therese Gennari. Do you know any other professionals or resources to help us navigate the non-stop spinning wheel of climate emotions? Please share 🙂 #climatechange #mentalhealth #climatejobs #insideout #ecoanxiety #climateanxiety #outrageandoptimism

Tomorrow's webinar, and the last of Counselling & Psychotherapy Month, will be presented by Laura Cohen, titled "Nature Informed Therapy: a restorative practice for therapist & client"! Tune in to this webinar on April 30th, from 12 PM to 1 PM ET! Limited spots available! Register here: https://lnkd.in/dXrhQZ4N (L'atelier est disponible en anglais seulement)

Tomorrow's webinar will be presented by Cordelia Huxtable, titled "Introduction to Climate-Informed Therapy"! Tune in to this webinar on April 24th, from 12 PM to 1 PM ET! Limited spots available! Register here: https://lnkd.in/eaCHC9CP (L'atelier est disponible en anglais seulement)