Climate Psychology

Stronger Together

Leslie’s work as a climate psychology educator and consultant is in four primary areas:

Consulting with organizations to support staff of environmental and climate advocacy agencies, faith and civic leaders, as well as journalists and climate scientists. These frontline workers who focus on climate impacts on a daily basis often face high levels of burnout unless they address the emotional landscapes of the work. Clients examples include 350.org, Post Carbon Institute, Earthjustice, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Serving the general public through talks, workshops, media interviews, podcasts, and community meetings. These are personalized in focus and length, and can be in person or online. Client examples include Climate One, PBS Newshour, Bioneers, Aspen Institute.

Developing school climate curriculums from elementary through university level, with emotionally intelligent resources. Content areas are often drawn from my workbooks for kids, published by the American Psychological Association.

Training the mental health field by equipping them to become climate-aware practitioners, which includes expanding the service delivery model to respond to the growing level of need. There are currently three settings for this, and all have CE credit options:

Climate Psychology Certification through the California Institute of Integral Studies. This is the only University-based, professional certification program that brings together climate science and emerging psychological perspectives and interventions in address climate change through a behavioral science lens. It is an in-depth, skill-building, live online clinical program with sterling guest faculty and international participation.

      PESI Eco-Anxiety and Climate Distress: Trauma-Informed Strategies for the Anxiety, Stress and Grief of Ecological Uncertainty. A three hour    introductory workshop with live and prerecorded options.

      Cascadia Developing a Climate-Aware Practice: Working with Climate Anxiety, Eco-Anxiety, and Environmental Grief. A three hour live online introductory workshop. Self-paced video option can be found here.

FREE RESOURCES

PBS Climate Emotions Short Film. “Everything Wrong and Nowhere to Go” is a 12 minute film by Sindha Agha, creatively documenting our therapy process together in dealing with her climate anxiety. It’s great to view in group settings as a discussion starter.

Emotional Resilience Toolkit for Climate Work. This workbook is available to any individual, organization or agency involved in climate work. It builds emotional resiliency to support effective action. Practices are brief, and can be added to any type of meeting or gathering.  In Italian: Cambiamento climatico resilienza emotiva.

Ask a Climate Therapist Advice Column. Britt Wray and the Gen Dread team offer an advice column where you can leave your confidential question about how to deal with climate emotions. I’m delighted to be one of the therapists, along with Caroline Hickman and Kyle X Hill. It’s free, and the answers are posted for everyone to benefit from.

The Educator’s Guide to Climate Emotions. I’m happy to have contributed to shaping this free resource for educators, to help young people navigate climate emotions.

Climate Emotions Wheel. As an advisor to the Climate Mental Heath Network, I’m delighted at the free Climate Emotions Wheel they have available in over a dozen languages. It’s based on the research of Panu Pihkala, professor at the University of Helsinki, and is a great icebreaker for a conversation about climate emotions.

Healing Library: Severe Weather & Climate Engagement. This free downloadable workbook for families and kids was funded by NASA and the Maine State Library. I’m glad to have been on the content creation team. 

RELATED ARTICLES

As a Psychotherapist Treating Eco-Anxiety and Eco-Grief, Mindfulness Helps. Sometimes.

Strengthening Our Ecological Imaginations

The Role of Systemic Therapists in an Era of Environmental Crisis

PBS Newshour interview

Recent Past Events

Recent Past Events

Ask Me Anything (about climate psychology and resilience)

Virtual and free. University of California, Merced

Virtual California Science Educators Conference

Pairing Climate Science and Emotional Resiliency for the Middle School Classroom

Climate Change and Mental Health

APA-DIV34

Conversations: Emotional Climate Resilience

With May Bartlett at Solvable

Health in the Climate Crisis: Integrative Approaches for Individuals & Communities

Bastyr University

Psychological Insights for Climate Action

Citizen’s Climate Lobby

The Urgent Need for Climate Aware Therapy

Northwest Alliance for Psychoanalytic Study

Mind Over Chatter: Exploring Climate Psychology

Commonwealth Club, San Francisco.

An Existential Toolkit for Climate Educators

Rachel Carson Center, Munich, Germany

Climate Anxiety

CalPsychiatry Mindstories, Podcast

Climate Educators Conference

Keynote Address, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools

A New Approach to Sustainable Action

Project InsideOut

Cultivating Resilience and Preparing for Fire Season:  Mental & Emotional Health

Integrative Healers Action Network

Psychotherapy and a Changing Planet: Climate Psychology

JFK University

Cultivating Emotional Resiliency in the Era of Climate Crisis

SFVillage, San Francisco, CA

Learning to Treat Eco-Anxiety

Marin CAMFT, Corte Madera, CA

Harbor Women’s Wellness Weekend

Gig Harbor, Tacoma Community College, WA

Change the World on Your Terms, Your Sphere of Influence

Guest Lecturer, Sonoma State University, CA

Changing the Climate on Climate Change

King’s Bookstore, Tacoma WA. With Tom Koontz and Steven Neshyba.

Development as Freedom Program

Guest Lecturer, Evergreen State College, WA

Psychotherapy for a Changing Planet

CAMFT, Santa Rosa Chapter, CA

Clinical Applications of Deep Imagination, and Reinventing Ourselves in the Era of Climate Change

Spiru Haret University: Bucharest, Romania

Activism in the New Climate

Kosmos online symposium.

Psychotherapy for a Changing Planet

Sierra Foothills CAMFT, Auburn, Ca.

Relational Engagement for Climate Change: Scientists and Community

UC Davis, held in Calistoga, CA

Clinical Applications of Guided Imagery

Staff training — Haight Ashbury Psychological Services, San Francisco

Radio Interview KXRN 93.5 FM (Laguna Beach, Ca.)

Clinical Applications of Deep Imagination

Staff Training –West County Health Centers, Guerneville, Ca.

CD Release Concert and Benefit: Healing Harp and Imagery Concert

Radio Interview: Activating Compassion in the Midnight Hour Show

Integrative Healing for Cancer Care:  California Pacific Medical Center

Deep Imagination: A Gateway to Healing and Transformation: Golden Gate Counseling Center

UCSF Social Work Retreat

Staff Training in Guided Imagery: East Bay Agency for Children

Radio Interview Hope, Healing and Wellbeing

Radio Interview,  CKDU 88.1 FM in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Nonduality Street

Awakening Your Heart Wisdom Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, Mexico

Radio Interview WCOM 103.5 FM in Chapel Hill, NC Three Steps Forward Radio

Radio Interview  KUSF 90.3 FM, Mind and Body Radio

Radio Interview Health Beat Radio

Guided Imagery to Support Grief Sutter Hospice

Radio Interview The Wellness Author’s Show

Healing Arts Day for Veterans  Swords to Plowshares and the Institute for Health and Healing

Radio Interview, KMBH, Public Radio 88FM  It’s Your Health Radio

Revive, Thrive & Restore to the Core Wellness Retreat Renaissance Club Sport, Walnut Creek, Ca.

 Radio Interview  Speaking from the Heart

Radio Interview Out the Box Show

ABC7 News Guided Imagery for Female Veterans

Radio Interview Authentic Health Coaching

 Science and Nonduality Conference Presenter  Science and Nonduality Conference

Radio Interview Inspirational Conversations Radio Show

Radio Interview iFit Family Radio

Video Interview With Remy Chausse.

ABC7 News Anxiety and Aubrey Huff

Speaker Integrative Medicine Forum  UCSF Integrative Medicine Network

Radio Interview, Cultivating Intuition with Guided Imagery Feminine Soul Radio

Radio Interview, Creating Change: The Connection between Creativity and Healing Doug Foresta Show

Radio Interview, Stress Management Tips Boomer and Babe Show

Radio Interview, How Self Guided Imagery Helps Healing WomenSpeak Radio