Many people are feeling the psychological impacts of anxiety, despair, grief, and trauma as they navigate the layered impacts of climate change and social injustice. These are normal, important responses to the reality of the crisis, and there are supportive techniques and strategies to honor the emotions, prevent burnout, and promote creativity and connection. We will explore the intersection of mental health and climate change and learn ways to channel the intense feelings of eco-anxiety into meaning-making and action.
About the Speaker: Carson Brown, MD, is an integrative psychiatrist in private practice in the Twin Cities. She moved to Minnesota from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2021 in part due to climate change. She has presented about clinical approaches to climate distress at the American Psychiatric Association, Midwest Climate Summit, Minnesota Psychiatric Society, and many local environmental organizations and mental health providers. Dr. Brown uses The Work That Reconnects, developed by Joanna Macy, as a framework for addressing eco-anxiety and focuses on the interactions between systems of oppression, climate change, and mental health.
