Channel Distress into Perspective & Purpose

Some of us are trained scientists passionate about psychological and social well being. Some of us are mental health professionals passionate about the natural world. We know the fear, sadness, confusion, and even rage of being a person on this planet, at this time, because we feel it too. Our work is to help you chart your personal climate journey, to be “your people” as you find the supportive and purposeful community that will be your people for good.

Both psychotherapists and Climate Coaches can work with you to address climate or eco-anxiety, but coaching is not therapy. For most kinds of therapy, you are the focus. You work to understand and heal your mental health, with a secondary focus on the various systems that influence your health—family, culture, and the state of the natural world, for example. In Climate Coaching, the systems are the focus—namely the state of the natural world and the human health hazards that state creates. The climate system, not you, needs healing. So the goal of Climate Coaching is to empower you to help heal the systems that harm us all.

If you need help with mental health challenges beyond climate or eco-anxiety, some of our coaches are also Climate-Aware Therapists, and can offer additional support. We invite you to learn about all of Our Coaches current accepting new clients.

Although there is no industry standard for coaches working in this space, each of our coaches is fully qualified in and passionate about their primary profession, whether climate science or psychotherapy. You can rest assured our coaches possess, at a minimum:

• A graduate degree in environmental science from an accredited university.

• Professional experience in the environmental sciences or a closely related field.

• Previous experience as a coach, counselor, or mentor.

  Or

• A graduate degree in therapy, counseling, or social work from an accredited university.

• Professional experience as a therapist, counselor, or social worker.

• Previous education or experience in environmental science or a closely related field.

Absolutely. No law or regulation compels a Climate Coach to disclose client information. However, there are a few exceptions in cases other than one-one one coaching. If you decide to work with one of Our Coaches who is also a Climate-Aware Therapist, and you want to work on more than climate-related issues, this will be considered psychotherapy rather than coaching, and will obligate your therapist to report certain admissions as required by law. Additionally, please note that we cannot guarantee confidentiality following Climate Cafes and Solarpunk Circles, our donation-based group sessions, because we have no way of holding your fellow Cafe participants accountable for what they may choose to share. We do strongly urge the respect of all participants’ privacy during Cafes.

• What is really happening, how sure are we, and what can be/is being done about it?

• How much attention should I pay to climate clocks, countdowns, and deadlines?

• Should I be preparing for different scenarios, given the range of climate forecasts?

• How should I think about long-term decisions like investing, moving, or having kids?

• How do I relate to family/friends/co-workers who disbelieve or behave defensively?

• Where can I go just to feel scared or angry or sad with others, or even alone?

• Where do I fit in? What does learning, helping, or even basic safety look like for me?

Yes! We offer virtual sessions, but love in-person work as well, especially outdoors when client privacy allows. If you live in Western North Carolina, reach out and we’ll cover this during our intro call. When working with a Climate-Aware Therapist, confidentiality requirements are more stringent, and necessitate full privacy during sessions, making in-person appointments a bit more challenging, but still possible. We can be creative to get you the care you want.

We currently host Climate Cafes at The Buzz Cafe in Hendersonville, NC on Saturdays at 10am. Climate Cafes are free, informal, small group gatherings where we listen to and share with our neighbors about climate and environmental topics.

Very soon, we will resume hosting online Climate Cafes, as well as Solarpunk Circles. Solarpunk is