Riptide: Climate Change and Mental Health
Contact UsThe climate crisis is harming our mental health in significant ways. We can feel isolated, doomed, guilty, ignored, anxious, and/or grief. Stress, anxiety, and depression are common and understandable responses to this collective and individual trauma.
This 60, 90 or 120 minute group, led by licensed therapist Mike Meyer, explores education, shared experience, therapeutic tools, and activities to process the impact climate change has on mental health. Trauma-informed information and practical clinical strategies will be shared. The warm and welcoming environment will be safe and accepting with snacks provided. Time is provided for personal reflection, connection, expression of emotions, plus the sharing of resources for further follow up. This is a safe place for expressing feelings and for diverse perspectives. Song clips, poems, and stories will be offered to inspire and move to.
Topics and activities include:
- Common mental health symptoms
- Collective and individual trauma from climate change
- Nervous System effects
- Activities for environmental and mental health awareness
- Mental health principles
- Connections for shared impact and solutions
- Mental Health treatment strategies that best fit climate anxiety
- Tools to form and maintain your own climate change support groups
- Personal and community mental health resilience in a changing environment.
Goals include:
- Normalizing individual and collective mental health responses to climate change
- How to connect with our natural world for mental health
- Trauma-informed and compassionate self-care and activism
- Knowing types of mental health best suited for this existential crisis
- Build resiliency
- Ways to seek treatment and community action
Facilitator
Facilitator Mike Meyer, LCSW, CADC, is a leader for mental and emotional health in natural environments. He is a sought-after leader, with over twenty years’ experience, with workshops including trauma support, and coping strategies, and working with substance use. Mike leads dance and creative movement happenings with nature groups, wellness workshops, and specializes in addictions, relationships, and trauma therapies. Mike is creator and host of the award-winning radio show “Island Earth Radio” which highlights the relationship of creativity and ecology. He is producer of folk music concerts and an avid kayaker.
Available for educational, spiritual, therapy, and most other organizations
Mike Meyer, LCSW, CADC I, QMHP, SJS. meyercounseling@gmail.com 541-222-0632
Workshop is certified as MHACBO Accredited Continuing Education and NAMI Lane County
Presentations so far in 2023: Alluvium, Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, University of Oregon (International ELAW), APAL (Addictions Professionals at Lane), National Alliance for Mental Illness, Lane County Chapter, Oregon Addictions State Conference (Oregon Recovers), Unity of The Valley Eugene