Counselors and the Climate Crisis: An Opening Conversation
Information
Date & Time
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Description
The impact of the climate crisis on mental health has been well-documented in a number of key reports, such as the IPCC report (Human Health, Chapter 8), US National Climate Report, the U.S Global Change Research Program, and ecoAmerica’s Mental Health & Our Changing Climate, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Climate Reality Project, the American Public Health Association, and the Psychological Impact of Climate Change. Researchers predict a sharp rise in mental health issues resulting from the climate crisis in the coming years. These issues include depression and anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, suicide and outbreaks of violence. The elderly, the poor, and children were identified as being among those who will be most psychologically vulnerable. Counselors hold expertise in trauma-informed approaches to resilience, disaster response and recovery, developmental and wellness approaches, and a humanistic connection to the lived experiences of clients. We also have a strong social justice lens that will be helpful in work with clients, our communities, and other professionals. This workshop introduces the role of the counselor in facing climate change with our clients and communities.
Target Audience
- Counselor
- Psychologist
- Social Worker
- Substance Use Disorder Professionals
Presenters
Dr. Debbie Sturm is a 2008 graduate of UNC-Charlotte’s Counselor Education program, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and currently an Associate Professor at James Madison University in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Her clinical specialties include trauma, community violence, family systems, and nature-connectedness. She has graduate coursework, training, and teaching in environmental advocacy, environmental education, climate resilience efforts, environmental justice, and communication strategies. She is a member of ACA’s Climate Crisis Task Force and Human Rights Committee. She received the 2013 SACES Award for Outstanding Teaching and the 2020 SACES Courtland Lee Social Justice Award. She is a trained member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, “a global network of activists committed to spreading awareness of the climate crisis and working for solutions to the greatest challenge of our time” and a Climate Café leader with the Climate Psychology Alliance. In 2017, Dr. Sturm wrote the first article on climate and mental health to appear in ACA’s Counseling Today. Since then, she has published two book chapters and two encyclopedia entries on the impact of climate on mental health. She has produced a dozen (including in-press) peer-reviewed journal articles and delivered 18 conference presentations on climate justice and climate-related issues. She is deeply passionate about expanding this conversation among counselors across the country.