Thank you for being here
Upcoming Speaking Events
January 19th, Webster Middle School, Private event.
February, Gustavus Adolphus College, details TBD.
March 15th-17th, Sauna and Sobriety Weekend, Beacon Point, Duluth MN.
May 14th, Solana Beach Ecorotary, San Diego, CA.
May 24th-27th, Ecoretreat with Tenderfoot Learning Lab, Athens, OH.
After years of struggling with my own climate grief — without a word for it, let alone strategies for coping — I’ve made it my mission to explore climate grief and its meaning. My goal is to find what humans can do to alleviate not just our symptoms, but reduce the cause: how we can each heal ourselves, and help the planet.
I grew up in rural Northern Wisconsin amidst old growth forest and lakeshores. I was a child in the 80's and 90's as the world was waking up to the hole in the ozone layer, to global warming, and to deforestation. By the time I got to college I was interested in environmental justice and studied environmental philosophy. To merge my passion for the planet with my passion for understanding people, I studied psychology and counseling for my master's degree and then earned a PhD in Sustainability Education. My research is in the niche field of ecopsychology, the study of how humans relate to the environment and how our own species' destructive behavior toward the planet influences us individually.
My work has enabled me to study reefs in Australia and California, to work with wildlife in Peru, India, and Thailand, and to consult with thought leaders throughout the world.
I have more than a decade of experience as a mental health practitioner, and more than a decade of experience in environmental education. I support people in learning about climate change, in processing climate change emotionally, and in developing strategies to respond to both in ways that feel empowering and attainable. I work with people of all ages, helping them communicate their fears, identify their strengths, and take action.