The field of climate psychology has emerged in response to the growing mental health crisis amplified and created by the climate crisis itself. As such, it is dynamic, changing, branching and growing. While we do not all name the problem in the same way and we do not all agree on solutions, the climate crisis itself impacts us all: whether we live in urban or rural areas; inland or on the coast; in the North or in the South.
Some of us are impacted directly through the work we do: climate professionals, climate and adjacent scientists, sustainability and adaptation teams, climate or environmental activists, disaster workers, first responders or food producers. Others are impacted as they experience the loss, uncertainty and social disruption from extreme weather – floods in Texas, fires in California, hurricanes in Florida, draught in Kansas, heatwaves in Arizona. Yet more are impacted as they live in and support their communities – educators, spiritual advisors, parents, elders, health care workers, mental health workers, school counselors.
This is all the more true because within each community, the climate crisis deepens every other stress – housing, transportation, medical and income inequity, racism, anti-immigrant or sexuality/gender discrimination.
Join these groups serving external communities.
The Climate Cafe Coordinating Committee is the communication and coordination hub for CPA-NA’s Climate Cafe programs. Climate cafes are facilitated groups that allow people to reflect, engage, and connect with others and share thoughts and feelings about the climate crisis and its ramifications.
The Research Committee brings together members who are passionate about advancing knowledge at the intersection of climate, psychology, and lived experience. This committee provides a collaborative space to design, conduct, and share innovative research studies—qualitative, quantitative, and theoretical—that deepen our understanding of the psychological dimensions of the climate crisis.
Our work includes projects such as studies of climate cafés, research on climate emotions, and new theoretical frameworks. The committee also works to strengthen partnerships with universities, organizations, and communities, ensuring that research is inclusive, rigorous, and impactful.
Research Committee members have the opportunity to contribute to innovative research studies, learn from colleagues across disciplines, and help shape the evidence base that informs both clinical practice and public dialogue. Together, we make research a rallying point for action, connection, and transformation.
Contact: Andrew Sears
Social Justice is interwoven throughout the organization and it’s committees. Additionally we provide a space that focuses specifically on ways in which we are advancing climate justice by developing intersectional trainings and programs for our members. Our work includes recommending policies and procedures to confront systemic racism and inequity within our organization and the broader climate mental health field. Additionally, we are focused on diversifying and expanding services to reach underserved populations who lack access to climate-related mental health support
Contact: Emily Hart Roth
This committee is focused on developing lines of CE credited curriculum related to several different areas of focus: clinical training; clinician-as-activist training; interdisciplinary applications of climate psychology; and the intersection of climate mental health and climate justice. If you would like to join in this work or have ideas you’d like to suggest or offer for a workshop, contact us!
Contact: Kelsey Philippi
Join one of these groups serving the membership. Members include mental health clinicians, researchers, educators, consultants, coaches, somatic/bodyworkers, spiritual support and other allied professionals.
This joint committee is exploring ways in which we can draw on our expertise to advocate for legislation and resources oriented around the mental health impacts of climate change to leaders. Check out committee updates here.
Contact: Lise Van Susteren
The Agricultural Workers Committee considers farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers to be on the frontlines of climate change and works to support their mental and emotional health as they navigate the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. With members coming from across several sectors with a wide range of agricultural experience, the committee is currently thinking through adaptation of the Climate Cafe model to serve rural, conservative communities who may not embrace the language of “climate change.”
This committee helps provide various forms of support for CPA-NA members who are mental health clinicians, including organizing peer clinical case consultation groups, hosting workshops on climate-inclusive therapy, and helping therapists as they navigate the complexities of facing their own climate distress while holding the distress of others.
Contact: Wendy Greenspun
We are experiencing cascading climate disasters with greater intensity and frequency which detrimentally impacts mental health and resilience. Our Disaster Committee was launched with the following priorities. 1) Develop training for our members to become knowledgeable about the national disaster mental health system, the disaster continuum, and community-based recovery models. 2) Develop ways to support our membership directly impacted by disaster events. 3) Work with Regional Coordinators to engage and support local response efforts.
Contact: Mary Lou Masko
This is a writer’s group for CPA members who are developing climate-related articles for psychological and psychoanalytic journals and books. We use an evolving and collaborative structure that is responsive to the needs of participating members (prompts, sharing pages, giving feedback and resources, discussion and support, accountability and goal-setting, as appropriate). Limited membership, commitments required.
Contact: Penelope Starr-Karlin
The Community Models Committee seeks ways to responsibly redistribute the skills of peer care and support. In addition to plans for more public-facing offerings, our meetings serve as a lab for models we are exploring in our own communities.
Contact: Kate Schapira
This committee is focused on developing mentoring programs for clinicians and helping mental health professionals create trainings or presentations on topics related to climate psychology. This group includes clinicians in marginalized and indigenous communities that are often more significantly and chronically impacted by the climate crisis.
Contact: Elizabeth Allured
This committee provides a range of support to scientists and STEM professionals who bear the informational and emotional burdens of the climate crisis. We offer programs and events designed to support mental health, alleviate burnout, and build resilience in uncertain times.
Contact: Anna Hurst
We are dedicated to empowering younger generations in the face of climate and environmental crises. We seek to understand and address the bio-psycho-social-environmental impacts of these crises on youth. Our mission is to support the emotional wellbeing of young people, families, and caregivers, as well as provide education, training, consultation, and collaboration for youth related organizations committed to fostering a sustainable, just, and equitable future.
Contact: James McKowen
These groups support the inner workings of the CPA-NA, from managing the budget to making decisions of all kinds.
The Budget Committee meets bi-weekly to oversee the CPA-NA budget, review funding requests, provide recommendations to the Executive Committee, and ensure the budget is in alignment with our vision and priorities.
Contact: Mary Lou Masko
To learn about our Executive Committee – the decision makers of the crew, please visit the Our People page.