Welcome to our Understanding Climate Emotions Curriculum
This curriculum is designed to guide professionals and interested community members who are wanting to develop a deeper understanding of how climate change, and awareness of its impacts, directly and indirectly influence mental health and emotional well-being. It may be of particular value to those working in roles that involve supporting individuals and communities experiencing climate-related distress, but is open to anyone who wants to learn more.
Explore the Sections
Section 1Introduction to Climate Change and Mental Health
Sets the foundation for the curriculum, introducing the scope, objectives, and the wide-ranging impacts of climate change on psychological well-being. It emphasizes why integrating mental health considerations into climate discourse is essential.
Open Section 1 →
Section 2Understanding the Landscape of Climate Emotions
Explores theories of emotion and how to differentiate emotions from clinical mental health conditions. It provides an in-depth look at diverse climate-related emotions—ranging from anxiety, grief, guilt, and rage to isolation and denial—and introduces tools for assessing these emotional responses.
Open Section 2 →
Section 3Factors Influencing Mental Health in a Changing Climate
Examines the roots of climate emotions and how social, environmental, and developmental factors contribute to risk and disproportionate impacts. It also explores the compounded impact of marginalization and intersectional experiences in shaping climate-related mental health outcomes.
Open Section 3 →
Section 4Strategies for Resilience and Coping
Reviews practical and theoretical approaches to fostering resilience. Topics include more adaptive vs. less maladaptive coping, psychological first aid, skills-based and nature-based interventions, the power of social support, and the importance of climate justice and Indigenous knowledge in promoting community well-being.
Open Section 4 →
Section 5Addressing Climate Change and Mental Health in Policy and Practice
Focuses on embedding mental health awareness in professional practice and climate policy. It outlines ethical responsibilities and sector-specific roles—including educators, health providers, media professionals, spiritual leaders, and policymakers—in advancing climate-responsive mental health support.
Open Section 5 →
ClosingClosing Remarks
Closes with reflective activities, final knowledge assessment, and certification. It reinforces key learnings and encourages participants to apply their knowledge in practice and advocacy.
Open Closing →This curriculum may be a good fit if:
- You are interested in the intersection of climate and well-being
- You are a concerned community member and want to learn more
- You have witnessed or experienced climate related emotions or distress
- You support others in a professional, educational or caring role
- You work in shaping systems, spaces, or policies
- You work with or organize communities
This curriculum will help you to:
- Understand the complex relationship between climate change and mental health
- Recognize the psychological impacts of climate change
- Explore 'climate- and eco-emotions’ such as ‘climate anxiety/eco-anxiety’ and ‘climate grief/eco-grief’
- Examine the ways that climate change impacts some populations disproportionately and can worsen existing inequities and injustices
- Understand ways in which climate change distinctly impacts the diverse Indigenous Peoples within Canada
- Understand some of the many ways Indigenous Peoples are leading stewardship, regeneration, and protection of lands, waters, plants, animals and climate well-being
- Learn strategies to build resilience at individual, community, and systemic levels
- Recognize the role of activism, grassroots organizing, advocacy, and policy in addressing climate and mental health challenges
- Explore the roles and experiences of professionals working at the intersection of climate change and mental health
- Promote the integration of trauma-informed, culturally safe, and health-aware principles into climate action
- Gain tools to support mental health-inclusive policies and practices
- This curriculum can support you in learning to recognize, assess, and address climate emotions and psychological responses.
- It will help you to implement informed strategies for emotional resilience and community-based mental health solutions.
- This curriculum is not intended to be used as a diagnostic tool or in the place of treatment.
There are no prerequisites for this curriculum and we invite you to participate regardless of your background or past experience regarding climate and mental health. That being said, there are some key topics that we encourage you to explore further or have baseline knowledge of in order to get the most out of this learning experience.
In particular, throughout the curriculum there will be examples of Indigenous stories, leadership, and knowledge, as well as some of the ways that climate change is disproportionately impacting Indigenous communities as well as longstanding impacts of colonialism. If you want to learn more, we encourage you to engage with additional learning materials such as:
- University of Alberta’s Indigenous Canada Online Course
- SAN’YAS Indigenous Specific Anti-Racism Training
This curriculum is designed to provide a learning space that is trauma-informed, which is foundational when discussing complex and sometimes difficult topics. Understanding that participants come with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and stories, and that some curriculum content may bring up strong or unexpected emotions.
With that in mind, this curriculum includes content relating to mental health, climate change, and injustice. Some learners may find these topics challenging to engage with. This information is available for you to engage with as you choose, including choosing not to engage with particular sections. We encourage you to approach the material in ways that support your well-being.
Please remember to:
- Pace yourself
- Take breaks as necessary
- Practice self-care as you work through the curriculum
Resources are available to support yourself in navigating emotions that may arise during this curriculum. Take some time to reflect on what supports you, consider what resources you could connect with as needed, and review the list of ideas we have compiled here.
- If you are in Canada and need immediate mental health support, you can access a list of available resources here.
- You can also access a list of additional supportive resources compiled by the MHCCA team here.
- If you are feeling overwhelmed or in need of a mental pause, you may find support in this list of grounding and presencing techniques.
References
- Buongiorno, F., Chiaramonte, X. (2023). Environment. In: Wallenhorst, N., Wulf, C. (eds) Handbook of the Anthropocene. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25910-4_8
- Coffey Y, Bhullar N, Durkin J, Islam MS, Usher K. Understanding Eco-anxiety: A Systematic Scoping Review of Current Literature and Identified Knowledge Gaps. J Clim Change Health. 2021 Aug 1;3:100047.
- Finkel, M. L. (2019). A call for action: integrating climate change into the medical school curriculum. Perspectives on Medical Education, 8(5), 265–266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-019-00541-8
- Kaleel, S. (2024, October 9). Understanding collective liberation. The Inclusion Practice. https://www.theinclusionpractice.com/insights/understanding-collective-liberation
- Merriam‑Webster. (n.d.). Ecosystem. In Merriam‑Webster.com dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecosystem
- National Geographic Society. (2025, April 23). Ecosystem. National Geographic Education. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ecosystem/
- Newberry Le Vay, J., Cunningham, A., Soul, L., Dave, H., Hoath, L., and Lawrance, E. L. (2024). Integrating mental health into climate change education to inspire climate action while safeguarding mental health. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1298623
- Poole, N., Talbot, C., & Nathoo, T. (2017). Healing families, helping systems: A trauma-informed practice guide for working with children, youth and families (Government of British Columbia). Government of British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/child-teen-mental-health/trauma-informed_practice_guide.pdf
- Seritan, A. L., Coverdale, J., and Brenner, A. M. (2022). Climate Change and Mental Health Curricula: Addressing Barriers to Teaching. Academic Psychiatry, 46(5), 551–555. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-022-01625-0
- United Nations. (n.d.). What is climate change? United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change
Module reviewers & contributors
- Kiffer G. Card, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
- Kaylie Higgs, Mental Health and Climate Change Alliance
- Dana De Benetti, Mental Health and Climate Change Alliance
- Lilian Barraclough, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph & Youth Climate Lab
- Brianna Aspinall Nuñez, Carbon Conversations TO
- Michael Marchand, sqilxw, syilx Nation - Cultural Safety Consultant
- Dora Rebelo, MHPSS Consultant, Iscte- University Institute of Lisbon
- Judy Wu, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
- Rachel Davies
- Maya K. Gislason, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
- Susan Clayton, Psychology Department, The College of Wooster
Core Developers
Kiffer G. Card, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Dana De Benetti, Mental Health and Climate Change Alliance
Kaylie Higgs, Mental Health and Climate Change Alliance
Michael Marchand, sqilxw, syilx Nation - Cultural Safety Consultant
Reviewers and Contributors
Claire Perry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Ashley Stoltz, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Brianna Aspinall Nuñez, Carbon Conversations TO
Monique Beneteau, Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health
Lilian Barraclough, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph & Youth Climate Lab
Kelly Green Guilbeau, conservation social scientist, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Susan Clayton, Psychology Department, The College of Wooster
Judy Wu, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Maya K. Gislason, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Dora Rebelo, MHPSS Consultant, Iscte-University Institute of Lisbon
Sonya L. Jakubec, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mount Royal University
Rachel Davies, BSc, MSc, PGCert, MRTPI, MIEnvSc
Gina Martin, Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University
Abhay Singh Sachal, Break The Divide; Faculty of Education, University of Regina
Naomi Leung, Climate Recentered, Solastalgia
Steve Willis, Herculean Climate Solutions
Susan Bodnar, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University. Principal Investigator, DEWLab. Co-editor of Unmoored Yet Unbroken: Ecopsychology for a Changing World.
Tajrin Faurschou, MSc Student Climate Change and Global Health, School of Public Health University of Alberta