Counselors and the Climate Crisis: An Opening Conversation
The American Counseling Association and its members stand in solidarity with professional counselors who work to address the mental health and wellness of individuals, families, and communities affected by the current and impending consequences of climate change. As members of a profession focused on fostering healthy development and wellness across the lifespan, counselors are uniquely equipped to empower clients to proactively address the mental health consequences of climate-related crises and the environmental issues related to climate change. This document introduces professional counselors to facts, actions, and resources that can aid them in addressing the diverse climate-change-based needs of clients and communities.
According to NASA, climate change “affects the environment, natural resources, economy and other aspects of life in all nations of the world”. Understanding the fundamentals of climate change can help counselors better conceptualize the impact it is currently having and will continue to have on our clients and communities.
In 1988, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The IPCC report (takeaways from IPCC) is one of the most reputable reports on climate change today. As counselors, we can also refer to the US Climate Assessment 2016, The Climate Reality Project, and NASA, just to name a few, to develop our baseline knowledge of climate change and the climate crisis.
Additional resources include: The National Climate Assessment 2018 Overview; The Climate Reality Project “Climate 101”; and, also from the Climate Reality Project, five podcasts to inspire your thinking about the climate crisis.
Understanding the terminology around climate change and the climate crisis is also an important building block. We recommend learning about the shift of language to climate crisis (1, 2) as well as climate justice,
This workshop is approved for 1.0 CE clock hour. It is also approved for 1.0 Clock hour of NBCC credit
The Louisiana Counseling Association has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP #2019. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. LCA is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.
This workshop is offered free. You may register for this workshop at
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