Climate Chats

Next session: Tuesday, October 14
REGISTRATION OPENING SOON

DOWNTOWN EDMONTON

Our community centered Climate Chats work directly with attendees to engage with their big feelings of anxiety, grief, sadness, etc.

Join us and start building the supportive and heart-centered community we need to address all aspects of the climate crisis.

I liked the balance of time to talk and time to reflect. I liked having some space/time to write privately and didn’t expect it.

– March 2024 attendee

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What is Climate Chats?

Climate Chats is a small-group workshop that will help you directly acknowledge and address your climate grief and anxiety. Throughout our evening together, our Climate Chats facilitator will guide you through various exercises designed to help you explore and name your big feelings, practice listening, and tap into your values.

Working in community helps us to:

• engage with our feelings and climate action in a safe and supported environment
• feel less alone
• explore new ideas

I really enjoyed the small group format, as it helped me feel very comfortable when sharing.

– July 2023 attendee

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Who is this for?

You are worried about the current and future effects of the climate crisis, but don’t know what to DO about it. You want to deepen your connections with likeminded people, but can’t seem to find those people. You are overwhelmed by your feelings about the climate emergency.

Our facilitator-led format allows folks to focus on working through their feelings instead of leading a conversation. Providing topics and question prompts verbally and in written format allows all participants the time to evaluate in advance before answering. You do not have to share verbally with the group if you don’t want to–but we highly encourage it for the full effect!

Each session is different, so you can come to multiple without a repeat in the prompts. There is no preparation required in advance, and this is not a series.

Best for mature teens and older, and English speakers.

Having Lisa provide topic and question prompts was also really well done, and I appreciated when she sensed that there was a change in topic that coincided with another topic to be discussed (flow was really well done).

– July 2023 attendee

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The framework for our Climate Chats is inspired by circles, conversations, and cafes hosted by folks across the globe who focus directly on addressing the psychological effects of the climate emergency in community. Waste Free Edmonton spends a lot of time and energy talking to all types of people about sustainable living and the climate crisis. Adding this experience and knowledge into our Climate Chats, we want to help folks level up their confidence.

Climate Chats is not therapy. This peer-led workshop will help you process your eco-distress and build your emotional tolerance, but it is not a replacement for direct therapeutic intervention. If you need more personalized or acute support, the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America is a great resource.

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Why Climate Chats?

• Because the climate crisis IS scary and impacts literally every aspect of our lives, which can take a heavy emotional toll
• We avoid engaging with this reality because it is super painful, but by avoiding and disengaging from our feelings we create bigger problems for ourselves and are less likely to take action
• Many of us have low emotional intelligence, or don’t know how to talk about how we feel; the more we practice thinking and talking about our feelings, the more we can break this silence and better engage with our emotions and the emergency
• Building community and community resilience is a key step in climate action

A positive experience, and a good opportunity to connect with people who are concerned and taking action to address climate change. I would definitely come again.

– March 2024 attendee

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WHAT’S NEW FOR 2025-2026?

Coming soon!

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ACCESSIBILITY INFO FOR AUDREYS BOOKS LOCATION

• Bus, train, bike or drive: there is one LRT station across the street, many bus routes running down Jasper Ave, and paid parking in the area.
• There is no ASL interpreter, and all facilitation and instructions will be given in English (speaking and writing).
• You will have a workbook and colouring pages to occupy your hands, but feel free to bring a fidget tool as needed.
• Masks are strongly encouraged, but not required. We have a small-room air purifier. Please do not attend if you are feeling sick. We will arrange a refund if you cannot attend for this reason.

ACCESSIBILITY INFO FOR STANLEY MILNER LIBRARY LOCATION

• Bus, train, bike or drive: there are two LRT stations across the street, many bus routes 1-2 blocks away, bike racks, and paid parking in the area.
• The building is wheelchair accessible with barrier free washrooms.
• The rectangular tables have legs at both short ends and armless plastic chairs.
• There is no ASL interpreter, and all facilitation and instructions will be given in English (speaking and writing).
• You will have a workbook to doodle and draw in, but feel free to bring a fidget tool as needed.
• We will be playing instrumental music at a very low volume, and the private room will protect our space from some of the ambient library noise.
• Masks are strongly encouraged, but not required. We have a small-room air purifier. Please do not attend if you are feeling sick.

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Credit to my teachers

There have been many folks and organizations who have both inspired me to host Climate Chats, and whose work has provided invaluable information and resources to build out each session. In no particular order:

• Britt Wray (Generation Dread)
• Kate Schapira, Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth
• Sarah Jacuette Ray, A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety
• Work That Reconnects
• adrienne maree brown
• Good Grief Network, How to Live in a Chaotic Climate: 10 Steps to Reconnect With Ourselves, our Communities, and our Planet
• One Resilient Earth
• Climate Activism Lab
• Climate Psychology Alliance of North America
• Various Climate Cafes

If you have a bulletin board at your work, church, club, etc. you can download and print the file below to post there. We would really appreciate it!