Nature Loving Responses to Collapse – Ecotherapy & the Earth Community

Understanding the current climate science and having experienced years of possible meaningful political action pass us by, PSC is hosting a special event run by Geoff Berry that explores how we live into and make sense of ecological collapse. This webinar will explore:

• How do we respond when we are finally forced to accept that environmental and political activism are not going to turn the tipping points or exponential curve around? 
• What helps us to retain a loving participation in everyday life when we fully realise the inevitability of ecosystem breakdown and imminent societal collapse? 

From denial to doubt, collapse awareness to acceptance, some responses remain the same, no matter where we stand on the range of belief: psychological, emotional and spiritual responses to the climate emergency all look pretty similar along the scale of lost hope. 

Geoff will outline how ecotherapy offers simple yet profound exercises designed to support participants to retain – and even deepen – their love of life, in a time of profound loss.

Geoff teaches that it is never too late to fall back in love with the earth, especially when this sense of separation from nature is at the heart of our dilemma. The presentation will cover several types of response to collapse acceptance, from the ‘active hope’ of Joanna Macy to the community gardens style approach, rewilding to ritual, working with animals and other people, and the classic themes of depth psychology, such as your dreams, the symbols that are meaningful to you, and the myths you are intuitively drawn to. 

Please take care of yourself when attending this presentation

How you respond to climate impact responses bears thinking about before you attend:

• It is important to be kind to yourself, and to be in as calm and grounded a state as one can be.
• Ideally, attend (or watch a recording) with a trusted companion or a group of colleagues.
• However, Geoff promises this will be a heart-warming, soul-satisfying, spiritually nourishing response to what can only be faced at the level of the tragic.

Location and timezone (more detail)

The event will be hosted online on zoom

All PSC event times are supplied as per an AEST/ADST timezone (Melbourne/Sydney/South East Australia) 

Ticket price and PSC Member priority

This is a special event offered for free to PSC Members.

Members: use your PSC member code to access your free ticket – email us if you do not have your code.

Non-members: If you wish to participate and are not a PSC member, you can join PSC here, or you can choose to pay $25 to register (if  places are available.) Numbers are limited and PSC members will receive priority.

Presenter Bio

Dr Geoff Berry is the Australian representative to the International Ecopsychology Society and teaches Ecopsychotherapy at the Ikon Institute, where he is also an Academic Course Coordinator. Geoff was awarded his PhD (Monash University 2010) for a thesis that explored the human relationship with nature, as told through light as a vehicle of consciousness. He also completed an MA (Deakin University 2005) about how our dreams link us to powerful mythic patterns and symbols. Geoff has been integrating his scholarly interest in ancestral wisdom and healing traditions with practice, both in academic positions and as a Trauma Informed Carer trainer, for over a decade. Geoff is an editor of PAN: Philosophy Activism Nature, has served as Chairperson of the Melbourne Zen Group (2005-2008), and more recently as the inaugural CEO of the South Coast NSW Aboriginal Elders group (2019-2020). He regularly presents and publishes on ecotherapy, myth, animism, dreams and symbology and his Advanced Ecotherapy Training Course can be found at this website, www.naturecalling.org

Event Disclaimer

By registering for an event, workshop, forum or activity hosted by Psychology for a Safe Climate (PSC event), I understand and agree that:

1. A PSC event may include experiential components in which participants work in a group format to discuss their thoughts and feelings, facilitated by the workshop leader(s). Although the leader(s) is/are accredited mental health professional(s), and trained facilitator(s) with PSC, these group experiences are not therapy groups, and the facilitator(s) will not engage in rendering any psychotherapeutic or healthcare advice, or advice of any kind for any individual or for their particular situation.
2. PSC does not provide medical, mental health or any other type of healthcare service.  No diagnosis or treatment of, or advice regarding, any medical or mental health condition or illness of any participant can or will be offered by PSC.
3. Participation in a PSC event cannot substitute for, and is not an alternative to, medical or other healthcare diagnosis and treatment when a medical or mental health condition or illness is present.
4. It is my personal responsibility to seek diagnosis, treatment and advice regarding medical or mental health conditions from physicians, psychotherapists and other accredited healthcare Professionals. PSC has a list of Climate Aware mental health practitioners on its website that may help me seek and find professional help: https://www.psychologyforasafeclimate.org/climate-aware-practitioners/
5. Waiver of liability: I assume full responsibility for any risk, injury or damage, known or unknown, which I may incur through my registration in a PSC event. I acknowledge that PSC is not liable for any discomfort or distress which may arise because of my registration in a PSC event. I waive, release and discharge PSC from all liability and claims made as a result of my registration.