Climate grief, Eco-anxiety and Climate distress support in Toronto
Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s an emotional one.
Many people in Toronto and across Ontario are experiencing climate grief, eco-anxiety, and climate distress, whether that shows up as chronic worry, numbness, anger, hopelessness, or a sense of mourning for the future. These feelings are valid, common, and increasingly recognized in mental health care.
I offer supportive, trauma-informed therapy for climate-related distress, helping individuals make sense of their emotions, reconnect with values, and find grounding amid uncertainty.
What Is Climate Grief & Eco-Anxiety?
Climate grief (sometimes called ecological grief) refers to the emotional pain, sadness, or mourning connected to environmental loss, including the loss of ecosystems, species, stability, or a sense of safety in the world.
Eco-anxiety often shows up as:
-
Persistent worry about climate change
-
Guilt about personal impact or consumption
-
Fear about the future (for yourself, children, or future generations)
-
Difficulty concentrating or sleeping after climate news
-
Feeling overwhelmed, numb, or stuck between action and burnout
These responses are not signs of pathology; they are understandable reactions to real, ongoing global stressors.
How Climate Distress Can Show Up in Daily Life
Climate-related distress may overlap with:
-
Anxiety or panic symptoms
-
Depression or hopelessness
-
Burnout and emotional exhaustion
-
Moral distress or value conflict
-
Relationship strain (different levels of concern or activism)
-
A sense of isolation when others “don’t seem to care”
If you are in an urban centres like Toronto, climate distress may also be layered with housing insecurity, systemic injustice, work pressure, and community disconnection.
Therapy for Climate Grief in Toronto
Therapy offers a space where climate-related emotions don’t need to be minimized, debated, or rushed into solutions.
In climate-aware psychotherapy, we may explore:
-
making space for grief, anger, fear, and sadness without judgment
-
understanding how climate distress intersects with trauma, identity, or burnout
-
building emotional regulation and grounding during periods of overwhelm
-
reconnecting with meaning, agency, and values
-
navigating the tension between caring deeply and staying well
support is available whether your distress is acute or something you’ve been carrying quietly for years.
My Approach to Eco-Anxiety & Climate Distress
I work from a relational, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive lens, recognizing that climate distress does not exist in a vacuum.
My approach aims to:
Normalize emotional responses to climate change
Center nervous-system regulation and emotional safety
Avoid toxic positivity or pressure to “fix” everything
Respect cultural, intergenerational, and identity-based experiences of loss
Support both activists and those feeling frozen or disengaged
You don’t need to be an environmental professional or activist to seek support; you just need to be human.