Chapter 8. Support Networks and Mental Health Resources

Climate change is a collective challenge, and so is healing from its mental health impacts. No one should have to carry the weight of climate anxiety or grief alone. Support networks and resources – ranging from family and Elders in the community to professional counseling and helplines – are crucial for fostering resilience. This chapter outlines how Indigenous peoples and communities can bolster these support systems, and offers guidance for health and social service providers to ensure help is culturally safe and accessible.

Community as Medicine: Leaning on Each Other

Indigenous communities have always survived through strong social networks and mutual support. In times of climate stress, this traditional strength is our first line of defense for mental wellness. As discussed, social support and kinship ties help us adapt and cope with climate challenges (4). Practically, this means encouraging open conversations and communal activities to process what’s happening. Many communities are finding that simply creating space to talk about climate fears and losses – whether in a talking circle, a youth group, or informally at the coffee shop – helps people feel less alone and overwhelmed.

Families play a key role. Parents and grandparents can invite youth to share what they’re feeling or hearing about climate change, and then respond with honesty and hope. Traditional parenting often involved teaching through stories; similarly, an Elder might respond to a grandchild’s anxieties with a story of how the family once faced a great flood or famine and persevered. This contextualizes the fear and shows that resilience is part of their inheritance. At the same time, it’s important that elders and parents also acknowledge if they feel worried too – intergenerational honesty can validate youths’ emotions (e.g., “Yes, it is scary sometimes, but here’s how I cope…”). It might even be healing for the older generation to express emotions they were taught to suppress.

Communities are also establishing peer support groups specifically around climate and environmental grief. For example, a group of Indigenous university students in Manitoba formed an “Eco-Grief Talking Circle” where Indigenous youth could come together monthly to share feelings and cultural teachings related to environmental changes. They invited an Elder or knowledge keeper each time to open the circle with a prayer or teaching, and then allowed each person to speak. Such peer circles harness both modern support group concepts and Indigenous circle protocols. Participants found it helpful not only to vent their anxieties but to collectively brainstorm actions or ceremonies they could do – effectively turning distress into determination. This peer-driven model can be replicated in high schools, community centers, or online.

Traditional kinship-based networks – like the Aunties, Uncles, or Clan systems – can be mobilized intentionally. Some communities have assigned “Climate Aunties/Uncles” who check in on a few families or youth regarding how they’re coping, much like a watchful relative would. While somewhat informal, it ensures everyone has someone looking out for their mental state. These natural support systems often catch issues early, before they escalate into crises.

Culturally Grounded Counseling and Therapy

While community and family support are vital, some individuals may benefit from one-on-one counseling or therapy, especially if they are experiencing intense anxiety, depression, or trauma responses. The key is that any mental health service should be culturally safe and, ideally, culturally grounded. Whenever possible, Indigenous people may prefer to seek out Indigenous counselors, psychologists, or social workers who understand their worldview. An Indigenous therapist will inherently consider spiritual health, community context, and historical trauma in the healing process, whereas a well-meaning non-Indigenous therapist might not automatically do so.

That said, non-Indigenous providers who serve our communities have a responsibility to practice cultural humility and safety. This means educating themselves about the local Nation’s culture and history, being open to including cultural practices in treatment (like encouraging a client to see an Elder or participate in ceremony), and acknowledging the impact of colonization on mental health. For example, a therapist might integrate discussions about connection to the land into cognitive behavioral therapy, or simply know to ask questions like, “Have you been able to go out on the land lately? How does that affect your mood?” Such questions validate Indigenous clients’ reality. Providers should also be aware that Western diagnostic labels might not fully capture what an Indigenous person is experiencing; someone’s “depression” might be deeply tied to cultural loss or ecological grief. Training and resources are available to help non-Indigenous providers in this regard, and they should make use of them.

In recent years, several toolkits and guidelines have been developed for Indigenous mental wellness that can be applied to climate-related issues. The First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework, for example, emphasizes balance of spirit, heart, mind, and body, and the importance of culture, identity, and connection in any mental health intervention. Social service providers can adapt these principles when designing climate-distress programs. For instance, a community health clinic could host a weekly “Land and Emotion” workshop, where clients take a short walk on the land with a facilitator, then come back and discuss feelings – combining physical connection to territory with talk therapy.

Integration of traditional healing in clinical contexts is also a growing practice. Some communities have circle-of-care models where a client dealing with heavy grief (maybe after a climate disaster like a wildfire) has access to both a Western-trained counselor and an Elder or traditional healer. The team coordinates so that, say, the counselor might help the client with anxiety management techniques, while the Elder takes them for a sweat lodge or does a healing song. Research and anecdotal evidence suggest this blended approach can significantly improve outcomes because it addresses multiple dimensions of wellness (4). It ensures that the person’s cultural soul is being cared for, not just their “symptoms.”

Crisis Support and Helplines

Sometimes emotions peak in a crisis – a panic attack, a moment of hopelessness, or an urge to self-harm – and immediate help is needed. It is crucial for Indigenous community members to know about and trust crisis support services. One essential resource in Canada is the Hope for Wellness Helpline, which offers immediate 24/7 phone or online chat counseling by counselors who are knowledgeable about Indigenous cultures (12). The service is available in multiple languages (English, French, Cree, Ojibway, Inuktitut) and is tailored to Indigenous callers. You can call 1-855-242-3310 anytime and speak to someone who will listen and help you calm down, make a safety plan, or just be a supportive presence until the storm of emotion passes. It’s completely confidential and free. Many people are initially hesitant to reach out – perhaps due to stigma or the idea that “I should handle this myself” – but helplines exist because sometimes talking to a compassionate stranger can help you hold on until you feel stable or can seek local support.

For youth, there are also text-based or online chat supports. Kids Help Phone, for example, has an option to connect with an Indigenous volunteer crisis responder via text (by texting certain keywords like “FIRST NATIONS” or “METIS” to a number). Services like these can be a lifeline for a young person who might not feel comfortable speaking out loud or who doesn’t have access to a phone in private.

It’s a good idea for community leaders and health workers to distribute information about these helplines regularly – perhaps by posting flyers in band offices, schools, health clinics, and on social media pages. During or after climate-related events (like evacuations for wildfires or floods), extra effort should be made to advertise crisis lines and trauma counseling services, because those periods see spikes in emotional distress.