Care for Caregivers

Program & Host Organization

Care for Caregivers is a not-for-profit initiative offered by Insight World Aid, based in Redwood City, California. The program supports people experiencing climate-related distress by providing facilitated spaces that foster emotional resilience, compassion, and community connection.

Location & Scope

The initiative operates in a hybrid format, offering sessions online via Zoom and in person in the Bay Area. It engages participants across the United States and is delivered on a recurring basis throughout the year.

Who It Serves

The program serves youth, young adults, adults, and BIPOC communities. It is particularly focused on climate activists, individuals working in environmental and policy fields, and members of the general public experiencing distress related to climate change.

Climate & Mental Health Focus

Care for Caregivers addresses eco-anxiety, grief, compassion fatigue, and stress experienced by those affected by climate impacts or engaged in climate-related work. It responds to a broad range of emotional needs, including those arising from displacement, policy frustrations, and ongoing exposure to climate-related challenges.

Activities & Format

The program offers monthly 1.5-hour grief and compassion circles, co-facilitated by trained eco-chaplains. Sessions take place on Zoom and at outdoor or community locations in the Bay Area. Activities emphasize facilitated dialogue, community-building, mindfulness, somatic exercises, and nature-based practices. Participants join flexibly, with many attending four to six sessions.

Inclusion & Accessibility

Programs are inclusive and supportive of people with all abilities. The initiative works intentionally with BIPOC communities and provides hybrid delivery to increase accessibility.

Outcomes & Evidence

Short-term goals include offering supportive spaces for emotional expression, understanding suffering, and fostering compassion. Medium-term outcomes focus on expanding training programs for facilitators and community members. Long-term aims involve scaling support globally to strengthen resilience and sustained climate engagement. Evaluation to date has been informal, based on successful delivery and interest in continued participation. Evidence is grounded in mindfulness-based approaches and longstanding contemplative practices.

Guiding Principles

The initiative reflects emotional processing, social connection, emotional resilience, nature bonding, optimism, trauma-informed care, and collective responsibility, encouraging participants to build community and deepen their personal sense of agency.

Resources & Sustainability

The program is volunteer-driven and funded through individual donations. Facilitators receive stipends, and in-person events may cost up to USD 2,500 per session.

Team & Partners

Activities are delivered by a volunteer team trained as eco-chaplains. No additional partners were reported.

Challenges & Context

The program faces challenges related to assumptions about therapy or individual coping being the only solutions. Participants often discover value in communal approaches after attending sessions. Broader societal support and visibility are needed to expand the model.