Climate Psychology Certificate at CIIS

Program & Host Organization

The Climate Psychology Certificate is offered by the California Institute of Integral Studies, a not-for-profit educational institution in San Francisco. The program provides advanced training for mental health professionals who seek to incorporate climate-informed approaches into their clinical and community practice.

Location & Scope

The initiative operates virtually and serves participants across the United States and internationally. Its online delivery model enables broad access to training in climate psychology and community-based mental health support.

Who It Serves

The program is designed for therapists, counsellors, and other clinicians working in mental health. It also welcomes allied professionals engaged in healing work who wish to better support individuals and communities facing climate-related emotional distress.

Climate & Mental Health Focus

The program addresses eco-anxiety, eco-grief, and the psychological impacts of extreme weather, displacement, and systemic environmental injustice. It emphasizes culturally informed and community-oriented approaches to disaster mental health, supporting both affected communities and the mental health providers who work with them.

Activities & Format

Participants engage in a fixed cohort that meets five times over four months. Each session spans one to two days for three to six hours at a time. Activities include facilitated dialogue, reflective exercises, guest lectures, mindfulness practices, and training in climate-informed therapeutic tools. The curriculum also explores interdisciplinary planning for community resilience.

Inclusion & Accessibility

CIIS offers financial accessibility through designated scholarships, including partial tuition support for applicants with financial need and emerging leaders who intend to expand climate psychology within their communities.

Outcomes & Evidence

The program aims to expand the field of climate psychology by equipping clinicians with skills to support individuals experiencing climate-related distress and to contribute to community resilience. Evaluation occurs through course-level student evaluations and overall program assessments. The curriculum reflects established behavioral science approaches and integrates research on climate mental health, trauma, and community-based support models.

Guiding Principles

The Certificate aligns with principles of climate literacy, emotional processing, social connection, emotional resilience, climate justice, trauma-informed practice, and collective responsibility. These principles shape both the curriculum and the program’s emphasis on community-scaled mental health care.

Resources & Sustainability

The program is funded through participant tuition, with a cost of $3,000 per student and available payment plans. Scholarships supplement access and support program sustainability.

Team & Partners

Activities are led by Program Lead Leslie Davenport, supported by multiple instructors and guest speakers with expertise in climate psychology and related fields.

Challenges & Context

Details not provided.