#MHCC2025 Presenters

The third Summit on Mental Health and Climate Change took place this February 4th, 5th, and 6th 2025! An exciting line up of presenters shared their research, insights, and expertise across three online days — and their bios can be found below. Join us for an engaging and unique event to explore this important intersection of climate and health.

Recordings
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Schedule
Summit Information

Day 1 Presenters

  • Workshop at 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST.

    Abbey has over seven years of experience as an organizer and facilitator. Last year she ran Hollyhock Leadership Insitute’s mobilize program gathering top progressive campaigners in nonprofits, labour, and digital agencies to build relationships and share skills.

    Previously she worked at Dogwood BC as a Provincial Organizer and at a digital advocacy software company coaching progressive organizations on how to reach and influence key decision makers online. In addition, she designed and implemented strategy for successful municipal and provincial election campaigns and fundraised for the Wilderness Committee, one of Canada’s largest environmental charities.

    Her passion project helps changemakers center and prioritize their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. She started Piazza Rosa Consulting to teach activists and youth about nervous system science equipping them with the stress management tools to be resilient and visionary in their work.

  • Workshop at 12:00pm PST / 3:00pm EST.

    Amy Agur - Research Assistant, Wellness Impact Lab

    Amy is a second-year psychology student at York University specializing in neuropsychology. With a background in social work, Amy has dedicated herself to improving community health—mentally, physically, and emotionally—by developing evidence-based programs and assessment tools. She plans to pursue a PhD in experimental neuropsychology, focusing on the ethical use of AI to support students with significant learning disabilities.

  • Presentation at 11:00am PST / 2:00pm EST.

    Carson Wong: Bachelor of Kinesiology student at the University of British Columbia, specializing in Social and Behavioural Sciences.

  • Presentation at 11:00am PST / 2:00pm EST.

    Dominique Choquette: Bachelor of Kinesiology student at the University of British Columbia, specializing in Neuromuscular and Physiological Sciences.

  • Workshop at 12pm PST / 3pm EST.

    Dr. Harvey Skinner, PhD, CPsych, FCAHS – Co-Lead, Wellness Impact Lab (https://wellnessimpactlab.dighr.org/)

    Harvey is Professor Emeritus of Psychology & Global Health at York University. He is placed in the Top 2% World Scientists by the Stanford University worldwide analysis with respect to research citations and impact metrics. Assessment instruments he developed are widely used internationally, especially the DAST: Drug Abuse Screening Test) and eHEALS: eHealth literacy scale. Harvey has a longstanding interest in peacebuilding and global health for all. Currently, Harvey co-leads with the Wellness Impact Lab (WIL) which promotes integrated health and wellness practices, with a key focus on addressing climate distress to action. Also, he and Susan lead online Interbeing Wellness Qi Gong and Mindfulness Meditation sessions open to students, staff/faculty and the community (https://interbeingwellness.info.yorku.ca/). Harvey’s passion is ‘healing ourselves, healing our world’.

  • Poster presentation at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST.

    My name is Mr. Jérémie Bismarck VEOYEKE, single. I am a PhD candidate and researcher at the Institute for International Development, under the auspices of the University of Maroua, Cameroon. I am currently awaiting my defense. My thesis, titled "Sociological Analysis of Cameroon’s Policy on Sustainable Cities Implementation: The Case of Swamp Management in Yaoundé (Southern Cameroon)," is supervised by Professor Ella Ella Samuel Beni since 2023. I specialize in analyzing the impacts of climate change on mental health and sustainable development.
    My work explores local dynamics related to climate change and community resilience strategies. I have expertise in dynamic sociology and environmental risk studies, incorporating the theoretical perspectives of Georges Léon-Balandier and Ulrich Beck. In addition to my research, I am involved in awareness and training projects to promote a better understanding of climate issues at the community level in Cameroon.
    I am also passionate about scientific communication and teaching, which allows me to share my knowledge with a diverse audience. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the summit and exchange ideas with other experts in the field. I have published four articles on climate change and presented on "Factors and Adverse Effects of Climate Change on the Environment and Health of the Population in Yaoundé" at an international conference organized by the Marien Ngouabi University in Brazzaville, in honor of Professor Yolande BERTON-OFOUEME. I also presented on "Sociological Analysis of the Failures of Cameroon’s Public Policy on Green and Blue Urban Infrastructure : The Case of the Swamps in Yaoundé" at an international conference organized by Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal. I have participated in various conferences, seminars, and scientific colloquia in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and have taught several courses at the Institute for International Development and the Institute for Research in Intelligence.
    I am a Christian of the Protestant Church and a member of the communion at the UEEC in Yaoundé. My hobbies include football, playing the guitar, jogging or walking, hiking in the mountains, and volunteering to combat climate change. I am a member of the Youth of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). Additionally, I am an active member of the library at the Catholic University Center (CCU) in Yaoundé (Carrefour EMIA) and of the laboratory for applied social studies in sustainable development (LESADD).

  • Presentation at 11am PST / 2pm EST.

    Liv Yoon (PI): Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology, UBC; Faculty Affiliate, UBC Centre for Climate Justice. Research interests at nexus of climate crisis, social inequities, health and housing.

  • Presentation at 11am PST / 2pm EST.

    Lucy Hiscox: Bachelor of Kinesiology student at the University of British Columbia, specializing in Multidisciplinary Sciences.

  • Presentation at 11:20am PST / 2:20pm EST.

    Ms. Madhuri Subbarao, Chief Research Officer, Earthitude Research Forum.

    Madhuri Subbarao: India’s first Sustainability Psychologist, Earthitude Research Forum, Friends of Lakes (FOL), Lead Auditor - ISO 14,001 Environmental Auditor, Sustainability Reporting, Research Scholar.

  • Poster presentation at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST.

    Matt Treble (he/him) is a registered clinical counsellor who currently works for the Canadian Mental Health Association - BC Division as well as being a research assistant for Dr. Gina Martin at Athabasca University. His research focuses on the mental and emotional wellbeing of children and adolescents within the context of climate change, while also exploring existential underpinnings of climate change.

  • Presentation at 11:40am PST / 2:40pm EST.

    Monica (she/her/ella) is Mexican Mestiza who feels honoured to live and work in the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) and Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. Monica is an Assistant Professor and the Academic Coordinator of the Post-Masters in Couple and Family Therapy Program at the Faculty of Social Work, UofC. She works at the Eastside Community Mental Health Services and the Calgary Family Therapy Centre as a casual therapist, researcher, and supervisor. She is also the Research Coordinator of the Calgary Family Therapy Centre and the Director of the Distress Centre Calgary Knowledge Hub. Her current clinical and research interests focus on relational and systemic work with undeserved communities. She is currently in a leadership role at the Distress Centre Calgary Knowledge Hub where she leads research on suicide phone and text crisis response with the goal to transform current models towards LGTBQIA2S+ gender affirming and culturally appropriate practices. Monica has more than 20 years of experience as a mental health practitioner.

  • Poster presentation at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST.

    Dr. Peter J. Crank is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo. His work on urban heat particularly in the spaces of urban microclimatology and mental health includes locations known for their heat (e.g., Phoenix (Arizona) and Singapore), but has recently begun transitioning to locations where heat is a new threat (Canada). He holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Arizona State University specializing in microclimate measurement and modeling methods as well as statistical environmental epidemiology relating to extreme heat impacts on older adults and on mental health.

  • Presentation at 11am PST / 2pm EST.

    Samantha Mew: Master of Arts in Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, specializing in health, social inequities, and the climate crisis.

  • Workshop at 12pm PST / 3pm EST.

    Shreya Pandrala – Research Assistant, Wellness Impact Lab

    Shreya is a 4th year psychology major at York University, with a special interest in counselling and psychotherapy techniques. As a South Asian woman, she has an innate desire to help others with mental health issues, particularly racialized populations, LGBTQ+ people, and women of colour, through a trauma focused or emotion focused therapeutic lens. Shreya is also currently a helpline volunteer at the Certified Listeners Society and aims to graduate by June 2025.

  • Workshop at 12pm PST / 3pm EST.

    Susan Harris, MSW – Co-Lead, Wellness Impact Lab

    Susan is a social worker who worked with issues of mental health, abuse, and trauma for over 40 years at various levels from front-line to directorship. Susan completed the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification training program led by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. She also finished the Community Dharma Teacher Training with True North Insight. Susan co-developed the Mindfulness Based Trauma Counselling Group Program for people who have experienced abuse and trauma. She has been cultivating her meditation practice for over 25 years through retreats, daily practice, and study. Susan has a particular interest in bringing the teachings on mindfulness and compassion to meeting the distress caused by environmental disruption and climate crisis.

  • Presentation at 11:40am PST / 2:40pm EST.

  • Presentation at 11am PST / 2pm EST.

    Tiffany Chiu: Master of Public Health student at the University of British Columbia, specializing in Community Health Promotion.

  • Presentation at 9am PST / 12pm EST.

    Naomi Leung 梁珮恩(they/them) is a Han Cantonese settler, climate justice education facilitator and organizer, and mixed media artist. Naomi has a background in organizing for climate justice education programming and policy change with UBC Climate Hub, UBC Sustainability, The Climate Justice Organizing HUB, Sustainabiliteens, Climate Education Reform BC, Asha Collective, and Be the Change Earth Alliance. As a queer and genderqueer racialized artist and organizer, they intimately know the gap in funding and mental health support for their own communities’ wellbeing. Naomi desires to create anti-colonial spaces centering trans and queer diaspora to process intergenerational trauma, grief, and to co-create possibilities and programming for hope and healing. They are studying BSc Global Resource Systems and Psychology at the UBC where they are integrating environmental and climate change studies with global health, the study of climate emotions, and the Asian diaspora. 

  • Panel at 9:15am PST / 12:15pm EST.

    Aydana (she/her) is an Uyghur first generation settler on the occupied lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and is currently a Political Science and Sociology student at the University of British Columbia. Aydana is passionate about organizing for social justice and addressing misinformation about the Uyghur genocide in leftist and progressive spaces, which is informed by her lived experiences as a queer Uyghur whose family has been incarcerated and persecuted by the Chinese colonial state. Aydana is also interested in the intersections of issues of forced Uyghur labour and fast fashion, and how colonialism and the climate crisis are deeply connected.

  • Panel at 9:15am PST / 12:15pm EST.

    Dani Beyene (they/them), Mutual Aid Social Therapy organizer.

    Dani Beyene (They/Them) is a Black queer Multi-disciplinary artist, propagandist, curator, disability justice advocate, harm reducer, and mask bloc organizer of Gurage and Amhara descent. Their relationship to what the Algonquian and Iroquoian speaking peoples call Turtle Island is one of Black dispossession, displacement, and a commitment to Land Back. They are the visionary of the “#BlackVoidUBC” campaign for the investment and expansion of UBC African Studies demanding a formal apology for the institution’s historical and present anti-Blackness. In addition, they are the lead organizer of the Mutual Aid Social/Self Therapy chapter based on what is colonially known as “Vancouver” as a means of Anarcho-nihilist, Abolitionist, and Disability Justice praxis. They are a Senior Research Assistant in Dr. Lauren Emberson's Climate justice lab, in which they advocate for the abandonment of cruel optimisms and environmental justice efforts with no future. Encouraging the embrace of hopelessness in pursuit of pure negation and jouissance.

  • Panel at 9:15am PST / 12:15pm EST.

    Janelle Lapointe is an Afro-Indigenous climate justice and Indigenous rights organizer from Stellat’en First Nation. She is currently a Senior Advisor at the David Suzuki Foundation and a guest on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territories. Janelle also previously organized with Common Horizon, was a regular contributor on CBC Vancouver’s The Early Edition climate panel, is currently a member of the Indigenous Climate Adaptation Working Group, a council member of SevenGen Energy and an instructor of Simon Fraser University’s Foundations in Climate Action course. She leans on her lived experience growing up on her small reserve in Northern British Columbia to ensure that intersectionality is at the forefront of environmental narratives, to build power and help others see their stake in fighting back against the status quo.

  • Presentation at 9:15am PST / 12:15pm EST.

    Yomna Omer (she/her) is a Sudanese Bachelor of Design in Architecture student at the University of British Columbia. She resides on the unceded and occupied lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations in British Columbia and the Blackfoot, Métis, Stoney Nakoda and Tsuut’ina Nations in Alberta. Yomna is passionate about anti-colonial space-making and the creation of inclusive, sustainable communities through her studies and work in architecture. She has a particular interest in vernacular architecture, critical regionalism and exploring design solutions that center human resilience and cultural identity.  Recently, her family has been directly affected by the ongoing war in Sudan, and has since dedicated her efforts to raising awareness and supporting those displaced by it. She works in solidarity with other colonially displaced diasporas through social media and campus initiatives.  

Day 2 Presenters

  • Poster presentation at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST.

    Ashley Stoltz is a new grad nurse with a BScN from MacEwan University. She first encountered planetary health during her studies there, and felt spurred into action as the concept blended her penchant for climate change activism, love of the outdoors, and desire to highlight the connection between human health and environmental health. She became an undergraduate research assistant working on an interdisciplinary study that explored the health benefits of participating in an urban community garden, with findings published in the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing in 2023. In 2024, she presented her findings at the CASN Biennial Canadian Nursing Education Conference. During her time as the Official Delegate for the MacEwan chapter of the Canadian Nursing Students’ Association (CNSA), she created activities that emphasized sustainability and Indigenous ways of knowing—most notably a volunteering opportunity at a community garden. In her spare time, she teaches swing dancing and also sings in a local swing jazz band.

  • Presentation at 10:00am PST / 1pm EST.

    Aspen Murray (she/her) is a PhD student at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. She has an academic background in sustainable development, climate justice, policy, and planning. Climate emotions have long been at the heart of her research interests, and she is excited that her PhD will examine place attachment, the emotions of "home" and climate adaptation behaviours. Outside of her research, she runs an Eco-Anxiety Peer Support Group at her university and works in Fair Trade advocacy and engagement.

  • Workshop at 11am PST / 2pm EST.

    Dzung X. Vo, MD (pronouns: he/him; how to pronounce) is a pediatrician specializing in Adolescent Medicine, founding Co-Director of the BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Mindfulness, and a Clinical Associate Professor and Division Head for the Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, at BC Children’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In partnership with Dr. Jake Locke, Dr. Vo co-developed MARS-A (Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents), an eight-week mindfulness training program for adolescents with depressive symptoms, with or without other co-occurring chronic illness or chronic pain. Dr. Vo also developed a Mindful Healing course for health care providers, adapted from Mindful Practice (Ron Epstein and Michael Krasner) and other sources.

  • Poster presenter at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST.

    Joshua (they/he) is an uninvited settler-occupier on the shared and stolen lands of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Born on Treaty 2 Territory, he is of mixed white ancestry of English, Scottish, and Métis. They are a community-engaged eco-artist interested in changed and changing ecologies, whose work resides at the intersection of ecology and creative outputs. He has been recognized in publications such as The National Observer for his ongoing environmental outreach projects. He has presented at numerous conferences locally and nationally, having collaborated with organizations such as Canadian Wildlife Federation, Tsawwassen First Nation Youth Centre, and Invasive Species Council of BC. Joshua has a professional background in environmental field work, animation, and recreational program development. He can often be seen looking at birds and still can't lick his elbows.

  • Presenting at 1:10pm PST / 4:10pm EST

    Judy Wu (she/her) is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Her research is focused on investigating the mental health impacts of climate change and environmental issues on adolescents. Using data collected from the Youth Development Instrument (YDI), a population-level health and well-being survey for adolescents in British Columbia, Canada. With the YDI data, Judy aims to identify demographic, risk, and resilience factors associated with decreased mental well-being within this age group.

  • Presenting at 12pm PST / 3pm EST.

    Kimberly Sogge PhD CPsych Clinical Psychologist & Certified Mindful Self Compassion Teacher & Awake in the Wild facilitator.

    Dr. Kimberly Sogge C.Psych. is a registered clinical health psychologist, certified mindful self compassion teacher and experienced mindfulness teacher. She has trained and assisted with Mindful Self Compassion researcher Dr. Kristin Neff and Awake in the Wild founder and buddhist teacher Mark Coleman. When she is not offering mindfulness based, compassion focused, somatically oriented therapy at the group practice she founded Ottawa River Integrative, she is playing with her three dogs, connecting with nature in Gatineau Park, or just savouring life with her three adult children and partner, dharma teacher Dr. Andre Vellino

  • Presenting at 9:40am PST / 12:40pm EST.

    Dr. Lindsay Galway is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Lakehead University and Canada Research Chair in Social-Ecological Health. She studies and addresses the interconnected social and ecological dimensions of health using interdisciplinary, place-based, and community-engaged approaches, with a focus on climate change. She is also interested in methodological, conceptual, and practical advances that support interdisciplinary research, integration, and collaborative action. She finds inspiration from her three young children, her students and colleagues, and our great Lake Superior.

  • Dr. Maggi is a researcher, educator, and a children’s and youth’s rights advocate. She is cross appointed between the Childhood and Youth Studies program and the Department of Psychology at Carleton University where she teaches courses on the psychology of climate change, education for sustainable development, nature connection, and human development, and research methods. Her research, teaching, and advocacy focus on the psychological dimensions of climate change; impacts of climate change on children, youth, and families; career development and green guidance; climate change education in the early years; climate change education for professionals; and video games and XR technologies as tools to support meaningful engagement with climate action.

    Dr. Maggi is the founder of Mochi4ThePlanet, a youth-centred evidence-informed movement created to equip young people to continue growing and finding one’s place in a world transformed by climate change and the ecological crisis.

    Dr. Maggi is also an executive member of the Landon Pearson Centre for the Studies of Childhood and Children’s Rights; a member of the Child Rights Academic Network, the Pickering Centre for Human Development, the Climate Psychology Alliance North America, and Teachers for Future International. She is also a certified Motivational Interviewer and a All We Can Save Project Certified Climate Wayfinding Facilitator.

  • Presenting at 9am PST / 12pm EST.

    A highly accomplished and dedicated Professor at the UST-Psychology Department with extensive experience as an academic clinician and practicing psychologist. He was bred in the Dominican Order's educational system and holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Manila, a master's degree, and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the UST-Graduate School. Marc Eric is a PRC Licensed Psychologist and Psychometrician who has significantly impacted the field since 2003. Former Psychological Association of the Philippines Board Member and President, he has been actively involved in PAP since 1990. He is also a Lifetime Member and a Board of Trustee of The Philippine Mental Health Association, Inc., as well as an Elected Member of the America Psychological Association Membership Board. On July 17, 2022, he received a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association for his "exceptional leadership of psychology in the Philippines and globally, particularly his dedication to social issues and his commitment to mentorship." Marc Eric's research interests and advocacy span various essential topics, including Suicidology, LGBT Psychology, Social Media Use, and Children with Special Needs. He has been actively involved in multiple organizations, including serving as a Program and Evaluation Consultant and Incorporator of Partners in Child Development and Progress, Inc., and an advocate member of the Buhay Movement. He is also involved in theater as a Teatro Tomasino Alumni Association member.

  • Presentation at 12:50pm PST / 3:50pm EST.

    McKenna Corvello is a researcher and knowledge mobilization specialist with Mochi4ThePlanet. Growing up in a small, remote town in northwestern Ontario, she developed a deep connection to nature and a strong commitment to environmental protection and climate change mitigation. Since 2021, McKenna has been actively involved with Mochi4theplanet, where she conducts research, presents at conferences, coordinates social media, and develops resources for youth, parents, and educators. Her research focuses on nature connectedness in young people, exploring the ways it can promote climate action and help youth find meaning and purpose in the face of climate distress.

  • Presentation at 12:50pm PST / 3:50pm EST.

    Cerine Benomar is currently a graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences program at the University of Ottawa. With a background in health psychology and statistics from Carleton University, she has developed a keen interest in data analysis and its applications in health research. Cerine is a crucial contributor to the Mochi4ThePlanet initiative, where she applies her extensive expertise in data management and analysis and serves as a mentor to students at various stages of their academic training. Cerine is dedicated to leveraging her skills to uncover insights that can improve health outcomes through research in population health and environmental psychology.

  • Presentation at 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST

    Terra Léger-Goodes is a Ph.D. student specializing in clinical psychology and eco-anxiety. Fueled by a profound interest of the developing minds in children and the growing concern for environmental issues, Terra's academic journey is driven by the desire to understand and provide tools to children to learn to emotionally adapt to the reality of climate change. This is not to say that we should accept this reality in a passive manner! Terra is a strong advocate for the preservation of natural spaces around her home, and you will certainly see her at every climate march in Montreal. With a compassionate and empathetic approach, Terra delves into research, striving to bridge the gap between mental health and environmental awareness to create a resilient future for the next generation.

  • Presentation at 9:20am PST / 12:20pm EST.

    Tuğba Altın is a trauma-informed researcher specializing in the emotional impacts of climate change on communities, with a particular focus on disaster recovery, community resilience, and the psychological bonds people form with their environments. Her research employs innovative qualitative methods such as walking audio sessions and photo elicitation to explore how individuals experience and recover from climate-induced disasters. Her current work, Charred Chronicles: People’s Perceived Experiences of Landscape, Attachment, and Recovery in Post-Wildfire Geographies, delves into the emotional and cognitive disruption caused by the 2021 Lytton Creek Fire. By investigating how communities engage with their altered environments through memory and attachment, Tuğba’s research highlights the essential role of addressing both physical and emotional traumas in climate adaptation and recovery strategies. Her contributions emphasize the intersection of emotional recovery and environmental adaptation, advocating for culturally sensitive and emotionally resonant recovery efforts that are crucial in the broader discourse on climate change resilience.

Day 3 Presenters

  • Presentation at 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST.

    Bala Nikku: PhD, Associate Professor, School of Social Work and Human Service, Faculty of Education and Social Work, Thompson Rivers University, and Participant in Stories of Resilience - Voices from across British Columbia’s Interior.

    Dr. Bala Nikku (he/him) currently lives, works, and plays on the traditional, unceded Secwepemcul’ecw territory in Kamloops with his wife and two daughters. Bala was born in Budithi village in Andhra Pradesh, India, where his parents, siblings, and extended family live. Bala is a social work faculty member at Thompson Rivers University who is passionate about understanding and nurturing community resilience to disasters. Before coming to Canada in 2018 from Asia, Bala worked with communities and taught in schools of social work in Nepal, India, and Malaysia. He held adjunct positions in Thailand and was a COFUND Senior Research Fellow of IHRR at Durham University, UK, in 2016. Bala leads two SSHRC-funded research projects to understand maker spaces and circular economies, making cultures, disaster patterns, community choices, and ecological changes catalyzed by natural and political disasters. Bala’s research, grounded in community science approaches, co-produces insights about practices of human displacement and the choices people make when rebuilding their lives after natural disasters. Bala came to The Resilience Institute as a project participant and coordinator of the Voices of Resilience BC project where he explored, learned, and shared about his own personal understandings of resilience and how to build it.

  • Presentation at 11:40am PST / 2:40pm EST.

    Breann Corcoran is an Environmental Health Scientist with BC Centre for Disease Control. She leads qualitative research and surveillance work with the Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Planning team - including as Project Lead for the EcoLens project. She is a PhD candidate with the UBC School of Population and Public Health and her PhD research focuses on the impact of urban heat on children's outdoor play. She previously worked with BC Cancer and led research on the role of shade in early childhood settings for skin cancer prevention, heat mitigation, and healthy child development. She is a cross-pollinator and active collaborator on several research studies related to climate change, environmental learning and eco-anxiety.

  • Presentation at 11:00am PST / 2:00pm EST.

    Christian is a social worker and researcher at Portland State University’s Trauma Informed Oregon, with experience in wildfire recovery and community mental health, working with diverse communities across Oregon to pursue both population-level resilience and conscientization around the varied deleterious impacts of the climate crisis. This work has provided opportunities to partner with both the ITRC and CTIPP to co-facilitate a global Community of Practice centered on building community resilience through addressing the mental health impacts of our changing environment while building tools for Oregon-based populations to address these challenges at a neighborhood level. Christian continues to support ITRC and CTIPP’s climate and mental wellness initiatives. Beyond this work, he enjoys spending time in the magnificent Pacific Northwest outdoors and growing chili peppers.

  • Poster presenter at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST.

    Jillian Mullowney, Advisor, Disaster Risk Reduction - Climate Change Adaptation

    Working as part of an interdisciplinary framework that includes health and mental health professionals, educators, emergency managers, and community partners, I help support families and individuals in times of crisis. I am passionate about community capacity building, accessibility of mental health services, Truth & Reconciliation, Indigenous sovereignty, and relational accountability. Drawing from fourteen years as a social worker, including a decade of emergency relief, recovery, and preparedness work in community, field experience in an MSW practicum with MHPSS at Canadian Red Cross, current work with Roots for Resilience, a partnership between Canadian Red Cross and The Resilience Institute, and directed practicum research, I will highlight lessons learned, gaps, and opportunities to enhance humanitarian assistance in the climate emergency.

  • Presentation at 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST.

    Kady Cowan - Kady has worked at the intersection of health systems, decarbonization and culture change for over 20 years in North America and Globally. Kady’s EcoSystem based practice amplifies impact with creative and inclusive strategies and tactics for individuals and groups to embrace new ways of knowing. She helps others act in alignment with their values by creating the conditions for organizational learning, regeneration and multi-solving to emerge.

  • Workshop at 12pm PST / 3pm EST.

    Rae (they/them) has loved nature from a young age, they grew up in Adaawe, colonially known as Ottawa and have enjoyed the privileges of exploring the greenbelt and Ottawa river. Passionate about sharing their love for science and nature, Rae founded the Create Change Collective, a community-based organization dedicated to making environmental education more accessible. Through artistic mediums, they engage individuals in climate action. Rae has authored two books, “Running Water” (2022) and “Colouring for Conservation” (2024), distributing copies free of charge across Canada ensuring low-barrier accessibility to resources.

    They hold a Master of Science from Carleton University where they studied legacy drilling waste sites in the western Canadian Arctic, in partnership with the Inuvialuit Regional cooperation, NSERC PermafrostNET and the government of the Northwest Territories. Rae holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Ottawa in Environmental Science with a specialization in geochemistry and ecotoxicology.

  • Poster presentation at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST.

    Dr. Leah Douglas is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work & Human Services at University of the Fraser Valley. She also has a small private practice providing trauma-informed counselling services. She is currently on sabbatical.

  • Poster presentation at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST.

    Miranda Rosehill is an MSW student with expertise and interests in children and families, and mental health.

  • Presentation at 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST.

    Sabrina Guzman Skotnitsky (she/her) is a climate justice advocate, artist, researcher, and youth consultant residing on the unceded and ancestral territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. Her Master's research in the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria explores how visual artmaking and dialoguing can help young people process climate anxiety and related eco-emotions. Currently, through the Lawson Foundations’ Youth Action & Environment Fellowship Sabrina is further developing and scaling up the arts-based climate emotions workshops piloted in her MA study.

  • Presenting at 11:20am PST / 2:20pm EST.

    Sean Kidd is a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and is an Associate Professor in the University of Toronto Department of Psychiatry. Sean Kidd has led initiatives in the area of health equity and climate change from local to international levels - with a particular interest in shelter and homelessness.

  • Poster presentation at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST.

    Steven Crimando, MA Director of Training, Disaster & Terrorism Branch, New Jersey Department of Human Services-Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services

    I am a 35-year veteran disaster mental health clinician, educator and responder who has been increasingly involved in climate-mental health projects over the past several years. I serve as the Director of Training for the Disaster & Terrorism Branch in the NJ Department of Human Services-Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services.

    I routinely provide training for existing disaster mental health responders about climate psychology and climate-related human behavior/behavioral health in order to develop a ""climate-informed disaster mental health response"" to crisis events. In addition, I provide the same training and consultation to policy and decision-makers in state (tribal and territorial) and federal emergency management roles to help them integrate climate-informed behavioral health approaches to policies, plans, procedures, exercises, and responses. For example, over the past 12 months, I have had the opportunity to provided training in climate-informed disaster behavioral health to leadership in the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security; Uniformed Services University for Healthcare-Psychiatric Grand Rounds; the U.S. State Department-Foreign Service Institute-Climate Diplomacy Program; and many conferences for mental health professionals and emergency managers.

    I serve on NJ's ""whole of state"" Interagency Coordinating Council on Climate Resilience, and
    provide education to the public on the mental health impacts of climate change. For an example see: https://heat-hub-new-jersey-njdep.hub.arcgis.com/pages/mental-and-behavioral-consequences-of-extreme-heat.

    Within     my sphere of influence, I have been able to provide a good deal of climate-informed disaster mental health education to further the capacity to integrate climate mental health into the national/international disaster response community. As a consultant and trainer for SAMHSA's Disaster Technical Assistance Center, I have been asked by the federal government to be part of a national effort to promote climate-informed disaster behavior health response and in May, SAMHSA published my article on this topic as the featured story in their quarterly online disaster mental health journal, ""The Dialogue."" (See: https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/dtac-dialogue-vol-19-issue-3.pdf).

  • Presentation at 11am PST / 2pm EST.

    Christy is a Professor of Practice at Trauma Informed Oregon (TIO) working on research related to trauma-informed care and the intersection of historical trauma and disasters. Over the past four years, Christy has supported the creation and facilitation of the Disaster Resilience Learning Network, a network for and by community based disaster leaders of color in Oregon which leverages community storytelling, trauma informed care, and social resilience frameworks to support the sustainability of BIPOC leadership in the disaster sector. This work has informed her dissertation research as a Ph.D. candidate through Portland State University's School of Social Work investigating organizational cultural brokering in wildfire recovery. Christy has a background in community mental health and youth climate justice advocacy. Beyond her work, she is a fur parent of two four-pawed fluffy butts, loves traversing the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, and indulging in new plant children.

  • Presentation at 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST.

    Susan is a trained facilitator in the 16 Guidelines for Life, a framework for thinking about how we think, speak and act; and, the Good Grief Network 10-Step Program to Personal Resilience and Empowerment in a Chaotic Climate. Susan is also a dedicated advocate for climate and social justice with over 25 years of experience working with NGOs, grassroots activists, community groups, and schools.

  • Presentation at 11:20am PST / 2:20pm EST.

    Swelen Andari is the Director Strategy, Climate Resilience and Youth Mental Health at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). In collaboration with Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, she is leading a CIHR-funded initiative to promote active hope and psychosocial well-being with and for youth experiencing climate distress. Swelen has also been part of local and national climate justice organizing efforts for the last five years and has worked closely with Sean Kidd on advancing the climate response strategy at CAMH.

  • Presentation at 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST.

    Annette Dubreuil is an Embodied Creativity Facilitator, Coach and Focusing Teacher at PUPA. She teaches individuals and groups, including future Focusing Teachers through her two-year program as a Certifying Coordinator with The International Focusing Institute. Annette trains her students and clients to strengthen their access to their intuition—especially the intuitive knowing that whispers to us in our bodies—before the sensations become emotions, images, concepts, words; in short creativity. Annette uses different tools to access this inner knowing, most notably Focusing. Through Focusing, we can also access our inner resources, to gain the confidence and courage to act on our new ideas. Her clients include academic research projects environmental not-for-profit organizations. Annette developed the PUPA process, a crossing of Gendlin’s Focusing and MIT’s Theory U to help support her students and clients as they undertake transformative change. Annette is especially passionate about working with people who want to transform themselves to change the world—to make it more sustainable and equitable. She has a special interest in climate change, and hosts Climate Circles that enable climate action. Annette has an undergraduate degree in environmental science from the University of Waterloo and a MBA in sustainability from the Schulich School of Business. Her previous work was dedicated to sustainability and climate change research, most recently as communications director at Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission. She enjoys gardening, rock climbing, cycling, and cooking.

  • Presentation at 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST.

    Tina Elliott (she/her), Master of Environment & Sustainability, Knowledge Mobilization Specialist, the Resilience Institute and Project Lead for Stories of Resilience - Voices from across British Columbia’s Interior.

    Tina Elliott, MES, Knowledge Mobilization Specialist, the Resilience Institute and Project Lead for Stories of Resilience - Voices from across British Columbia’s Interior.

    Tina is passionate about working collaboratively toward a sustainable, equitable future with all people – those at home in Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis - and beyond. She holds a master’s degree in Environment and Sustainability from the University of Saskatchewan. Through her master’s research, she worked with community members to co-develop a post-disaster learning framework and community guidebook that focuses on the social dimensions of disaster experiences. Her background in Human Geography and Women’s and Gender Studies supported this work — and all she does — to critically examine power structures and promote equity, agency, and empowerment. Through this work, she discovered new levels of love for learning and helping others learn. Now, she aims to blend her academic research experience with her experience in frontline, community-based agencies to foster evidence-based, practical climate adaptations through education and knowledge mobilization.

History of The Summit

In February 2021, we launched the First Mental Health and Climate Change Summit — a two-day virtual event attended by more than 120 climate change and mental health experts, stakeholders, and community members. The meeting aimed to raise awareness and facilitate community engagement on the topic of climate change and mental health and specifically discuss the pathways by which mental health and wellness and climate change influence each other.

In February 2023, we held the Second Mental Health and Climate Change Summit, inviting speakers from across Canada and around the globe to present their latest research on climate change and mental health.