Climate change + mental health = my favorite topic.

I’m available for presentations and workshops across MN & nationwide for mental health professionals and environmental organizations.

Let's chat
Dr. Carson Brown speaks at podium into a microphone about addressing the impacts of climate change on mental health at the Midwest Climate Summit. She is wearing tortoise glasses and a charcoal gray sleeveless top.

Image credit: Phoebe Lyn Photography

  • Research shows that climate workers are vulnerable to mental health impacts.

  • 60% of people ages 16-25 experience climate distress.

(Lewandowski 2024, Tang 2025, Calabria 2024, Brooks 2023.)

  • Anxiety

  • Grief & loss

  • Depression

  • Hopelessness

  • Existential crisis

  • Moral injury

  • Trauma

  • “Cassandra syndrome”

  • Relationship difficulties

  • Burnout

Dr. Brown speaks at a podium making an emphatic gesture with her hands communicating her deep engagement with the topic of climate psychiatry. Also, cool blue nail polish.

I’m Dr. Carson Brown.

I am a psychiatrist specialized in treating climate anxiety using a framework called The Work That Reconnects to transform distress into connection and creative action.

Let’s discuss which format would best support the members of your organization. Pricing dependent on number of participants and the organization’s size and structure.

Image credit: Phoebe Lyn Photography

  • I offer an interactive, experiential presentation that introduces the Work That Reconnects framework and demonstrates how to incorporate it into day-to-day life to increase resilience and sense of purpose.

  • We can go deeper into The Work That Reconnects with guided conversations, structured exercises, and reflective practices. I also incorporate body-based approaches for discharging stress and tension. The group ends up feeling connected and fortified.

  • Structured as a online book club, we go through Joanna Macy’s Active Hope and incorporate group practices to build community connection and support individuals.

  • Imagining what we want to create and envisioning just and sustainable futures are key steps in changing the external world and sustaining the internal one. There are techniques to support this type of creative work, and I create an environment where groups can articulate and feel their next steps towards a larger goal.

“As people open to the flow of their emotional experience, they feel a weight lifted from them and an increased determination to act.” —Joanna Macy

The Work That Reconnects (WTR) is a collection of exercises, rituals, and practices developed by Joanna Macy. Though she was a scholar of systems theory, deep ecology, and Buddhism, her insights match up with evidence-based psychological interventions for anxiety, grief, and trauma. WTR is designed to help people access their emotions around climate change in a way that is supported and contained. Rather than getting stuck in despair, WTR channels these feelings into meaningful, creative action, leaving participants grounded and empowered. WTR allows people to experience their inter-connectedness and tap into their deepest sustaining resources.

  • "Carson weds her passionate commitment about the climate crisis with her sophisticated psychological insights and skills."

    —Robin Cooper, MD, President and Co-founder, Climate Psychiatry Alliance

  • "I can vouch for her engaged style providing the audience with a framework for navigating the treacherous waters of climate distress with deep compassion."

    —Co-presenter at American Psychiatric Association annual meeting

  • "I thought your activity was very intimate, moving, and effective. It genuinely felt healing, connecting, and inspiring."

    —Workshop attendee

  • "Our group really shared, we cried, we got to know each other, and it felt incredibly special."

    —Workshop participant

  • "I am kind of obsessed with your presentation. It's a lot to process, AND I feel very energized by the topics you presented. Lots of deep thoughts and feelings are churning around."

    —Talk attendee

  • "When I've attended climate talks in the past, I leave feeling drained and overwhelmed. This talk made me feel energized and hopeful."

    —Presentation attendee

Recent appearances:

  • American Psychiatric Association annual meeting

  • Midwest Climate Summit

  • Minnesota Psychiatric Society

  • Relate Counseling Center

  • University of Wisconsin—Madison

  • San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services

  • Baywell Psychiatry Group

  • Fresh Energy

You could be next!

It is possible to feel:

  • Enlivened, purposeful, and inspired

  • Like it’s ok to take a break

  • Connected to colleagues, and a larger movement

  • Resilient in the face of challenges

  • Joy and gratitude, even amid loss

Get in touch

Let’s ensure our minds are sustainable, too.

Feel free to reach out using this form. I will respond within 2 business days to discuss how we could collaborate. Keep on keeping on!