Held on October 21st, 2024, this was an inspiring presentation, discussion, and workshop around the emotional impacts of activism work and how we can better resource ourselves to maintain our wellbeing through these challenges. Our special guest presenter and facilitator is Liz Olson, a Board Certified Chaplain who has served as a hospital chaplain and an eco-chaplain. Most recently she worked as the Spiritual Health specialist for an in-patient Palliative Care team at Providence Medford Medical Center in Oregon, and she has served in several other west-coast hospitals and care facilities. Some resources discussed in the call included:
* Climate Emotions Wheel: https://www.climatementalhealth.net/wheel
* Brene Brown Emotions List: https://brenebrown.com/resources/atlas-of-the-heart-list-of-emotions/
* Hoffman Institute Feelings List: www.hoffmaninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Practices-FeelingsSensations.pdf
* Liz’s Resource List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_Wq0neS1jJ6luoAkk3DQFrYupY2VvlTa/edit
* Presentation Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SKneWYpu4_-ApfswqiJnwdkSQndHlLc4/view?usp=sharing
More about our guest:
Liz is passionate about addressing the climate crisis, and has given national presentations on how the climate crisis is affecting our physical and mental health. For the last 6 years she has co-facilitated the support group Sustaining Climate Activists for SOCAN (Southern Oregon Climate Action Now) and was featured in an NPR story about this work. She serves on the Board of Directors for SOCAN and created the documentary Voices of the Valley about how climate change is affecting the Rogue Valley in Oregon.
She received her Masters of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA and is an Associate Minister with The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco – an interfaith, interracial church co-founded by Dr. Howard Thurman.