Many of us are feeling the emotional effects of living through environmental and social change. We may feel grief for what is being lost, anxiety about the future, overwhelm, helplessness, anger, sadness, or simply a growing sense that something is deeply out of balance.

There is a growing need to provide community spaces where these complex feelings can be shared openly and honestly; without judgement, or pressure to “stay positive,” or the need to immediately turn feelings into action.

The HEC Environmental Grief Support Groups are offered to in response to this growing need for places to connect more deeply. These gatherings offer a supportive community space to gently explore the emotional impacts of climate change, ecological loss, and the uncertainty of our times.

Together, we create space for reflection, conversation, connection, and mutual care.

This is not therapy, nor a political strategy session or debate space. It is a facilitated community support circle for people seeking companionship, understanding, and the opportunity to process difficult feelings alongside others who may feel similarly.

The groups are grounded in the understanding that grief is a natural and healthy response to loss. When grief is shared in community, it can deepen connection, resilience, compassion, and our capacity to remain present to life.

As Francis Weller writes, engaging with grief helps us “keep our hearts open and soft.”

What to expect

Each session may include:

· a brief teaching or reflective reading

· guided mindfulness or grounding practices

· small (break out) group conversations

· opportunities for personal reflection

· collective listening and witnessing

· wellbeing practices and ideas for self-care and self-investing

· the groups will be facilitated by experienced therapeutic group counsellors alongside environmental and community advocates.

Who is this for?

This group may be supportive for people who:

· feel grief, sadness, fear, anger, guilt, numbness, or overwhelm in response to environmental change

· experience isolation in these emotions

· long for honest conversation and meaningful community

· are tired of carrying these feelings alone

· want a space where they do not need to have answers

You do not need to identify with the term “environmental grief” to attend.

This group is not a therapy group, a debate forum, nor will there be any focus on activism strategy or solutions.

Instead, this is a space for shared humanity, reflection, and compassionate listening.

In the words of Dr. Kriss Kevorkian:

“Ecological grief is the grief reaction stemming from the disconnection and relational loss from our natural world.”

And from Francis Weller:

“We know and feel in our bones that something primal is amiss… It is essential that we stop and recognize these losses.”

You are warmly invited.
Join us if these feelings are very familiar to you, or only just beginning to surface, you will be very welcome.

Facilitated by experienced counsellors and environmental advocates.

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Date: Wednesday 28th October
Time: 6pm - 7.30pm
Location: Online only, via zoom. A link will be sent to the email address you provide on the day of the webinar.
Cost: Sliding Scale, pay what you can. If cost is a barrier to you, please reach out to Hills Environment Centre - we don’t want cost to prevent anyone from participating, and we may be able to offer a free or reduced-cost place.

Please make sure to provide a valid email address when you book your place. The Zoom link will be sent to this email address on the day of the session.

Ticket sales will end at 4pm on Wednesday 28th October.

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Bookings essential.

For further enquiries please contact:

Hills Environment Centre

info@hecinc.org.au

0405 527 610

OR for enquires regarding the content of the sessions and further questions about participating,

Please contact counsellor/facilitator, Jane Macnaught

jane@tranquilloplace.com

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This session is held in partnership with Landcare SA.

Hills Environment Centre is proudly supported by Hills & Fleurieu Landscape SA Board and funded by Green Adelaide.

We acknowledge and respect the traditional custodians of the land and waters, the Peramangk and Kaurna peoples, upon whose land we live, work, travel and visit at the Hills Environment Centre.

Contact the host of Environmental Grief Support Group (Online)