Third Annual Ecopsychology Convergence: Surviving & Thriving in These Times

We’re excited to announce the Third Annual Ecopsychology Convergence at Gateway Farm in collaboration with Reset Brain and Body!

Join Dr Charlie Brennan, Bridget O'Brien, collaborators & guest speakers. Our ecopsychological feelings, identities, relationships with forests, rivers, seas, gardens, farms, towns, all beings and even highways – everything – are completely fundamental. And yet, in this human-centered world this is often overlooked or denied, and living systems around us increasingly compromised.  

Look forward to speakers & panelists, movement, world cafe style conversations and emergent discussions. Ecopsychology is bound with sense of place, place literature, ecology, Indigenous and Cultural studies, from literature and beautiful ideas to how we practically live our everyday lives. We ask how does ecopsychology help in these particularly weird, disturbing and fast-changing times?

The 2026 Speaker Lineup

• Charlie Brennan, PhD - Garden Juju Collective/Gateway Farm 

• Bridget O’Brien - Garden Juju Collective/Gateway Farm 

• S. Lily Mendoza, PhD - Oakland University 

• James W. Perkinson, PhD - Oakland University  & Ecumenical Theological Seminary

• Christian Smith, LMSW

• Gabi May - Mystic May

• Caitlyn Brown - Mindful Detroit

• Carissa Welton -  Blue Mind

• Nicholas Holterman, PHD & LLMSW - Reset Brain and Body 

• Ariana Wakeman, LMSW and RYT - Reset Brain and Body 

• Luna Alexander - Garden Juju Collective/Gateway Farm  

Join us for this most fundamental and exciting event. Expect to be challenged, reassured, stimulated, re-enchanted and more. 

Please arrive around 8:30am for refreshments and registration.

Lunch, refreshments, and snacks will be provided and sourced from Gateway Farm and our local partners.

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The convergence is set at a low cost (just enough to cover lunch and drinks) and open to the community. We are accepting donations to cover event cost including staff, space rental, and materials. We welcome contributions at any level, every bit helps.

We are appreciative of our sponsors Reset Brain and Body for their generous donation to support keeping this event accessible.

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For a full weekend emersion attend Saturday's Ecopsychology Surviving & Thriving in These Times Workshop as well as Sunday's Convergence.

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All levels of experience are welcome.

All ages are welcome. Youth 15 years old and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Children 5 and under are included in the price of a caregiver ticket. Please supervise younger children. 

Please let us know if you have any accessibility needs and we will accommodate you. 

Community Events are a collaboration between Garden Juju Collective and Gateway Farm and take place at Gateway’s beautiful, abundant, permaculture-inspired, regenerative farm ‘hub’. 

We warmly invite you to be part of these enriching events where together we can learn, grow and thrive.

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Garden Juju Collective and Gateway Farm Hub events may be recorded in photo and video. By attending one of our events, you consent to being photographed and/or recorded. Images, recordings, and audio may be used for promotional purposes, both in print and online, including our social media channels and documentaries.

If this is a matter of concern, please inform event staff upon arrival and we will put every effort into accommodating you. We can avoid closeups but while we will do our best, we cannot make a guarantee with wide, group shots. Our staff will avoid children’s faces unless there has been expressed guardian consent. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!