Hi friends,
Colder nights are here in Santa Fe, which brings out some of my favorite things about this city: kiva fireplaces roaring with cedar, farolitas rising on our flat roofs, and warm posole with Christmas tamales. I will be honest that the lack of snow so far this year also brings up my ecodistress about climate change. It is an aspect of mothering we rarely name with one another or with anyone. Holding it alone feels heavy.
I recently joined the longest running perinatal mental health podcast, Mom & Mind, hosted by Dr. Kat. We talked about this often silent dimension of mothering in a climate crisis. The episode introduces the concept of maternal ecodistress, explains what it is, and traces its relationship to matrescence.
We explore why mothers are vulnerable to climate related mental health concerns and how we can offer support that restores belonging and steadiness.
You can listen here:
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I would love to hear your thoughts after you listen.
Warmly,
Allie
Maternal Ecopsychology Certification™
If you have been looking for a way to bring nature-based interventions into your work with mothers, consider joining the certification program. I am welcoming new students and offering a one thousand dollar discount. Deadline to enroll with the discount code EVERGREEN is November 31st!
New supports for practitioners include:
• Eighteen course points where I provide written feedback
• Video and private podcast versions of the nine module lectures
• Bimonthly office hours for all students to ask any questions or get additional support
• One to one mentoring to apply the content to your own work
• One full year to move through the certification at your own pace
Learn more and enroll here: https://www.dralliedavis.com/certification
Episode Highlights
• The role of a nature therapist or ecotherapist in maternal mental health
• An overview of the certification in maternal ecopsychology
• Indicators that someone is impacted by climate change
• Shifts in how people want to live in relation to nature
• Offering grounded support for mothers as they grow
• Categories included under the umbrella of ecodistress
• How deep nature connection supports grief, trauma, and hope
• Ecological questing and its relationship to matrescence
• Why mothers are more susceptible to climate distress
• Ecodistress in pregnancy and postpartum
• The eco guilt load mothers carry
• The pressure to be both a good mother and a good green mother
• How I conceptualize ecodistress as a trauma related symptom
• Finding support for ecodistress in community
• Nearby nature as an accessible intervention
About Dr. Allie Davis
Allie Davis, PhD, is a maternal mental health ecotherapist, author of Mother Juniper: Lessons on Mothering in Climate Crisis, and creator of the Maternal Ecopsychology Certification™. She is the founder of Root and Ritual Wellness in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she supports mothers in transforming ecodistress into rooted resilience through nature based practices, storytelling, and care centered community.
This episode draws from my work on the project Bringing Maternal Ecodistress into the Climate Conversation, supported by the Schmidt Science Communication Catalyst Grant.
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