About the Contributors

Sarina Alavi, MA, is a second-year PhD student in School Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she also recently earned an MA in Clinical Psychology. Born in Northern Nevada to parents who were forced migrants from Iran, Sarina identifies as Persian-American and was raised in both Northern Nevada and Southern California. Her doctoral research centers on systems-integrated interventions and implementation science, with a focus on culturally considerate practices. Sarina has also previously published and presented on topics including nature connectedness as a protective factor against negative outcomes, such as involvement in firearm violence.

Glenn A. Albrecht, PhD, was a Professor of Sustainability at Murdoch University in Western Australia until his retirement in 2014. He is an honorary fellow at the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney. Widely published, he is the author of Earth Emotions: New Words for a New World, Cornell University Press, 2019, and a forthcoming book, The Symbiocene: Our Only Future, again with CUP. He is also a grandfather.

Paula Aljovin, MA, is a Peruvian-American researcher based in New York City. She earned her MA in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and her BA in Psychology at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Paula co-designed and led the Mental Health Team of The Vine Trust's Amazon Hope Medical Programme, a Scottish-based organization that delivers free primary health services in remote Amazonian communities through medical ships. She currently works as a Project Coordinator in a community-based intergenerational study of Alzheimer's disease at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Fatemah Alkhamis, MA, is a Kuwaiti woman with an MA in Clinical Psychology. She advocates for culturally sensitive mental health practices, environmental sustainability, and decolonial approaches to psychotherapy and psychological science. Her work reflects a deep appreciation for Arab heritage and culture, striving to elevate its significance while fostering connections between culture, community, and the environment.

Judith Anderson, MBChB, MA, is a Jungian psychotherapist and psychiatrist who has been focused on the psychological aspects of climate change since 2005. Part of the founding group of Climate Psychology Alliance in the UK, she was Chair of its Board of Directors from 2020 to 2024. She is passionate about the need for psychotherapists to become climate aware. She recently co-edited Being a Therapist in a Time of Climate Breakdown (2024 Routledge). ORCID iD: 0009-0005-3632-9312.

Koya Asano, MA, is a Clinical Psychology graduate from Teachers College, Columbia University. He is from Japan and received his bachelor's degree from Adelphi University in the United States.

Amber Ballenger is Diné from the Navajo Nation and is part of the Meadow People Clan and Folded Arms People Clan. She is a current graduate student at the State University of New York-College of Environmental Science and Forestry, studying Environmental Science. Through her work and research, she aims to foster deeper connections between children and the natural world, shaping future generations to be stewards of the environment.

Linda Buzzell, MA, MFT, is a psychotherapist who has specialized in ecotherapy since 2000. She and Craig Chalquist edited the Sierra Club Books anthology Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind (2009), a core text in clinical ecopsychology. She is on the Editorial Board of Ecopsychology, the peer-reviewed journal in the field, and is an Adjunct Faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California, where she teaches ecopsychology and ecotherapy.

Lizzy Campbell, MA, graduated with her MA in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Lizzy is passionate about equitable access to psychological services, especially among youth, and her research interests include parental impacts on psychological well-being in children. Outside of her academic and professional interests, Lizzy is an avid reader and cat mom who enjoys engaging in outdoor activities, especially hiking, camping, and paddleboarding.

Zhaohe Chang, MA, graduated from Teachers College, Columbia University with a master's degree in clinical psychology. Zhaohe is seeking to pursue a doctoral degree in this field. During his spare time, he likes to play Legos and explore new ecopsychological activities.

Luna Dannon is a Peruvian clinical psychologist and an independent visual artist based in Lima, Perú (@lunadannonarte). She trained in classical drawing and painting at the Barcelona Academy of Art and completed her BA in Psychology at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Luna co-designed and led the Mental Health Team of The Vine Trust's Amazon Hope Medical Programme. This Scottish-based organization delivers free primary health services in remote Amazonian communities through medical ships. She is currently developing an art exhibition that explores how the Kukama Kukamiria, through their cosmology, preserve their collective memory, which has been plagued by violence and discrimination.

Ranjan Datta, PhD, is serving as Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Community Disaster Research at Mount Royal University, Alberta, Canada. With over 17 years devoted to community-based research, Dr. Datta has made significant contributions across diverse domains, including community disaster research, resilience, and environmental resource management, spanning Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Canada, Ghana, Bangladesh, and India. Beyond academia, his engagement in community-led social justice movements reflects his dedication to social and environmental advocacy, exemplifying his commitment to transformative change.

Danny DeBonis, MA, is a clinical psychology graduate from Teachers College, Columbia University, and is a clinical research coordinator at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Georgios Dougalis, MA, is the Lab Manager of the Spelke Lab at Harvard University and a research associate in the Communication Sciences Lab at Columbia University. He is from Greece and holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and philosophy from Durham University and a master's degree in clinical psychology from Columbia University. His research currently examines infants' core cognition and capacities for self- and interactive regulation in various risk contexts, including exposure to environmental toxins.

Taylar Enlow is a graduate student at Union Theological Seminary. Her research focuses on spiritual ecology and Earth ethics within an Africana framework. She is a graduate of Temple University, where she majored in Global Studies with a concentration in Africana cultures and religions.

Siena Fabiano, MA, holds a master's degree in clinical psychology from Columbia University's Teachers College. She grew up in a small coastal village surrounded by the salty air and deep blue waters of Long Island's East End. She is passionate about understanding and researching the significant intersection between the environment, mental health, and well-being, especially in her hometown, which is particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation due to pressures like gentrification and climate change.

Zikra Fashir, is an Ed.M. Mental Health Counseling Student at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently working to assist refugees in the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in Bweyale, Uganda.

Irene Fueyo-Gomez, MA, is a clinical psychology graduate from Columbia University's Teachers College. She is interested in research that centers on the experiences of queer people to address the high rates of psychopathology and suicidality in this population. She believes in the therapeutic potential of a connection with nature.

Katie Garcia, MA, is an educator and ecological theater advocate exploring the intersections of spirituality, environmental psychology, and creative pedagogy. Her ultimate goal is to empower individuals to reconnect with themselves and others, foster a deeper relationship with nature, and contribute to positive change in the world.

Karena Gore, JD, MA is the founder and executive director of the Center for Earth Ethics (CEE) at Union Theological Seminary. CEE works to change the dominant value system from one based on short-term material gain-no matter the pollution, depletion, and inequity-to one based on the long-term health of the whole community of life. She is the author of Lighting the Way: Nine Women Who Changed Modern America (2005). She graduated from Harvard College, Columbia Law School, and Union Theological Seminary and currently is member of the faculty of Union Theological Seminary and an adjunct at Columbia Climate School.

Jade Haumann is a Seneca Nation Wolf Clan member and is currently a graduate student studying fire ecology through a Haudenosaunee lens at the State University of New York-College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Her work embodies her passion for advocating for Indigenous sovereignty, healing human-land relations, and her love for community. She hopes to inspire others to nurture their passions and let them guide them as they navigate the impacts of climate change.

Paritosh Joshi, MA, is a Job Readiness Trainer at America Works of New York and an Executive Functioning Coach. He has a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and a Master of Arts in...