Listener at the Heart of Climate Grief: Holding Fast with a Reconciled Heart
Stories and teachings from a spirited elder author, ethicist, and community planner living with love, loss, and climate breakdown.
I am a planner, author, environmental ethicist, and survivor who writes from the front lines of personal and climate grief. My work weaves together community planning, environmental ethics, climate activism, and practices for living with grief with a reconciled yet still-loving heart.
Feature Books
Creeksong: One Woman Sings the Climate Blues
Recounts a woman’s initiatory journey in wild Nature, confronting climate breakdown and her role in it, while tracing her deep attachment to place and emerging ecological consciousness.
Hold Fast: Navigating Personal and Climate Grief with a Reconciled Heart
This new book (2026) explores how the practices that helped me live with traumatic bereavement can also support other grieving people and guide us as we face climate collapse.
Opening to Climate Grief: A Workbook Companion to Hold Fast
Opening to Climate Grief is a gentle, practical workbook for people whose hearts ache over the state of the Earth and who want something more than information—something they can do with their hands, breath, attention, and imagination.
"Wendy Sarkissian's original concept of The Reconciled Ecological Self is one of the most important psychological and ethical concepts to emerge in this century. Hold Fast is an incomparable gift to a grieving world."
— John Seed OAM, deep ecologist, founder of the Rainforest Information Centre, Australia
About Wendy
Dr Wendy Sarkissian LFPIA is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most experienced social planners and engagement specialists. Over a career spanning more than four decades, she has pioneered innovative approaches to community engagement across diverse contexts, earning over forty professional awards.
An author, speaker, and facilitator, Wendy now focuses on climate grief, ecological ethics, and practices for living with deep loss while remaining in relationship with the Earth.
Photo by Breanna Dunbar, Melbourne Breannadunbar.com
Upcoming events
Book Launch: Three New Books from Twilight River Press
Join the Climate Team of St. Andrew's-Wesley and Dr. Wendy Sarkissian for the launch of Wendy's three new books from Twilight River Press.
Sunday, November 8, 2026
12 noon to 1:00 pm
Chapel at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church,
1022 Nelson Street, Vancouver
The three new books are:
Creeksong: One Woman Sings the Climate Blues (revised edition,
Hold Fast: Navigating Personal and Climate Grief with a Reconciled Heart
Opening to Climate Grief: A Workbook Companion to Hold Fast
All three books will be available for sale at the event.
Refreshments will be served.
Seating is limited. Please RSVP to Wendy Sarkissian at wendy@sarkissian.com.au.
November 21, early evening. Details to follow.
Vancouver Friends for Life Society
Barclay Street
Please save these dates. All welcome.
Invitation to resources
If you are living with personal grief or navigating climate anxiety, despair, or grief, you will find stories, essays, and practical guidance throughout this site
COMING SOON
