Climate Café - DeKalb County
Hi, I'm Liza.
When I was a kid, my favorite thing to do was play in the creek by my house. I made little villages out of rocks, leaves, twigs, and mud, and imagined who might live there. I can still remember the smell of the fresh air and the peaceful feeling of playing alongside the water.
As a child, I learned that our planet was warming and changing. I felt afraid and sad. I wanted to make a difference, but the problems seemed too big. So I suffered alone, believing most other people didn't feel this way.
Eventually, I figured out that wasn't true. Lots of people were also holding fear and sadness and wanting to help, and lots of them were suffering alone too. Which makes sense, because we have a shortage of spaces to process the full range of our human experience in a changing world.
I wanted to create a space like that. I believe in making room for big challenges and uncomfortable feelings. I believe that's how we move towards a better world -- by holding space for complexity, for compassion, and for our love of the world. That's why I started the Atlanta Climate Cafe.
I am an LCSW with a passion for supporting activists, parents, scientists, healthcare professionals, and others living and working at the frontline of our changing climate.
If you would like to bring me to your company or organization, please contact me at liza@lightningbug.hush.com.
My Story
I got my Master's Degree in Social Work from Simmons College in 2013. Shortly after that, I relocated to Atlanta, where I worked in public health and community mental health before starting my private practice, Lightning Bug Wellness, in 2022. You can visit my psychotherapy practice page here. In 2025 I started a coaching practice, Lightning Bug Coaching. I chose to name my businesses after lightning bugs because they encompass my two most important values: a love for the natural world, and a belief in the light that exists in all of us, even when we can't see it.
As a mental health clinician, I work at the intersection of trauma, resiliency, and the polycrisis. My mission is to support adults to do their own healing, which in turn brings healing to their families, their communities, and our world. Because individualism only goes so far when you're all in the same boat.
In my free time, I love being with family (including human and dog family members), reading, crafting, and working outdoors. My partner and I are collaborating on a long-term project to remove invasive species and restore native plants in our backyard. Being in our little woods checking on plants and finding new bugs is one of my favorite happy places.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
470-890-6600