June 30, 2026 4:00 – 5:30pm ET

Presenters: Daniel Fisher, MD, PhD, Carman Allen, BS, Oryx Cohen, MPA, Kimberly Ewing, MS

Webinar Description: Many people experiencing strong emotions have found that psychiatric medication(s) can be helpful, yet at times, in consultation with their psychiatrist, they may want to reduce their medication(s). In a recent SAMHSA webinar, Laura Delano of Inner Compass stated that when reducing medications, even if very gradually, people may experience an increase in strong emotions. She said, “To successfully reduce medication we need to learn to live with strong emotions and understand them.” People have found Emotional CPR (eCPR) helpful as a means of understanding and living with emotions through connection and support during life struggles. In this webinar, presenters will share their experiences with how using principles of eCPR helped them in their recovery. This webinar is not intended as medical advice for specific medications or individuals.

Emotional CPR: Assisting People through Emotional Distress recounts how a team, mainly comprising individuals with personal experiences of severe mental health conditions, developed a novel method to aid those in mental health crises. Unlike conventional approaches, this method prioritizes establishing a heart-to-heart connection over diagnosis. By treating individuals as resourceful, the approach empowers them to navigate their path forward, fostering revitalization. This approach reflects how the Emotional CPR developers desired to be treated during their own distress, and how such treatment facilitated their journey through distress. Click here to purchase the book.

On December 12th, our Emotional CPR Coordinator Kimberly Ewing hosted a virtual coffee house to announce and discuss the launch of the book. Click here to view the recording.

eCPR was introduced at the Community Preparedness event in the Morongo Basin/Hi-Desert region of California. Trainers shared about eCPR as a compassionate approach to supporting community members in distress.

We’re excited to share that Dan Fisher was recently interviewed about the role he has played in Emotional CPR for The Journal of Wild Culture. The article  explores eCPR’s emphasis on deep, compassionate listening as a way to respond to emotional distress without pathologizing it, centering human connection as the foundation of healing. Click here to read the interview.

A recent article in Wisconsin Watch features two eCPR trainers, Karen Iverson Riggers and Lynn McLaughlin, and discusses how they have used eCPR to provide support and combat social isolation among northeast Wisconsin residents. From the article:

“The pair founded Ebb & Flow Connections Cooperative, which runs a Community Living Room in downtown Appleton. They describe it as an ‘unconditionally welcoming’ space, where community members can socialize, play games, hang out or confide in certified ECPR practitioners.

‘There’s no requirement to belong,’ McLaughlin explained. ‘You just do.’

Their approach to teaching social connection has proved successful enough that groups in several other Wisconsin counties are now trying to replicate the resources they offer. Plus, several state entities say their model is a method for building connection to prevent suicide.”

Click here for the article.