Chronic Stress: Modern Life Disease and its ancient cure
Join Dr. Trina Doerfler, ND, DC—a highly respected naturopathic physician and chiropractor with 36 years of clinical experience—for an empowering session at PNW Climate Week Eastside.
Drawing on her longstanding dedication to adrenal and hormonal health, Dr. Doerfler will lead attendees through an exploration of how stress mechanisms—acute and chronic—can profoundly affect well-being, especially as modern lifestyles stretch nature’s originally short-term design for stress response. Her insights are grounded both in professional practice and personal journey, as she balanced the demands of single parenthood, medical care, and community activism.
In this talk, Dr. Doerfler will outline:
The biological and hormonal processes behind acute and chronic stress.
How prolonged stress impacts health, particularly under the pressures of a rapidly changing world.
The unique challenges faced by those taking on demanding work—such as climate response and social mobilization—where stressors can be both urgent and persistent.
Attendees will gain practical strategies for:
Protecting and supporting adrenal and hormonal function.
Preserving and enhancing physical and mental resilience in the face of ongoing challenges.
Reclaiming a sense of Sufficiency to the Task—maintaining vitality and effectiveness for the long term, without sacrificing personal health.
This session offers actionable tools to help individuals remain fierce, effective, and healthy as they mobilize for climate action and collective change. Dr. Doerfler’s holistic approach ensures participants leave with hope, inspiration, and tangible means to sustain their energy and well-being on the journey ahead.
At the Intersection of Sustainability and Social Equity
The session concludes by recognizing that the pursuit of resilience and well-being is inseparable from the broader goals of sustainability and social equity. Attendees will be invited to consider how building internal strength and sufficiency empowers individuals and communities to create fairer, healthier, and more sustainable futures—ensuring that the benefits of climate action and wellness reach everyone, particularly those most impacted by social and environmental injustices.