MHWFA hosts regular guest speakers, all mental health professionals who are speaking to topics relevant to wilderness or remote areas. These online live events are an awesome way to network with others in the industry as well as access and learn directly from a variety of experts in the mental health field.
Views expressed are the guest speakers' own and may or may not reflect the views of MHWFA.

Joel Pippus, BRS, CYC Cert
Push to Heal Team lead, and Pathways to Prevention: A Centre for Childhood Trauma Training facilitator 
​25 November 2024

Skateboarding and Trauma Healing

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Joel has been employed with Hull Services since 2010 and during that time has worked in a variety of roles. As a result, he has gained a solid foundation of skills for working with children and youth with complex needs and families through involvement with Therapeutic Campus Based Care, Hull School and the Push To Heal project.  He is an agency trainer, a fully certified member of the Child and Youth Care Association of Alberta since 2013 and holds a Neurosequential Model in Sports certification. Currently, Joel works at Pathways to Prevention: A Centre for Childhood Trauma as Training & Education Facilitator (helping to support practical implementation of the Neurosequential Model (NM) concepts into programs and projects across Hull’s continuum as well as training community members) as well as the project lead for Push To Heal (using skateboarding through the lens of the NM as an alternative treatment for high needs kids).  Through Push To Heal, Joel’s focus is on integrating NM concepts into skateboarding in ways that support folks engaged in Hull’s continuum of services, the wider community and international partnerships in the social skate sector. During his free time, you’ll find Joel skateboarding and doing other sports and activities as much as time will allow and spending time with his wife and four young children.​
Joel Pippus in 2018 served as team lead in the creation of this mini-documentary Push to Heal (see below), which documents the link between skateboarding and trauma healing in young people.  Join us to hear from Joel about how rhythmic, repetitive, relational activity, such as skateboarding, can support children and adults alike, through the lens of Dr. Bruce Perry's neurosequential model of trauma healing.

​In the presentation, we will follow the history of how Push To Heal developed, stopping at various points in the story to discuss:
  • The connection between skateboarding and the NM
  • Our research and programming
  • Resources and partnerships
  • How we see skateboarding adding value in various settings as a tool for regulation, connection, learning new skills, resilience building, and healing

Tracy Moulaison, Counsellor & Cultural Wellness Worker
28 October 2024

Sundance, ceremony, and reconnecting to your heart

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Tanis, my name is Tracy Moulaison, I am Oji-Cree, Mohawk, from Big Trout Lake now known as Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nations, Ontario, along with my German-Norwegian heritage.

A participant of the Anishnabe and Lakota Sundance, Tracy speaks to us about the power of ceremony, culture, and reconnecting to heart for personal and community healing.  The Sundance is a sacred ceremony involving significant preparation and perseverance centering around a 4-day Dance during which participants fast.  Tracy will share stories of her preparation journey, the Dance, and opening up to heart as a pathway to mental and spiritual healing.  In her words, "you've got to believe in something!"

Tracy is a mother, grandmother, mental health counsellor, and currently works as Director of Operation for Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’ / Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations, on the Pacific Coast.

​Video coming soon!

Jes Logher, M.Ed.
23 SEPTEMBER 2024

Attachment theory and nature connection

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Jes Logher is former head of outdoor education at a Vancouver, B.C. independent school, a position she held for over a decade, and currently transitioning in to a career as a mental health counsellor.  Jes's research for her Master of Counselling capstone project focuses on supporting others to build nature connections in service of their mental health, and specifically how this speaks to what therapists refer to as "attachment relationships".  When we are in positions of support or education in the field, how can we support mental health by using nature connection as a resource?  Join us to hear Jes speak on:
  • Current research on resilience and attachment theory,​
  • Honouring and integrating Indigenous teachings on being in relationship with the land,
  • What can we learn from nature about relationships and nurturing bonds,
  • How experiencing positive nature connection mirrors and facilitates strong attachment relationships and resilience in our personal life.
Mental health counsellors, outdoor educators, parents, youth workers, and those with a personal connection to nature will benefit from Jes's research and talk.  Register below!

Renée Dumas, M.A., C.C.C.
Canadian Certified Counsellor
27 June 2024

Nature's Resilience Boost: Tools for Rewiring Your Brain through Outdoor Adventure​

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Let's explore the concept of resilience and discover how outdoor adventures can reshape your brain for the better! Join me on a journey along the brain's pathways to resilience, where science meets the transformative power of nature on our mental well-being.

From the prefrontal cortex to the amygdala, explore how outdoor adventure ignites neural pathways that fortify the resilience that allows us to better face life's challenges. Learn how each stride through rugged terrain, every breath of fresh mountain air, and each plunge into the depths of nature's beauty sparks a symphony of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, nurturing a resilient mind.

Through captivating stories and cutting-edge research, I'll work to unravel the science behind the brain's response to outdoor adventures, revealing how these experiences sculpt our cognitive adaptability, emotional resilience, and memory fortitude. Prepare to be inspired and empowered as we uncover the neural magic that awaits in the great outdoors.

​Renée has a unique blend of expertise as an experienced certified counsellor, trained outdoor guide, and dedicated search and rescue member that has allowed her to play with the art of combining nature's healing power with mental well-being. Whether it's guiding individuals on transformative outdoor journeys or offering a lifeline during times of crisis, she's been witness over and over again to the profound impact of integrating nature into wellness journeys, and believes deeply in the power of nature to rejuvenate your mind, spirit, and soul.
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Michael "Doc" Crawford
Slipstream Wilderness First Aid chief instructor
25 April 2024

Medications in Mental Health & Wilderness Contexts

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Michael "Doc" Crawford started in medicine in 1985 as a medic in the US Navy/Marine Corps, serving as a critical care corpsman at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He was next stationed onboard the USS Canopus (AS-34) and worked with both the Medical Department and the US Marine detachment onboard the ship where he earned the nickname “Doc.” After getting out, Doc worked at Tucson Medical Center as a patient care technician in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit.
Doc has extensive wilderness tripping experience both recreationally and as a canoe and hiking guide. Doc is an owner, chief instructor, and the current curriculum director at Slipstream Wilderness First Aid based in Victoria, BC.  Doc has been a Wilderness First Aid Instructor since 2005. He was an Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) Instructor and Instructor Trainer, as well as a member of and trainer for the Mount Washington Ski Patrol Association for 5 years. Doc is also a member of the Wilderness Medical Society and the Canadian Association of Wilderness Medicine.

Laura Whiddon
Masters in Counselling Candidate
26 March 2024

Gardening Therapy

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Video coming soon!

Laura is a mental health advocate who has worked to serve her community through political engagement and front-line work in the Downtown Eastside. She holds a diploma of professional counselling and a BA in psychology and neuroscience. Laura has received specialized training in nature-based, feminist, and narrative therapy practices. She is currently a masters of counselling student at City University studying to become a Registered Clinical Counsellor.
​
Seeking a closer connection to the land and deeper knowledge of our food system, Laura began working on organic farms in 2018. After sharing her first meal of home grown vegetables with her loved ones, she felt first-hand the powerful relationship between food and psychological well-being. This presentation will synthesize personal experience and research in the field, creating a bridge between gardening and somatic processing of trauma. Together we will touch on:
  • The connection between food security and mental health
  • The benefit of sticking our hands in the dirt: what gardening does to our brains
  • Current research in the field
  • How gardening can be used therapeutically
​Laura can be reached at [email protected].

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Sean J Stevens
Meditation & Mindfulness Instructor
November 16, 2023

Mindfulness for outdoor contexts

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Sean says: I am a certified Meditation & Mindfulness Instructor & the creator/director of Harkening Deer. In addition to coaching, teaching, & facilitating Meditation in a variety of settings, I create meditation tracks & other mindfulness content/resources for world-famous meditation apps Aura, & Insight Timer.  I hold certificates in Mental Health Wilderness First Aid, Meditation, & Religious Studies.

Along with my steadfast desire to support people in cultivating & growing a mindfulness practice, I am passionate about nature & spending time in / connecting with nature. Through my work I encourage & guide people to connect on a deeper level to Self, Community, Nature, & All Things.  As such, the practices I teach are invaluable in remote settings, such as the settings in which MHWFA alumni & students are located. In fact, while many self-care / mental health resources are not always available in remote settings, Meditation & Mindfulness always is. Perhaps a case can be made for these tools being the most powerful & accessible tools at our disposal!
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CHRIS MUSHUMANSKI, MA & GREG MILLER, MA
​B.C. SEARCH & RESCUE Association

October 24, 2023
Critical Incident Stress Management & Debriefing

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​Anyone can be impacted by a Critical Incident -- accidents, traumatic injuries, near misses, or even body recoveries -- in the backcountry, from Search & Rescue volunteers to remote industry workers, guides, first aiders or bystanders. Those involved may experience unusually strong emotional reactions and physiological symptoms which have the potential to interfere with their ability to function, either at the time or later.
Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) is a peer-led program that can provide support for Search and Rescue volunteers who have experienced a critical incident. Similar programs are being developed around the world for use in other industries and communities who may benefit from proactive support following traumatic experiences.

​This presentation will touch on:
  • What is CISM for Search & Rescue teams, and how can it help? 
  • Who are CISM facilitators? ​
  • What other resources can other organizations consider or develop (if, for instance, there is a critical incident at a planting camp, or in the kayaking community?)
    ​
All welcome. This interactive presentation may be of particular interest to organizations and communities interested in developing critical incident response policies & procedures. The formal presentation will be followed by a time for questions and answers.

​
Chris Mushumanski has been a ground search and rescue volunteer since 1997 based in Vanderhoof BC, and CISM peer on the provincial CISM team since 2013. He is also the current President of the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association representing the GSAR community across BC.  When not active with search and rescue he is teacher counselor for an online K-12 school, loves the outdoors including fly fishing, hunting and backpacking and spending time with his wonderful little hound, Pippa.  Chris has his Masters in Counseling and is certified with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation in Individual, Group and Advanced CISM interventions.

Greg Miller is the Chair of the Steering Committee for the BC Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA) Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team. He is part of the core group that built and developed that team and has been working as a Critical Incident Stress responder for over 20 years.  He has also been a volunteer with the North Shore Rescue team for over 40 years. As an active Search Manager, he has led numerous rescues in the backcountry.  Greg has his Master’s in Applied Behavioural Science (MA ABS) and is an Organizational Development specialist. He is certified with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) in Individual, Group and Advanced Interventions for CISM.

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Aaron Lyons
MA, Conflict Transformation; Restorative Justice Facilitator

September 27, 2023
De-escalation tools for field Settings

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​​Aaron Lyons is an internationally experienced restorative justice specialist with 20 years’ service in case facilitation, training, implementation, research, consulting and coalition-building. He is a Co-Founder of Just Outcomes, a national consulting organization dedicated to supporting communities and organizations in developing just responses to harm and crime. Aaron brings a decade of experience facilitating victim offender dialogue in cases of serious and violent crime within the Canadian correctional system, and offers a keen practical understanding of trauma to his work with individuals relationships and systems. Aaron has worked across several continents and wide array of cultural contexts, from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to remote hamlets in the Canadian Arctic. He holds a Masters’ Degree in Conflict Transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (USA). Aaron is a firm believer in the ability of people to grow and discover their own creative ways through even the most difficult life experiences; and the need for well-designed systems to support this growth. He lives on Saltspring Island, BC, with his wife and two young boys.

Tailored to those who work in field settings where a risk of escalation, conflict, or even potential violence may exist, De-escalation Tools for Field Settings uses field-oriented scenarios to cover the anger/arousal cycle, including appropriate strategies for de-escalation at different points on the cycle. We will also explore skills for shifting from "position-based" to "interest-based" decision-making.  
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Catherine Allen
​Somatic Experiencing Therapist, Mountaineer

June 12, 2023
Trauma, Healing, and the Mountains

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​Catherine says: My interest in trauma, from the physical aspect, was sparked when I trained as a Registered Nurse and worked in various hospitals and the Arctic for 24 years. Soon after graduation from nursing, I trained as a Rolfer (Structural Integration), which supports physical manipulation and movement education to allow the body to be at ease in gravity. Often, a poor posture occurs when a person adapts to physical or emotional management to avoid pain or discomfort.  I later began to study Somatic Experiencing, to explore how trauma affects the nervous system and supports the body to survive, long after the experience has passed.  A trauma symptom may seem to be a negative trait, but may really be a coping mechanism that kept you alive.
 
As I journeyed through my own life, I was exposed to adventures in the outdoors that occasionally had negative effects, from decision-making to witnessing a small avalanche my husband was caught in.  I noticed when I was in more of my threat response system, I was unable to access healthy decision-making. This supported my work to become a counsellor, and I facilitated the first Mountain Muskox Mentorship Program (MMMP) chapter in Revelstoke.   I currently run my practice, Balance and Renewal Therapy, from Revelstoke, B.C. 

Trauma, Healing and the Mountains will discuss a somatic (body-based) perspective on trauma and healing, a bit about Catherine's work with the MMMP, and facilitating healing for those of us who want to use our experiences especially in wild landscapes. 
  • Overview of a healthy nervous system and when it gets caught in survival modes of freeze & threat.
  • Supportive ways to notice the body and bring it back to regulation.
  • Adaptable ways to use this work in any field of work.
The interactive presentation will be followed by a time for questions and answers.

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Rich Parlee
​Pastor, Elder, and storyteller -- Ucluelet, B.C.
May 9, 2023

Talking to God in the wilderness: 
​spirituality and mental health

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A child of the backwoods, Rich trained in a small Missions School in Saskatchewan to learn how to read and teach the Bible. His first posting was Esperanza, a tiny Hospital among the Nu Cha Nulth villages and frontier industries.  Recognizing his career limitations, he enrolled in University of Calgary, joyfully returning to the West Coast to Ucluelet as a school teacher and pastor of a small town church in 1966 (back when there was only a winding gravel road).  By 1970 he helped found Tofino Bible Fellowship, and served remote communities up and down the rugged Pacific West Coast, travelling by boat, plane (and sometimes, canoe!) for 25 years.  After 1995 Rich took a long sabbatical in house church format in Ukee, returning in 2011 to Christ Community Church, where he currently serves as an elder.  Rich's passion is the Life of Christ as revealed in the Scriptures, and enjoys recreational reading and time on the water with his wife Adrienne.

Rich is a fantastic pastor, musician, and storyteller (and he conducted Daye's wedding in 2020).  During this event, he will speak to us about: 
  • What is the connection between spiritual health and mental health?
  • Why is it that so many historical and Biblical figures have gone out in to the wilderness to talk to God?
  • How has Rich served the spiritual and mental health of the remote communities he has worked with throughout his life's work?
  • How can we build spiritual wellness opportunities when we are out in remote areas?
  • Rich will also offer his perspective on how to make prayer a more accessible part of our wellness practice.​

Jess Cumming, M.A., C.C.C.
​Clinical counsellor, eating disorders specialist
APRIL 27, 2023

Supporting clients with disordered eating In the Field

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Jess Cumming is a therapist at Thrive Downtown Counselling in Vancouver BC. She graduated with her Masters in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria in 2018. Jess's areas of interest include disordered eating, trauma and incorporating spirituality into therapy. Utilizing models such as Emotion Focused Therapy and Internal Family systems, she aims to provide a safe and supportive environment for clients to explore and deepen their relationship with their authentic selves. 

Supporting Clients with Disordered Eating in the Field discusses awareness of and recognizing eating disorders with a focus on backcountry settings, providing non-shaming support, and setting participants and ourselves up for success. 

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Judy North, M.A.
Remote area crisis & suicide intervention specialist
February 21, 2023

Suicide intervention training, hope for remote areas: a brief overview

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A past suicide attempt survivor herself, Judy North has incorporated her MA in Counselling and Psychology with 25 years of crisis intervention worker to provide empathic, wholistic, compassionate, practical, and life-sustaining suicide and crisis intervention and postvention support.  She has recently worked as a Livingworks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training facilitator, and as a consultant and crisis response expert, for remote area communities along the west coast of Vancouver Island.  Her clinical positions have included assisting children, youth, families, Aboriginal and remote communities in BC, Alberta and Ontario.  She offers private consultation and training regarding suicide intervention and postvention, and critical incident stress debriefings.

Suicide Intervention Training, Hope for Remote Areas – A Brief Overview will discuss recognizing warning signs and how to open a conversation with someone who may be suicidal. The importance of listening, determining degree of crisis, and safety planning within rural and remote communities will also be addressed in this brief interactive presentation, followed by a time for questions and answers.
​
Click here for suicide and mental health resources. 
​Judy can be reached at [email protected].

Sarah Coulter
Admissions Coordinator, Outward Bound Canada
February 8, 2023

ASKING THE TOUGH QUESTIONS: WHY WE SHOULD INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH DURING PRE-TRIP SCREENING 

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​Asking the Tough Questions: Why we should include mental health during pre-trip screening will discuss the importance of including questions about mental health during pre-trip screening, and how Outward Bound Canada uses it as a form of risk management. We'll talk about the why, when and how of asking difficult and personal questions as it relates to a participant's mental health, and give some examples of when this has made a significant impact in our field practices. 
​
Sarah has been working with youth since being a camp counselor at an overnight summer camp in Ontario since 2013. Taking a keen interest in outdoor education and the mental health and wellbeing of young people, she has found an intersection of her passions at Outward Bound Canada. As an Admissions Coordinator, she works closely with youth and their families to prepare them for the physical and mental challenges they will face on an Outward Bound program. 
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Kennedy Lewis, M.A., C.C.C.
September 12, 2022

What do we mean by "self-care", anyway?  The neurology of "self-care" for frontline workers, from a trauma counsellor

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Kennedy is a clinical counsellor who runs a program called "Extraordinary Workers", providing counselling and workshops to frontline workers who encounter trauma in the field.
​
She invites us to: "Have a discussion with a trauma counsellor about what the **** self care actually is, and how we can hack the nervous system to emotionally regulate. I will be talking about the physiological mechanisms that make up the stress response, to increase your knowledge of your own nervous system, to make the most out of your self care practices in the field. We will also address common barriers to self care and how to navigate through them."

Speaker bio: Kennedy Lewis is a trauma therapist with a Master's in Counselling from the University Victoria, currently practicing in Vancouver, BC. Alongside her private practice, Kennedy founded and developed Extraordinary Workers to help support workers on the front lines cope with the trauma exposed environments they are employed in. As a former support worker herself, Kennedy was able to see gaps in relevant and substantial care, leading to her unique programming.  Extraordinary Workers has been in operation for 3 years engaging the support worker community all over BC, offering workshops, groups and trainings in a variety of settings.

Kennedy approaches the topic of resiliency by addressing how the entire workplace functions to mitigate the effects of trauma exposures on staff. Believing that when workers are properly supported to cope with their job demands, they can stay longer in their roles and build the relationships with clients that are often so necessary to healing and stabilization. Kennedy's message to support workers is simple: I see the valuable work you do; I see that you carry communities on your shoulders; you deserve support, solidarity and access to information that can aid your ability to sustain your work and life.

Kate Pinsonneault, M.A., R.C.C.
Tuesday, May 17 2022

MANAGING DUAL RELATIONSHIPS
​IN SMALL COMMUNITIES AND WORK CAMPS

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What is tricky about being in a dual relationship with someone? One where you have two different roles -- say you're their guide, co-worker, teacher, water taxi driver, or supervisor -- AND you provide them a listening ear through a hard time one day. What if you have to give them some tough feedback the following week? Or what if you're a sounding board for their family woes, and you're also on a work crew with their cousin?

Our guest speaker, Kate Pinsonneault, is a clinical counsellor and supervisor with decades of experience in everything from clinical trauma healing to infant mental health (yes, it's a thing!). Kate has also spent much of her life living on a boat and working in small, remote communities such as the float-home village of Echo Bay, B.C.

Jobs are often seasonal in remote communities, and Kate knows what it means to juggle various roles from working as the Stewardship Coordinator overseeing salmon restoration programs, to running the Echo Bay general store pumping marine gas, cooking for a tree planting company, and being the special needs teacher at the one room school.  Kate understands what it's like to be part of a remote community that is rugged, resilient, and also has some particular vulnerabilities.  "If you’re hurt and there's weather, you’re not getting out and the helicopter's not coming in. As a community you become resilient through being interdependent on each other."

"Navigating Dual Relationships in the Field" covers:
  • Risks and benefits to dual relationships
  • Changing "hats"
  • Times and places to offer support
  • Strategies for setting “Gentle boundaries"
  • Skills to wrap up a supportive conversation.

​​This video has been removed at the speaker's request. 
​Kate Pinsonneault can be reached at [email protected].

Tara Souch, M.A., R.C.C., C.C.C.
Thursday, April 21 2022

ACCESSING NATURE & natural cycles
​AS HEALING PARTNERs in outdoor practice

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Tara is a veteran wilderness guide and clinical counsellor working out of Ucluelet, B.C., and specializing in grief, loss, and nature-based therapy.  This workshop is an opportunity to explore ways we can incorporate nature-based healing practices into any outdoor activity.  Accessing nature as a healing partner allows for creative, spontaneous and unique self-generated insights and thus deepens the conversations around the healing journey. Nature, whether it be in a vast wilderness or a city park, is accessible to every person, and building nature-connection remains available to us as a resource throughout the lifespan.  This workshop will share specific exercises and activities that can be used with clients and for ourselves personally or professionally.

Jeremy Addleman, M.A., C.C.C.
March 30 2022

​RESILIENCE & RECOVERY:  THE POWER OF NATURE ​TO AID IN HEALING TRAUMA
FROM A SOMATIC PSYCHOTHERAPY PERSPECTIVE

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Jeremy is a trauma therapist at Point the Way Counselling in Victoria, B.C., specializing in somatic psychotherapy, looking at trauma and healing through the body and nervous system.  "In this workshop I provide information on how to use principles of somatic psychotherapy, in combination with the natural world, to build resilience and aid trauma recovery while out on the land.  Together, we will examine brief ideas of the nervous system and how using mindfulness and somatic psychotherapy concepts and practices in nature can help when dealing with stress and trauma in other situations in life, as well as in the field."

Mental Health & Resilience After the Marshall Fire
by Daye cooper hagel
​
Sunday, March 6th, 2022 4pm-6pm Mountain Time (​3pm-5pm pacific)

Click image to view more event information & resources -- for those affected by the Colorado Marshall Fire.

Joelle Prevost, M.C.P., R.C.C.
sunday, february 13th, 2022

​The conversation guide

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Joelle is a clinical counsellor and author.  She works in private practice online in British Columbia, specializing in communication, trauma, and anxiety.  In November 2021 she published the book, The Conversation Guide. 

Join Joelle February 13th (in honour of Valentine's Day and Family Day) for an interactive presentation about boundaries - what they are, why we need them, how to have conversations about them, and why we avoid these conversations!  We will also discuss difficult conversations in general, how to structure them, and why it's important to have them.

​Sarah Hagar, M.Ed., R.C.C.
​November 3, 2021

The Neuroanatomy of Trauma and Healing in Outdoor Pursuits

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Why are people often naturally drawn to outdoor activities like skateboarding, surfing, treeplanting, and paddling, that offer rhythmic movement and relationship-building in nature?  
Sarah Hagar, M.Ed. is a former veteran treeplanter and Registered Clinical Counsellor with a keen interest in healing and preventing trauma for children, youth and families.  With training in neuroscience and the belief that we are drawn to what heals us, Sarah will offer a conversation that explores why we function the way we do, the neurobiology of natural healing activities outdoors, and will empower you towards doing more of what makes you feel whole.  
Join us November 3rd, 2021 to hear Sarah speak about nature as a healing place and lifestyle as the therapy.

​Michael McCarthy,
​counsellor & cultural wellness worker
​October 6, 2021

Reclaiming ancestral knowledge in modern times

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Michael McCarthy, a Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ and Hesquiaht First Nations member, is a clinical counsellor and regional coordinator at Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC).  An accomplished public speaker, Michael thrives in the intersection of western psychotherapy and traditional cultural healing teachings -- "What my Granny taught me".  As an NTC coordinator, Michael has frequently guided Daye Cooper Hagel and other mental health clinicians in weaving traditional and western mental health teachings -- "walking in two worlds".  In this spirit and time of Truth and Reconciliation, what does each mode of healing have to offer the other?  

Read more and view Michael's full talk in honour of Orange Shirt Day on our Blog page, or below.
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