Hi, I'm Heather
My approach is a blend of the following:
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Person-centered - listening to YOUR inner compass
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Somatic - learning how the body holds trauma and how it can become home again
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Trauma-informed - understanding how the nervous system gets stuck in fight/flight/freeze and how to self-soothe
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Post-modern - deconstructing and reconstructing identity, listening to the voices from the margins of self and society
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Mindfulness - compassionately noticing without judgment
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Gestalt - seeing what's coming up in the moment as a fractal of what's happening in the psyche
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Depth psychology - honouring the protective impulses of the psyche and tapping into the collective unconscious
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Transpersonal - connecting with the Great Big Nice Good (however you define that)
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Existential - accessing meaning-making
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Feminist - layering in contexts of historically contructed privilege
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Acceptance & Commitment (ACT) - embracing unconditional self-love AND meaningful action, guided by your core values
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Narrative - reframing and retelling the story of you, locating yourself within your hero's journey
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"It is my joy to do this work. I am honoured to witness you activate your aliveness through creativity."
Publications
A New Ecology of Transitioning: Cycling through Disintegration, Emptiness and Re-Emergence of Identity (Master's Thesis Abstract)
https://www.expressivearts.egs.edu/all-theses-dissertations-2016
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Front Porch Counselling: Mental Health Outreach to Youth at Risk, p. 26-27
https://issuu.com/acsw/docs/the_advocate_-_winter_2021
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Poetry Circle: Time Lapse
​https://www.canadianarttherapy.org/envisage/envisage-spring-2022-poetry-circle
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Life Surprising Itself: Creativity as Conduit for Response, p. 23-24
https://www.sage-ing.com/Sage-ing49.pdf
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Credentials
Diploma in Social Work from Mount Royal College
BSW Bachelors degree in Social Work from the University of Calgary
Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy from Langara College
MA in Expressive Arts Therapy from the European Graduate School
Therapeutic Play - Green Stream and Red Stream from Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute
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RSW #6189 Registered with the Alberta College of Social Workers, ACSW
RTC #2285 Registered with the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists ACCT
ACTA #1053 Registered with the Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta ACTA
CATA #51935802 Associate Member of the Canadian Art Therapy Association CATA/ACAT
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Liscenced by ACSW to perform restricted psycho-social interventions