Barb identifies as a cisgender heterosexual female, from European descent, born and raised in rural Alberta. These rural experiences instilled a value of deep respect and connection to the land and a strong sense of community. Moving to BC in 2003 and after 8 years of experiencing the culture of the Northwest coast, Barb and her family have made Kamloops their home.
Barb comes into the position of Agency Coordinator as a registered clinical counsellor who has provided 4 years of counselling support at KSACC to children, youth, and adults who are survivors of sexualized violence. In addition to direct counselling experience, Barb has been involved in program management and policy development with a variety of non-profits within British Columbia and Alberta. Her practical experience encouraged Barb to continue her education to achieve a Master of Counselling Degree in 2015.
Barb enjoys the outdoor activities that Kamloops has to offer and believes in the relationship between individual health and community health. As the Agency Coordinator, Barb will continue to support education, prevention, and intervention with regards to sexualized violence.
Pearl started as a volunteer in 1986 and became a full time counsellor in 1991. Her previous experience includes working with emotionally disturbed children; creating and running groups; as well as one to one sessions for men who were violent with their partners. Pearl has also facilitated groups for women and teens who have experienced emotional, physical and sexualized violence in their lives. Pearl now works one to one, as well as in groups, with adults who have experienced physical and sexualized violence.
She believes in adapting the counselling theory to the client and that it can be beneficial for people to be curious about who they are versus the story they have been given by others. Pearl’s approach to healing trauma caused by PTSD and CPTSD includes, but is not limited to, attachment, cognitive, Gestalt, behavioural and narrative techniques.
Heidi is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Masters degree in Counselling from Thompson Rivers University.
Her background is in trauma-informed therapy, including narrative therapy, mindfulness and systemic family therapy. She believes in a holistic approach to counselling and her therapeutic philosophy is built on the belief that people are inherently positive, capable and resourceful with the ability to reflect, understand, and create change within themselves.
Her aim is to help clients better understand the impact trauma has on their mental, emotional and physical well-being, as well as the importance of healthy relationships as a key factor in the process of healing and recovery.
Serena is registered as a Canadian Certified Counsellor through the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. Her clinical practice has included counselling support for children, youth, and adults who have experienced trauma. She has also worked in mental health and addictions as well as with street-involved and forensic populations.
Serena works from a trauma-informed lens to empower and connect with others in their healing journeys. She believes in the relational repair that can occur in the context of safe and supportive relationships. Her approach to helping and healing is guided by holistic and strengths-based practices that foster creativity, curiosity, and self-compassion. Serena utilizes an integrative approach to meet each person where they are at in their healing.
Serena's educational background includes an undergraduate degree in Psychology, a Masters of Education in Counselling, and a PhD in Health Sciences. She has engaged in trauma research focused on supporting children in schools as well as doctoral research that explored the healing experiences of adult survivors of complex trauma.
Jessica is a Registered Art Therapist who works for women who have experienced sexualized and other forms of violence. Jessica's approach understands that the Art Therapy process is individual for each person; that healing begins in a non-verbal place and requires containment as well as exploration; that healing comes from accessing the ways in which we have resisted and responded to trauma and violence; that we can re-tell our stories through acknowledging the strength we already possess. Jessica believes that art is an intrinsic and universal language, and that everyone is in fact an "artist". For additional information about Art Therapy please visit: https://www.canadianarttherapy.org/what-is-art-therapy/
Empathy, authenticity, and dignity are foundational to Jessica's practice. Jessica is consistently awed to be witness to the Art Therapy process, the honour to sit with a person who is engaged creatively, as the art presents a true sense of "who I am, where I've been, and where I am going." Jessica works from response based, trauma-informed, survivor-centered, feminist, holistic and individually honouring perspectives. Jessica is a Registered Art Therapist with the Canadian Art Therapy Association and has received her training through the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute, and the University of Victoria where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts and additional studies in Psychology.
STV - STOPPING THE VIOLENCE PROGRAM (Kamloops & Logan Lake) cbvs - cOMMUNITY bASED vICTIM sERVICES
Julie is the Stopping the Violence Counsellor for the community of Logan Lake. She provides counselling to women who have experienced sexual assault or other forms of violence whether physical or psychological. She also facilitates a girl's group in Logan Lake for girls in grades 9 - 12 on violence prevention.
Julie is a Registered Professional Counsellor with the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association. She joined KSACC in July 2017.
Susie is a Registered Social Worker with experience working for non-profit organizations in Child and Youth Mental Health, Sexual Abuse Intervention, parent support, parent group facilitation, and community counselling. She currently works in KSACC’s Chase office with children 3 to 18 years old who have experienced violence in their families, as well as women who have experienced physical, mental and sexual violence.
Susie works from a holistic and strength–based perspective which locates the struggles faced by an individual within the larger context of society. Her clients are seen as experts in their own lives, each possessing inherent wisdom, strength and capabilities to create change. Within this perspective, Susie supports children and women to understand their experiences of violence, to learn skills to cope with impacts, to develop healthy relationships, and to discover inner resources which facilitate healing. A strong believer in the importance of parents, Susie is always grateful for the opportunity to support adults in their parenting roles. Her approach to counselling is gentle and client-centred, drawing on a wide range of modalities including art and play therapy, mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapy, narrative therapy, attachment and family systems theory. She practices with recognition and respect of the unique history and culture of Aboriginal people.
Jody has been the Victim Support Worker at KSACC for 27 years. Jody started at KSACC in 1987 as a volunteer and in 1992 was hired as the Victim Support Worker.
In this capacity, Jody has assisted women, children and men through the process of going to court and giving evidence as Crown witnesses. She has supported victims of sexual/domestic violence in making reports to the RCMP, and assisted them with completing Victim Impact Statements, Crime Victim Assistance Applications and Third Party Reports.
Jody has sat on several provincial and community boards, representing KSACC and Community Based Victim Services.
Alix is a Registered Social Worker and Coordinator of KSACC's Domestic Violence/ Sexual Assault Response Team (DV/SART). Along with a social work background, Alix also holds a Master's degree in International Development. Alix joined KSACC in 2018, and is also in practice at the Y Women's Emergency Shelter.
Alix is passionate about intersectional feminism and empowerment. She brings with her experience in supporting women and children fleeing violence, as well as volunteer management. Alix approaches this work with a trauma informed lens, and works to support both clients and volunteers with compassion and capacity building. Alix was formally a member of the sexual assault response team at the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, and understands the importance of this program. She is excited to strengthen and grow the DV/SART program in Kamloops, ensuring that this valuable service is safe and accessible for everyone.
Mevonny has been the Business Manager at KSACC since 1997 and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the business and premises of the Centre. In her role as the Business Manager, she works closely with the Agency Coordinator and the Board of Directors to ensure that the business of the Centre runs efficiently.
Prior to coming to Kamloops and KSACC, Mevonny worked in public practice as well as in a business setting. She earned her associate degree in Business Administration and then transferred to accounting, completing her CGA designation in 1987.
Laura has been the receptionist at KSACC for 5 years now, having joined the Centre in 2014. She is the first point of contact at the Centre and strives to make that decision to step through our doors a little bit easier. Besides providing administrative support for the office, she also maintains KSACC's website and social media accounts and provides in-house graphic design support.