Deva is currently employed with Moose Factory Island District Area School Board  as a Child and Youth clinician. Since 2013 she has been living in her partner’s home of Moose Factory, Ont, to immerse her children in their Moose Cree culture and tradition to begin their journey as successful James Bay harvesters. Deva is a proud Blackfoot woman from Piikani First Nation in S.Alberta and her beliefs of wellness is guided through the Blackfoot saying “lyiikakimaat”, which tells us to try hard and encourages inner strength.  Deva holds a Master’s of Education degree in Counselling Psychology (UVIC’11) and is both a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) with the College of Registered Psychotherapist of Ontario  and a Canadian Certified Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). Her role within the CCPA has recently grown with becoming the Indigenous Circle Chapter President, which works to ensure Indigenous voices and world views are heard within the Canadian landscape of the counselling profession. In her work with children & youth she draws on play therapy, expressive therapies and yoga practices as a vehicle through which children can freely explore their feelings all while feeling empowered. Recently completed Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy certificate (JIBC ’17) and a Yoga Exercise Specialist certification (YES-90) training and has been begun sharing “Mindfulness Moose yoga” programming at Ministik Elementary school in Moose Factory, Ont.

Cathrine works in private practice in Mi’kma’ki (Antigonish, Nova Scotia) as a feminist trauma therapist specializing in the area of trauma and violence against women. Her past research interests included the history/colonization of medicine and psychiatry as well as Indigenous research methodologies. Cathrine is a member of the dominant settler society; she seeks to contribute to reconciliation by striving to decolonize and Indigenize the practice of psychotherapy, starting with her own practice. Cathrine has a special connection to the Mi’kmaq people as her partner’s children are from Upi’ganjig First Nation in Mi’kma’ki (Charlo, New Brunswick). In her spare time Cathrine loves spending time talking with friends, camping, being near the water, and cudding with her dogs, Zoey and Sophie.

Jamie is originally from Northeastern Ontario and a member of Moose Cree First Nation. She holds her M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology from Western University and a B.A. (Honours) in Psychology from Laurentian University. She has also completed a certificate in Concurrent Disorders from Mohawk College.

She currently works in post-secondary education, providing counselling and support to Indigenous and non-Indigenous post-secondary students. Her number one goal is to build and promote a sense of community amongst students as they work their way towards crossing that stage to receive their diploma. Jamie takes on a client-centred approach grounded in indigenous, cognitive-behavioural, solution-focussed, and positive psychology modalities.

Jamie has also served as a guest lecturer at a number of Ontario universities, focusing on Indigenous social welfare, Indigenous child welfare, the impact of colonization, and the need for intergenerational healing amongst communities.

Jamie has been involved with CCPA since she was a Student Representative for Western University during her final year of graduate school. She is honoured to have been elected as a member of the ICC Executive Committee.

Andrea Currie grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba and is a member of the Métis Nation.  She is the mother of one daughter, Rowan, and drums with We’koqma’qewiskwa, a women’s hand-drumming group from We’koqma’q First Nation in Unama’ki (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia), where she has worked as the community-based therapist for the past eleven years. In addition to her clinical work, she offers a range of wellness programs, and works closely with the We’koqma’q Residential School Survivors.  She believes that understanding the impact of colonial trauma on indigenous communities as well as the community strengths that have enabled us to survive is essential to the provision of culturally safe services.  She provides cultural safety training for mental health practitioners in indigenous communities and in mainstream mental health, and has taught a course on indigenous mental health in the M.Ed. in Counselling program at Acadia University.  She is challenged by the depth and breadth of the need for healing in our indigenous communities and inspired by the depth and breadth of our communities’ resilience and strengths.