ABOUT LISA

My name is Lisa and living with curiosity about what I have come to call my vulnerability avoidance, has led me to building a new relationship with my nervous system.

Despite being an animal with emotions that seem to get in the way, I have survived to become a professional in the field of mental health, where I share things I have learned through my life experience to inspire and motivate others to use curiosity as a weapon against their own mindset.

I am not an expert, sharing facts earned to obtain degrees or credentials. I am not a scientist studying the efficacy or best practice of anything. I am human like you trying to move toward better inner understanding.

As a trainer and educator, I specialize in trauma informed practice. I have created and facilitated training for community mental health professionals in the hospital where I worked and contractually for CAMH, Hamilton YWCA, Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant Child & Family Services, Hamilton Police and many other community organizations and corporations. Leadership trust that the training I provide to their teams, coming through a lived experience lens is trauma informed, culturally humble and inclusive of varied learning styles. As an adult educator, I invite people in to share learning and to advocate for themselves, remain aware of bias and grow within challenge and emotion. I am a Peer Canada Certified professional and a Certified Life Coach. I hold an Addiction Care and Treatment Online Certificate from the University of British Columbia and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) in Practice Certificate.

I love nature and prioritize connecting to the outdoors. Using all my senses and curiosity I learn so much just being and observing on a hike or in my neighbourhood. It is important to look up and take in the stars and the moon and to appreciate all the little, amazements nature provides. This engagement in simplicity adds up to exponential joy in all of the process of life. And don’t get me started on the big ones like touching waterfalls, rainbows at sunset and eclipse!

Part of my badass transformation includes creative writing, storytelling, public speaking, journaling and now a podcast and finally recording meditations.

Personal and professional development coaching has been part of my career from the beginning. I can’t remember not being curious about psychology, anthropology and the challenges of being human. People describe me as inspirational with a natural ability to encourage the strengths of others. People have said they enjoy working with me because I speak with honesty, hold myself and other accountable, communicating with an authenticity that is real and at the same time gentle.

Window in a decaying, abandoned farmhouse.

I love to explore abandoned places and take photographs. I find solitude in places that appear to be returning to the earth while holding so many stories of extrordinary humans.

I am eager to make a living sharing the next part of my personal discovery, and to grow universal possibilities by having others learn along with me. I am at a place in my life where ‘Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway,’ a quote from Susan Jeffers, takes on new meaning. We are all capable and with a framework and encouragement we will move toward our ideal life.

Yellow Blossom and Quotation from Lousa May Alcott — A quote I have loved as long as I can recall!

Lisa’s Badass Experience and Skills

Communication and Intuition:
- Dedicated to fostering connections, promoting well-being, and practicing inclusive, relational leadership.
- Mutual accountability.
- Advocate for equity-deserving populations with cultural humility.
Proven Expertise:.
- Experienced in creating and facilitating trauma-informed training and onboarding programs with various social service organizations and hospitals.
- Developed interactive teaching methods and facilitated discussions on behavioral change.
- Skilled in building group dynamics online and reframing challenging conversations
- Recognized with the Respect for Diversity Award for trauma-informed care training.
Comprehensive Experience:
- Provided one-on-one support for mental health and substance challenges as part of a multi-disciplinary healthcare teams.
- Focused on strengths, post-traumatic growth and intrinsic motivation as an employer.
- Created intentional wellness programs and co-developed staff values-based evaluation.
Diverse Roles:
- Client Navigator, Director of Staff Development and Wellness, Peer Support Specialist, Business Owner and Early Childhood Educator.
- Coordinated community-building groups and provided crisis intervention.
- Facilitated workshops and retreats centered in mindfulness and mental health fitness.
- Founded communities of practice for professional peers and early childhood educators
Certified and Qualified:
- ACT in Practice Certification, Addiction Care and Treatment Certificate, Principles for Working with Dementia Certificate, and more.
- Certified Facilitator – Suicide Intervention Program, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Certificate, Peer Support Certification, and Trauma Informed Practice
- Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Adult Education

"I confuse people. I have a happy personality but carry a sad soul. I'm bold yet painfully shy. 
I love with all my heart, but at times, I feel completely detached. 
I'm healing while still hurting. 
I'm fiercely dedicated to growth, yet I catch myself in cycles of self-sabotage. 
I'm a mix of contradictions, trying to make sense of it all. 
More than anything, I'm searching for peace amidst the chaos of who I am."  
~FlickerShine~

Thanks for visiting me at my about page!

Badass Podcast

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