Find the right person to talk to

At Resilient Resistance we have worked hard to try and ensure that each person offering services has a basic understanding of the kind of challenges a person coming off or existing in resistance and anti-oppression spaces will have endured.

We hope that you can find someone here that you can connect with and get the help you need as well as some tools to maintain your sense of well being and resiliency while fighting against oppression, state violence, and extraction.

How it works

Before you have your first session, you will fill out an application to make sure the people that this service is built for are the ones who are using it. No personal information will be asked of you except an email for contacting purposes. It is imperative that you feel safe and protected while using this service.

The application is going to ask you which practitioner you would like to initiate a conversation with. (you can choose two to start with)

Below is a list of wellness practitioners who have joined this network. You will be able to have a 15-20 minute introductory conversation with any of these folks to ensure you have connected with the right person. In the application there is a spot to enter the name(s) of a practitioner.

Once you have decided on someone, sent in the application, the contact for your choice(s) will be sent to you. From there the appointment times and communications will be up to you. At this time we are offering 3-5 sessions per front line folk to make sure that as many people can receive this service, as there is only so much money raised for this project so far.

A Note on Security Culture

It is important that during the initial consultation with each practitioner that you are made clear what can and cannot be discussed with them. Ask them what their protocol is when discussing past potential illegal activities, current, or future situations you may find yourself in. Make sure you keep yourself and your comrades safe by setting the boundaries. These folks that have chosen to be a part of this initiative do know the kind of people they are serving, but just make sure you understand what their responsibilities are and take that into account. They should be responsible in their care enough to tell you what is acceptable and how they deal with situations like yours.

The fear of incriminating yourself or others is not a good enough reason to not at least attempt to seek help. The right person and the proper clarity around security culture and the trust built between you and your person can be safe, and so very important so you can maintain resilience in the face of state oppression. We need you and we need each other.

Jada Wright, MA

Jada Wright is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), specializing in body image, confidence, self-identity, self-worth, and racial/cultural identity. Her therapeutic approach is uniquely tailored to the individual to best support their goals and healing. Jada believes that everyone has a purpose, and on her journey to enrich the lives of others, she wants to be able to shift the narrative of what society says you ought to do based on old ideals that were never inclusive. She has received her Masters degree in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University.

Milah Smith BSc., MA, CCC

I am a Queer social anarchist who wants to create a soft landing place for you to heal, reconnect, and re-remember the inner and outer resources we have along this journey.  I know the importance of having a chosen family and collective community to come home to as a result of my own past experiences as an activist, having mental health challenges, and being unhoused.  These experiences shape the way I offer counseling support.  It is my hope that together we can create a space to rest from the impact of violent systems, and honour your work and commitment, creating a space for your heart to be held.  By creating connection and trust we can find ways of integrating traumatic experiences, reclaiming our sense of ourselves and tuning into our intuition.  Living in these oppressive systems and fighting for change can at times break our spirit or leave us reeling and traumatized, but it is my hope that through connection and unpacking these experiences that you can continue to trust in yourself , and know that you are not alone.   I hope for you to feel a gentle presence ready to talk and explore, make meaning, and restore our sense of belonging.  

It is important to note that I am white, gender queer, Queer, straight sized, neurodiverse person living on Quw’utsun territory (Cowichan/Duncan, BC) and can support people living in BC, Saskatchewan and the Yukon at this time either online or in person in Duncan,BC. 

Nazbah Tom, MA (they/them)

Somatic practitioner

My name is Nazbah Tom. I am Diné and grew up in my ancestral homelands in Dinétah in so-called Arizona, USA. My training is in drama therapy (2004-2007) and somatics (various training spanning the years 2006-2019) (generative somatic lineage developed in Oakland, CA). 

I have worked with a variety of populations including:

  • an Indigenous community health centre setting in Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area for 10 years, 

  • inpatient recovery program with focus on Indigenous clientele and healing/recovery methods (also in Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area), 

  • leading somatic healing groups in person and online, 

  • speaking on panels, 

  • training to supervise other somatic practitioners,

  • offering somatic skills building workshops for universities and agencies, and 

  • offering 1 on 1 sessions for Indigenous movement leaders and workers in areas of social and environmental justice. 

My thinking and sense of healing is that our bodies/minds/hearts are the first lands we are invited to tend to and take care of. We have been taught how to have a relationship with ourselves that is informed by colonial standards that disconnect us from the wisdom below our necks. This disconnection has a costly impact on our beliefs and relationship to ourselves, with each other, it shapes our work, and reveals how we treat the land. 

Usually we operate from a place where what we value and care about is not in alignment with how we are showing up in the world. I guide each person towards a different relationship with themselves to be more aligned and connected to their values and what they care about. Through creating a sense of safety and stability, building somatic awareness, we can create a space that allows us to process and integrate trauma, and incorporate skills we missed out on because we were busy surviving. 

My hope is to support each person to become more powerful, have more choice, and move in the world from their values and what they care about.

Lanise Lywood

Welcome.

My name is Lanise and I am a Psychotherapist.
My approach to therapy is an open, restorative, and collaborative one. I believe in the inherent value of everything in creation and each person’s potential to heal. My desire is to help you recognize where you want to be and then journey alongside you to get there.

The work you are doing, fighting against colonial extraction and state violence, is hard… to say the least. My aim is to provide mental health support that reduces the impact of harm on you, whether for sustainability on the frontlines, or for reintegrating back into other environments.

I look forward to speaking with you.

 

Brett Mason,

MSW, RSW (all pronouns)

“All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you.” -Octavia Butler

I support people in finding the sparkle, hope, and joy in life again. The weight of the injustices in the world, trauma, and our personal experiences can be very heavy (to put it mildly), which can lead to depression, anxiety, grief, loneliness, feeling numb or feeling burnt out. I believe that people involved in liberation movements are inherently hopeful as we believe another world is possible and worth fighting for – this is a strong place from which to start counselling.

Counselling with me will strengthen the ways you cope, help you re-story your life and support you in changing negative or self-deprecating thought patterns.

I am a fat, non-binary, trans, queer, disabled person of French, English, Germanic and Irish descent who is committed to anti-racist and decolonial / unsettling work. I am interested in working with white people to deconstruct and address the ways we perpetuate racism, as well as holding space for racialized folks.

Some communities that have felt like home to me have been:

  • Punk & anarchist communities

  • Indigenous-led landback communities

  • Disability pride and disabled communities

  • Queer & trans communities (including queer kink communities, sex work, etc.)

Therapy provided:

  • Individual or family therapy

  • Children (age 10-12 in-person only), Youth (age 12+) & Adult (any age)

  • Virtual (online or by phone) & in-person in North Cowichan (Vancouver Island)

  • I am able to help with the following paperwork as part of our sessions:

  • PWD (Persons with Disabilities) applications

  • Hormone Readiness Assessments for gender-affirming care

  • Surgical Care Planning for gender-affirming care

  • ADHD clinical impressions reports

Belinda Lacombe

Belinda Lacombe, Indigenous name Blue Buffalo Woman (Sipikisoo, Moostoos Iskwew) is a Metis woman originating from the Fishing Lake Metis Settlement in Alberta. She currently lives on the traditional unceded territory of the Wet’su’we’tin in Northwest BC.

Belinda has worked as an anti-violence advocate/educator/therapist for over 17 years, she is highly respected as a program and community developer. She is a survivor of the unique genocide experienced by Metis children and their families in Canada. She holds the position of Regional Mentor with British Columbia’s Community Resource Networks Society; she is an instructor of Aboriginal Focusing Oriented Trauma Training (IFOT) and Indigenous Tools for Living (ITFL). Training programs that are genocide informed, land-based and body centered.

Over the last few years Belinda has grounded her work in uncovering and dismantling the links between colonialism and systemic violence that has and continues to impact Indigenous peoples, families, communities and nations through one-on-one counselling, educations, community development and social activism. As a survivor of cultural genocide Belinda understands and affirms that culture truly does save lives and that decolonizing one person at a time makes a path towards collective wellness.

Gina Mowatt

Gina Mowatt (they/she) is a member of the Gitxsan Nation and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor. Gina provides therapeutic services and approaches to support clients in day-to-day experiences with grief and loss, anxiety and depression, substance use disorders, trauma recovery, and general healing and well-being. Their services aim to be anti-oppressive/colonial and oriented towards BIPOC safety and care, as well as queer/LGBTQ2SIA+ inclusivity. Gina offers culturally relevant approaches when appropriate.

Nashina Merani Miranda

Hi, my name is Nashina Merani Miranda and I am a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor with a private practice located in Burnaby, BC. As a therapist, I prioritize working with and for BIPOC individuals. When we experience overwhelming emotions such as pain, anger, or grief, we may adopt various coping mechanisms such as isolating ourselves, lashing out, shutting down or numbing out. However, these coping mechanisms can have a challenging impact on our well-being, relationships, and physical and psychological health. The key to exploring alternative ways to cope is through connecting with others who can bear witness to all aspects of ourselves, even the difficult parts. With non-judgment, compassion and a unique understanding of how to support you, seeking professional support is one way to take that first step toward healing.

Kari Gundersen

I help people of all genders heal from stress or trauma, improve their emotional and relational intelligence, and to live smoother, deeper, more meaningful lives. 

My therapeutic technique is a holistic and trauma-informed blend of Transpersonal Psychology, Bowen Family Systems, Compassionate Inquiry, Polyvagal Theory, and Inner Child Work. My perspective is progressive, intersectionally feminist, Pro-Choice, Anti-Racist, Queer, Trans, Poly, and Sex Worker friendly.  

I am of mixed Western European ancestry, and my name is Norwegian. I’m learning to speak French and Spanish, which are also parts of my heritage. I’m inspired by nature-based spiritual practices like Buddhism, Hygge, and Wicca. 

I proudly identify as a member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and I am learning to better understand the historically marginalized and misrepresented members of my community, and how to decolonize my practice.