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 and the practitioner of your choice.

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.

Aziza Ahmed MSW, RSW

I recognize that we are all on this journey together and that it can feel messy and overwhelming at times. Our identities and feelings of belonging are all tied to the connections we form throughout our lives. I hope to help you nurture your self-awareness so that you may recognize your patterns and transform them to feel more connected and whole. I promise to show up in my authenticity and humanness to support you in your process, so you don’t have to take it on alone. Change can look different for everyone and I will meet you wherever you are, I hope to help you find the path that is right for you

Sometimes just "talking it through" isn't enough. I believe that healing occurs in mind, body and spirit and therefore I integrate somatic (body-based processing), cognitive therapies and relational-cultural-spiritual practices. All of which support a trauma-informed approach to gently guide your exploration.

I am a cis-gendered, heterosexual, settler woman, raised in a South Asian immigrant family. I believe that my position in society has offered me a unique perspective and inspires a sensitivity to understanding the importance of one’s context in shaping their belief systems and identities. I aim to be anti-oppressive and anti-racist in my approach. I recognize the importance of our context in shaping us and therefore approach my work with you from a decolonized perspective. I will walk alongside you in allyship with humility and openness.


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.

This practitioner is not taking on any new clients at this time. Please chose from the other folks on this page.

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. 

Currently unavailable

Aga Forfa, MSW, SEP (she/her)

I trace my lineage of resistance to my grandfather. The story most often told about him is about an act of refusal in the face of state violence in Soviet occupied Poland. Of course, my queer, Mad and disability justice ancestors are closely at my back as well. Though I have been practicing (and receiving!) mental health support for over 15 years, my current offering is specifically oriented to supporting those in liberation movements and impacted by systems of violence.

My therapeutic practice is rooted in somatic modalities; specifically, my training in Somatic Experiencing (SE). This means that my central therapeutic approach centers the body, felt-sense and nervous system. Chances are, if you are dancing, practicing ceremony, protesting, sitting by a river, belly laughing with a friend etc., you are already “doing somatics”. Our bodies live and remember joy, resilience, survival and trauma. Somatic Experiencing, as a therapeutic modality, takes this knowing and engages a process of trauma re-negotiation through felt-sense and nervous system support. Or put another way, it helps us with experiences in which things were “too much too fast” or “too little too often”. Central to my approach is an inherent trust in your knowledge and wisdom, meaning that we work gradually, moving towards an embodiment that makes you feel more capacity + choice.

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.

 

J. Matsui De Roo MA, RCC

Welcome! I am Matsui ( they/them/theirs)  a queer, trans, nonbinary, disabled, neurodivergent, multiracial person with ancestors from Japan, Belgium, France and Ireland. I am grateful to live and work on the unceded, ancestral and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), səl̓ilw̓ ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) Nations.

I work with activists, artists, healers, advocates, academics, caretakers and other changemakers seeking healing, growth, and joy in their relationships with themselves, their community, their culture and the world around them.

I look at healing as a holistic process that includes emotional, mental, physical and spiritual wellness and focuses on re-connecting to the wisdom of our bodies, our ancestors, and the land. I draw from various modalities including somatic, mindfulness and expressive practices, and am honoured to have received a certificate in Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy. I prioritize culturally relevant and respectful ways of healing over colonized and pathologizing approaches to mental health.

I offer individual and relationship counselling to people aged 16+, online or by phone.

As a sansei (third generation Japanese Canadian) with a family history of state sanctioned dispossession and internment, I stand in solidarity with Palestine, Black Lives Matter, Indigenous land defenders and all other justice movements resisting white supremacy and genocidal colonial violence. I will never support criminalizing civil disobedience, mental illness, substance use, sex work, or survival behaviour.

As a counsellor, I acknowledge my profession has been complicit in working with institutions, including police, legal, medical and government systems, with a history and present-day reality of harm towards individuals who are Indigenous, Black, people of colour, trans, queer, disabled and other marginalized groups.  I am committed to prioritizing your safety as you define it, with your chosen supports.

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 and anarchist communities

  • Indigenous-led landback communities

  • Disability pride and disabled communities

  • Queer and 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+) and Adult (any age)

  • Virtual (online or by phone) and 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

Helena Bryn-McLeod (she/her)

Welcome, I’m Helena. I’m here to listen.

Your journey has likely been long and complex—from learning about the world to understanding yourself and how you show up in it. I respect the strength it’s taken to get here and know how heavy the weight of that journey can feel.

I am a queer psychotherapist committed to anti-racism, with a deep passion for languages, education, activism, and sports. My time as a teacher taught me the power of relationship-building and creativity, and I carry that forward in my therapeutic work.

Now, I help people move through complex trauma and heal from the harm of colonial and patriarchal systems. My approach blends Narrative Therapy, Jungian dreamwork, and training by Gabor Maté, along with hypnotherapeutic and somatic techniques to support the body-mind connection.

Above all, I am deeply committed to understanding you — your experiences, your survival, and what you need now. I look forward to meeting you. 

(Helena has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Genocide Studies, a Bachelor of Education, and a Masters in Counselling Psychology).

Ryan Yellowlees, MC, RCC (He/Him)

Engaging in activism, you often carry the weight of social change, fight against systemic injustice and oppression, and push for a better world. But the physical and emotional toll of activism can be heavy, leaving you feeling burnt out, disconnected, lost and alone. I offer a supportive, safe space where you can heal, rediscover your strength, and renew your sense of purpose.

Together, we can embark on a journey toward healing, resilience, and empowerment.

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor. My counselling approach is informed by my personal experience living with a chronic illness and engagement in (dis)ability activism and from social justice, (Dis)ability justice, humanistic, person-centered, and strength-based perspectives. I specialize in general adult counselling, ableism, discrimination, chronic illness, physical(dis)ability, and physical illness. My personal experience living with physical chronic illness contributes to my unique skills and insights to compassionately support you in your journey towards healing and self-empowerment.

I offer individual therapeutic counselling support to persons who are 16+ via phone or Zoom

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.


I continue to work to integrate decolonization and advocacy into my work and working with Resistance Resilience Network lets me support advocates, activists, and resiliency workers directly through its initiative. 

Whether we’re exploring ways to heal from systemic harm, reconnecting with your intuition, or rediscovering your sense of belonging, my hope is to offer a soft landing space where your heart can be held, your experiences honoured, and your resilience celebrated.  

In my practice, I aim to not just meet you where you are but to journey with you toward a place of greater connection, meaning, and self-trust. I work with clients in Canada wide online and in person in Victoria, BC, of ages 5 years and up, individually, as families and in relationships of all structures and dynamics. 

Dizzy Feehan (They/Them) MC, BCYC, RCC, CCC

I am a proud trans, non-binary, polyamorous, neurodivergent, disabled queer counsellor living on the traditional territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples (Victoria, BC). My practice is grounded in creating a collaborative, inclusive, and interactive space where healing and growth can thrive.  

With a Master’s in Counselling (MC) and a Bachelor’s in Child and Youth Care (BCYC), I bring over 10 years of experience working with children, youth, families, relationships, and adults across Alberta and BC. My professional journey has taken me through group care, before-and-after-school programs, schools as an Educational Assistant, community centers, shelters, and counselling settings. I completed my practicum at the City University Counselling Clinic in Victoria, a no-cost counselling center, which solidified my commitment to providing accessible and equitable mental health care.  
My personal experiences and identity shape my counselling approach. As someone who is trans, queer, neurodivergent, and deeply committed to advocacy, I understand the complexities of navigating oppressive systems and the toll they take on our mental health. 

This insight informs my intersectional approach to therapy, where I aim to create a space of safety, connection, and empowerment for all my clients.

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.

Jay Wade

My intention is to provide a heart-centred and grounded space that honours the inner wisdom and unique experiences you live with. I am committed to a trauma-informed and collaborative approach, helping to unfold each counselling session with attention, care, and sensitivity – moving at the speed of trust. My areas of focus include sexuality, masculinity and gender, relationships, communication, conflict, trauma healing, and grief associated with various losses and transitions. I have a variety of approaches, some include somatic / body-based, narrative, strengths-based, and systemic therapies.

I am honoured and humbled to hold space for individuals to process and heal from past experiences and/or seek support for current challenges. I have a Certificate in Counselling and I am currently working towards a Master of Counselling Psychology degree. I am also a Certified Sex Educator, Somatic Coach, and Hospice Volunteer.

Before becoming a counsellor, I worked as a wildlife biologist in remote wilderness settings, assisting non-profits in their aim to protect land and waters from unethical development and resource extraction. I eventually came to the west coast of Turtle Island, where I worked with youth in outdoor settings, using my experiences to create spaces for young people to connect with nature and understand the cultural context and histories of these lands.

I am a white settler of Italian, Irish, and English ancestry, and grew up in the Great Lakes region on Treaty 19 lands. I offer sessions in person, online, and outdoors. My office is located on the lands of Cowichan Tribes / Quw'utsun Territory, also known as Duncan, BC.