Training Team 2023

Somatic Experiencing is such a heart-felt, beautiful way of healing and connecting, and I am so happy to be here with you. I completed the SE training in San Francisco, California in 2014 and have been assisting SE trainings ever since. In California, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and have worked as a psychotherapist in my own private practice since 2012. Somatic Experiencing is the foundation of my work, but I also pull from other modalities that I have been trained in, such as NARM, Neuro-Affective Touch, IFS, and Mindful Self-Compassion to name a few. You can see my full bio on my website.

Since 2020, my practice has been fully on-line. This has allowed me to visit Vancouver for extended periods of time with my husband, who is here helping his elderly parents. I’ve fallen in love with Vancouver and beautiful British Columbia, and am excited to connect with the SE community here.

Ali Fassbender grew up in Saskatchewan and has lived on the West Coast for over 25 years. She has spent her early work life supporting people through dental transitions and, during that time, became a Counsellor and Yoga Therapist focusing on grief and loss. Somatic Experiencing has created the conditions for personal healing and growth that compelled her to become a somatic practitioner. For the last 8 years she has supported folks in the areas of addiction, grief, trauma, and bereavement. Ali volunteers at her local Hospice, the book club at FVI Women’s Prison, and a rape crisis line. 

Ali finds joy in spending time with her family and grandson, appreciating and connecting in nature and taking time to notice even the smallest of creatures.

Amanda Sawatzky began her Somatic Experiencing journey in 1999 (just a baby then 😊) and has been a SEP for 20-plus years.

She is also an RCC (Registered Clinical Counsellor) and CCC (Certified Canadian Counsellor) and is an approved counsellor with FNHA, CVAP, Medavie and ICBC. She has a BA in Psychology as well as Masters in counselling psychology.

Amanda also completed Kathy Kain’s touch training in the early 2000’s and regularly incorporates this into her work.  She is also trained as a level 2 Gottman couples counsellor and EMDR. Amanda has a playful approach to healing and is willing to incorporate multiple ways of working with trauma.

Amanda works with both children and adults, and has a private practice as well as works part-time for a non-profit community agency.

Amanda has assisted at trainings helping others learn this work since 2001 (20+ years) and enjoys supporting others in their learning.  She is approved to do individual sessions and consults at all levels (beginner-advanced).

When Amanda isn’t working, you might find her out for a walk, rollerskating, on a beach somewhere, hanging with her kids, camping or travelling.

I have an MA in Counselling Psychology during which I was introduced to Somatic Experiencing.   My supervisor, David de Rosenroll, an SEP faculty member, introduced Somatic Experiencing into our curriculum.   As graduate students we had the good fortune to do triad work, supervision provided by other SEPs in the Victoria area. The experience fit well with my delving into research/ theory on Infant Mental Health as well as non-finite grief and loss.

My career has been in public health care primarily in the field of mental health and addictions across the lifespan. In my current clinical role, I work with clients who have early years developmental trauma including attachment issues, intergenerational trauma, as well as being subject to social determinants of health. I provide SE, my youngest client being 6, facilitate Circle of Security parenting groups, as well as engage in Attachment Based Family Work. Passions include enhancing family wellness, helping clients develop a relationship with self, and creating capacity for joy.

Looking forward to supporting everyone’s learning and transformations!

Anne is a Registered Social Worker and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. Anne’s virtual private practice is in Ontario, and she is currently living in Comox B.C. Anne travels between Ottawa and Comox on a regular basis. She has 2 adult children who live in Whistler and one in Ottawa. During Covid, she completed training in Family Constellations and last Spring attended The Eye of the Needle SE Level 1 in Saskatoon with Dave Berger and Abi Blakeslee. Anne has training in Sandtray World Play and Play Therapy, and loves how SE can be woven into so many modalities especially play.

Anne loves to be outside and especially cherishes spending time near,
around and in water it is medicine for her soul. Anne tries to be creative in her spare time, whether it is cooking, rug hooking or trying her hand at painting.

Bonnie Olechno is a Registered Nurse Clinician, Psychotherapist and a Somatic experiencing Practitioner (SEP) with enormous compassion dedicated to helping people meet their various needs physically, emotionally and psychologically for the last 19 years. Bonnie uses interventions from Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Mindful Self Compassion, Mindfulness, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Brief Therapy and Somatic Experiencing to help people gain control of stress and complete the stress response. She supports others by helping them to develop a connection to their own personal source of guidance, comfort and well-being by using these various modalities. She has been a contributing member to a Trauma Informed Committee since 2017 in her community.  Bonnie loves Ballet and Ballroom Dancing, gardening, hiking, nature, birds, cats, yoga, decorating and relaxing on the beach.  Bonnie has deep respect for the work of Dr. Peter Levine for his potent psychobiological method for resolving trauma symptoms and relieving chronic stress. Many of her clients have voiced experiencing a restored inner balance, increased resilience to stress, increased vitality, equanimity and capacity to actively engage in life.  Bonnie has a private practice. Bonnie is approved by Somatic Experiencing International to offer Beginning Level Sessions for credit towards the 3 year Professional SE Program. Bonnie is available and offering personal sessions during this training.

I have worked as a body-oriented and expressive arts therapist in Vancouver for many years in private practice, and formerly as a school counsellor. I have studied Dance/Movement Therapy, Process Work, and other body-oriented modalities.

Currently in my practice, I focus on working with developmental trauma, attachment, illness, loss, and spiritual issues. I completed the SE training in 2004, and since then one of my greatest joys has been to assist at SE trainings in many different countries and communities in Canada, the U.S., Asia, India, Australia, and New Zealand, including Diane Poole Heller’s Somatic Attachment Training. I have taken Kathy Kain’s Touch Skills for Therapists, Somatic Resilience and Regulation, Somatics of Emotion, and several of Peter Levine’s Master Classes.

My most recent interest is in Collective Trauma, and working to bring awareness of how the legacy of historic and societal trauma interfaces with individual healing.

I keep myself grounded with both sitting and movement mindfulness practices, and love spending time in the mountains and the forest. I bring a spirit of curiosity and play to my sessions, and look forward to supporting your learning in whatever way I can.

Hi everyone! My path to becoming a counsellor and therapist weaves together three of my greatest passions; creating safe and sacred spaces for transformation, supporting individuals to become more embodied, and deeply understanding the Self. I have a background in outdoor education, bodywork, and dance and movement and discovering SE felt like a whole new way to understand the connection between the body and the mind. Since starting out on the path of SE, I have pursued counselling and am now a registered clinical counsellor and SEP, working both in-person and virtually from my home in Ladysmith, BC.

I work from a holistic approach that supports change and growth through attending to the mind, body, emotions, and spirit. I believe that through connecting to our inner wisdom, we all have an innate capacity to heal. I bring a gentle curiosity and a capacity to hold the light in the darkest of depths, offering a safe space where you can reflect, expand, and explore your inner world in order to reconnect to your resources, values, and sense of wholeness.

I work with adults, and specialize in working with women who are curious about their inner world and who are committed to the path of self-discovery and growth. I also find working with groups both fascinating and immensely profound, and I regularly facilitate group experiences and retreats geared towards embodiment and self-exploration.

When not working with clients, I love dancing, spending time in nature, and sharing time with my family and friends.

Danielle grew up in wintry and friendly Winnipeg, MB, after which she headed west to complete her physiotherapy degree in 1993 in Edmonton, AB. Upon completion of her degree, she headed further west and has called Victoria, BC her home since then.

Her physiotherapy practice has been in the area of orthopedics (care of the musculoskeletal system) and has evolved with a focus in the area of chronic illness and mental health. She has pursued additional trainings to better support clients, which led her to begin her Somatic Experiencing training in 2016. Little did she know how much SE care she needed herself and how much it would improve her own physical health and mental well-being!

The SE training now informs Danielle’s physiotherapy practice as well as her volunteer work as a counsellor with the Citizens Counselling Centre of Victoria.

She looks forward to supporting students as an assistant in the upcoming Vancouver training and truly considers it an honor and gift to be a part of their learning process.

I work with groups and individuals, remotely and in-person, focusing on early surgical trauma, issues of self-worth, resilience, creativity-blocks, integration of plant-medicine experiences and life-meaning. Helping people to re-connect with their innate resilience and aliveness is vital to my own sense of wellbeing and meaning.

In my work, I use a variety of approaches (SE, IFS, Satir-Model, Psychodrama, Reichian bodywork, Focusing, etc.) all grounded in a ‘Bottom-up’, Body-Wisdom’ approach that is tailored for each client.

I’m a member of the core faculty at www.haven.ca and a Manitoba Satir Centre approved trainer / facilitator. I have worked cross-culturally in both North America and China and live on Gabriola Island, unceded territory of the Island Hul’qumi’num-speaking Snuneymuxw First Nation. I am approved to offer personal sessions at all levels.”

I grew up in Vancouver and have lived in White Rock for the past 20 years. I work as a school counsellor and have a private practice as well. I remember my first course in SE and I fell in love. This was the missing link 😉 I am thrilled to be here with you and continuing this incredible journey of learning and living.

I work with children, adolescents, adults, seniors, couples, and families. I use several modalities including sandtray therapy, DBT, family systems, restorative practice, and SE has worked it’s way into the core of everything I do.

I have 5 children ages 7 – 25 and I love hanging out with them camping, boating, snowboarding, hiking, swimming, biking, skating, reading, playing games and travelling. I love living by the ocean and accessing the numerous trails around us we can walk and bike along.

This is my first training as an assistant. I am looking forward to coming alongside you in your SE journey and learning together.

Hi everyone! I have been on Vancouver Island for over 20 years. Most of my time was spent in the Cowichan Valley, followed by 2 years on the North Island. I am now settled in Campbell River. I currently work part time for a non-profit agency and also have a private practice. I have had the privilege of spending much of my time serving in First Nations communities, mostly with Cowichan Tribes.

My work has been with children and youth who have experienced trauma, as well as women and families. I use sandtray and play therapy, and come from a family systems perspective. SE informs all the work I do, and refining these skills is the most exciting ongoing learning I have experienced.

I love hiking, being at the ocean, and hanging out with family and friends. Until moving away from Cowichan, I also went horseback riding regularly.

This is the second training I will be assisting in. I am really looking forward to meeting you all – hopefully in person at some point – as you start your SE journey!

Kelsey is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, working online out of her home office in beautiful Squamish.  Additionally, she has trained in Pre- and Peri-Natal (PPN) Trauma with Myrna Martin, Somatic Resilience and Regulation (SRR) with Kathy Kain and Steve Terell, and various other specialized trainings over the years.  She is an Attachment Theory informed therapist, who is particularly passionate about supporting those who have experienced Developmental Trauma.  In addition to her one on one work, Kelsey loves facilitating in-person and online events and Women’s Circles to support others to develop invaluable relational and somatic skills through safe peer connection.

When she isn’t working, you can find Kelsey hiking or snowboarding in the mountains, curled up with a book, or trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.

Education: I started out with a BA in Psychology and then completed a Masters in Social Work, all through the University of Victoria. I have also completed my SE training along with other therapeutic modalities including EMDR, CBT, Motivational Interviewing and grief-focused therapy.

Work Experience: I have worked in a variety of health care settings for over 15 years. I began my career at BC Children’s Hospital in the inpatient psychiatric units and the Psychiatric Emergency Unit. Since then I have worked with VCH in a variety of health care settings including: VGH, rehabilitation units, a terminal illness specific team & palliative care team as a Social Worker. I also started a private counselling practice in 2017 based in Vancouver, BC.

Hobbies & Interests: My hobbies and interests include outdoor activities, engaging in active ways of stress relief, travelling, funny podcasts, audible, watching really terrible reality tv and spending time with my family & friends, and chips.

 I am a practitioner of Somatic Experiencing ® and Biodynamic Craniosacral therapy with a bodywork background in massage therapy. My passion and work at Integrated Body Solutions is to help those of you who are suffering from the fixed patterns of trauma, distress, anxiety and shut down come back more into your bodies and inhabit the entirety of your experience, uniting body and spirit. 

I like to impart in my clients the perspective, a deeper recognition that although all their unresolved past traumas are indeed triggers for their suffering, they are more than this alone. They are not just an anguish to resolve as quickly as possible and get beyond. They are not just carriers of residual suffering. They are a precise and personal gateway, that when compassionately welcomed, embraced and metabolized will ultimately help fortify them into greater actualization, will help unite spirit and body. The more we feel and recognize the resulting thrust of aliveness that comes from this shift, the more we will naturally transition from being ruled by the avoidance of pain to the desire to be real no matter the cost. It has been my observation that we are all somewhere on the continuum of getting this fully. There is very few of us who could not benefit from integrating this even further. 

When those who have undergone cataclysmic adversity and come through the other side being all the stronger and more actualized saying, “if I could go back in time and erase all my sources of great suffering, I would not change a thing”, I believe they are speaking directly to the wise perspective of seeing the catalytic gift in anguish. They are recognizing that their anguish is not just something to overcome as quickly as possible but as something to harness with a corrective perspective for its transformative power. Here lay a golden thread I find invaluable to weave into my work. 

 One of my sub-specialties is working with people who are dedicated students of spiritual work and find themselves running up against unresolved trauma as an impediment to their spiritual work and practices. I am a dedicated student of spiritual work myself for over 40 years now. 

Education: 

College of Marin, Kentfield, CA 1993-1994 

IPSB massage school, San Diego, CA 1991 

SETI, Berkeley, CA 2018-2020

BCST training San Rafael, CA 2019-today 

Mj grew up in various cities across Western Canada and has resided in the Edmonton area for the past 24 years.

Mj has spent her life healing leading her to become a Grief Recovery Counsellor in 2008.  Mj has been supporting others in Grief and Complicated Grief via Trauma ever since.

Somatic Experiencing changed her life, it supported a lot of integration of her 30 years of studies in Trauma and PTSD. Leading Mj to become a Somatic Practitioner.  Mj is currently studying Counselling that will be completed early May 2023.

Mj is a licensed Grief and Trauma Recovery Counsellor.

Mj has been the volunteer Facilitator for the Caring Friends Bereavement group in The town of Stony Plain AB since Nov 2021.

Mj’s number one hobby is learning and supporting people as they discover themselves through healing.  She loves reading, camping and being in Mexico.  She is a wife and a mother of 3 adult children and has 8 grandchildren ages 4 through 24.  Mj has two small dogs, a yorkie Pixie, and a silky Hazel.

Mj’s family is her heart and keep her young and motivated

I am a Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling, Registered Professional Counsellor and Certified Provisional Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. I work with individuals suffering from a wide spectrum of symptoms and pain and have a lifelong interest in health and healing. In my clinical work, I am empathetic, curious, and dedicated to personal and professional development. I join clients on their way to selfcare, healthy boundaries, and a more regulated nervous system with a better capacity to live their life at its fullest.

I have received numerous trainings in various therapeutic modalities including Family Systems, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Reality Therapy, Gottman couples coaching and many others.

My ongoing curiosity about the connection between mind, body and spirit led me to begin Somatic Experiencing training in 2016 which sparked my love for ongoing growth. Since then I have been increasingly inspired to assist and support others in their journey of personal and professional growth.

’m grateful to be part of the S.E. learning process with you. A bit about me, I’m of Irish decent and respectfully acknowledge that the land I live, work, and play on is the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. I enjoy taking part in activities in the nature that surrounds Vancouver.

I am a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor- RTC and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner-SEP, in private practice in Vancouver, BC. My work integrates Somatic Experiencing® trauma healing (including early developmental trauma from pre-verbal periods), Therapeutic Counselling, Hakomi (a body-centered system of psychotherapy) and Biodynamic Breathwork & Trauma Release. My passion is leading group processes including facilitating a men’s group.

All too often we focus on what’s wrong and on trying to find “the answers” to fix everything. Nicole’s work is based instead on emphasizing that you are already whole.

Her practice is largely influenced by the work of Kathy Kain, Peter Levine, Moshe Feldenkrais and Chris Dierkes. As a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner®️, Feldenkrais Practitioner®️ and yoga teacher, her knowledge of the body, mind and soul greatly influences how she supports others from a very intuitive, energetic and somatic place.

As someone who both values and sees self exploration, healing and the spiritual practice as being vital for transformation, her intention is to support others in gaining greater access to the pieces that are blocking them from feeling more alive and whole.

Time in nature, connection with friends and family and movement of all kinds are important to her and you’ll often find her out on walks with her dog, surfing, mountain biking, SUP’ing and enjoying peoples company, usually accompanied with delicious food!

Hello! I’m Prema McKeever. After a 15-year career as an acupuncturist and herbalist I changed direction and dived into the world of understanding trauma’s impact on the mind and body. I obtained my SEP in 2018 and have assisted at beginner, intermediate and advanced SE trainings. I have taken additional advanced SE courses including Syndromes ~ Working with the Somatic Side of Trauma with Dr. Levine and Somatic Resilience and Regulation from Kathy Kain and Stephen Terrell. Touch work forms a large part of my private practice.

Today I facilitate transformational workshops and have a full-time practice on zoom and in-person from my home in East Van. My goal is to provide a safe, heart-centred place of openness and acceptance in which individuals are able to develop greater awareness of their body, feelings, strengths, and connect to their own wisdom and joy. I am client-centred and use approaches such as mindfulness, Somatic Experiencing, Hakomi, and BioDynamic Breathwork & Trauma Release System. In private sessions and groups, my focus is on releasing the trauma held in our bodies so that we can create healthier, more authentic and passion-filled lives.

I love Somatic Experiencing and am thrilled to be one of the organizers of the SE trainings in the Vancouver area! I look forward to working with you and being a part of building the SE community in Vancouver and across Canada.

Sheryl is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in private practice in Vancouver, BC. Her client population is mostly those who have experienced early developmental and developmental trauma. Touch therapy is a regular part of her practice. In addition to Somatic Experiencing, Sheryl has additionally completed Kathy Kain’s Touch Skills for Trauma Therapists (TST), Kathy and Steve Terrell’s Somatic Regulation and Resiliency (SRR), Steve Terrell’s Transforming the Experience-Based Brain (TEB) and other one-off touch trainings offered by Kathy Kain. She is an IFS-informed therapist, often using this in combination with SE, and a Level 2 PACT therapist working with couples. In addition to her clinical counselling work, Sheryl is a vocational rehabilitation professional who assists clients in the return-to-work process post-injury/illness and when needed, acts as a vocational expert in matters of personal injury including medical malpractice.

All work and no play makes for a dull therapist. In her free time, Sheryl enjoys cycling, hiking, cross country skiing, cooking, reading, and listening to comedy podcasts.

Sybil is a Registered Counselling Therapist based in the beautiful Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. She has been practicing Somatic Experiencing since 2012, and has attended many SE trainings, including Master Classes with Peter Levine. From an attachment perspective, she incorporates many other modalities into her practice, including Transforming the Experience-Based Brain (TEB), EFIT (Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy), Somatic Touch Skills (Kathy Kain), IFS (Internal Family Systems) and others.

Sybil enjoys time with her family, which includes her husband of 21 years, two children ages 13 & 15, two chocolate doodle dogs, and our ‘zoom’ cats Katie and Emi, as well as time at the lake and the ocean.

Tait MacFarlane is a clinical counsellor in private practice who lives and works on the unceded territory of the Tsawout First Nation, in Saanichton, B.C. She works with people of all ages, including children and youth, families, and couples.

Tait started exploring Somatic Experiencing with a therapist twenty years ago, which led to earning her SEP in 2011 and assisting at many SE trainings in B.C. and the U.S. since then.

Tait has completed Peter Levine’s Master Class in treating depression and aggression and numerous touch trainings with Kathy Kain and Steve Terrell. She incorporates somatic touch in her practice and has extensive experience working with people who have experienced relational and developmental trauma, shock trauma, and grief and loss.

Tait brings presence and curiosity to her work. She recently completed a mindfulness teacher training program with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. She uses diverse approaches when counselling, including mindfulness, visualization, play and expressive therapies, family systems, and narrative therapy.
Tait loves nature, hiking in the woods, walking on beaches, swimming, skiing, dancing, yoga, mindfulness practice, being with friends and family, and doing less, not more.

Tara is a Physician who lives in Ottawa, ON and her practice is limited to Psychotherapy in the context of grief and trauma. She has 3 adult children, one of whom attends UBC so assisting in BC is combined with a visit with her son! She loves singing in a choir, reading, yoga, walking, and hanging out with her dog Mika.