Training Team

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 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.

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.”

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.

I have been in love with movement since the moment I was conceived:) Somatic experiencing, being a somatic being, is a way of life, something that makes me more me. My educational history includes a B.SC in Rehab Medicine in 1984 (physiotherapy and occupational therapy) and a Master’s in Clinical Counselling with an emphasis in depth psychology in 2013. My play history includes constant exploration of the sacred space of my body container and how it moves and connects to the rest of the planet. I have been trained in craniosacral, visceral manipulation and other osteopathic techniques, working with a gentle hands-on approach for the past 35 years. My personal and professional journey led me to Self- Regulation training and then to Somatic Experiencing. Kathy Kain and Steve Terrell have inspired me through Touch Training, Somatic Regulation and Resilience, and the Somatics of Emotions(Tony Richardson). I have explored Continuum movement with Emilie Conrad, Susan Harper and others, Spatial Dynamics with Jaime Macmillan, Contact Improv, Authentic Movement, 5 Rhythms, and other movement practices. We are living at such an exciting, creative time when bringing our most whole expressive self is what the world is calling for. I look forward to holding a space where that can unfold.

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.

Nada is a clinical counsellor working in private practice out of South Delta, British Columbia. She works with individuals and families who have experienced trauma and who are working to reconnect with their inner self while also developing healthier relationships with others. She guides clients
and their families to promote growth and a more regulated nervous system in order to have a better capacity to live their lives to the fullest.

In her practice, Nada integrates Somatic Experiencing, Family systems, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and couples coaching modalities. Her areas of focus include trauma, grief and loss, and life transitions. Additionally, her recent interest is family impact on intergenerational trauma.

Nada joined the SE Assisting/Training community in 2020, and since then, she has assisted in SE trainings with great joy in both Canada and US. She has been fortunate to have assisted with Linda Stelte Berns Galloway, withLinda Stelte, Berns Galloway, Joshua Sylvae, and Abi Blakeslee. As a training assistant, it is her intention to hold a safe space while offering students support and compassion on their journey to learning the model and applying SE techniques.

Outside of providing therapeutic support, Nada loves to spend time with her family and friends and deeply cherishes time in nature: taking walks, biking, hiking in the woods and gardening. She also very much enjoys and appreciates traveling and exploring new parts of the world.

’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.

Hello! I’m Peggy Forsberg. I am Saskatchewan born and raised, living in Regina. My career started in rehabilitation working with injured workers and those involved in motor vehicle collisions. Over the years I came to know that there was so much more than just physical forces involved in injury and recovery. Many years of SE treatments for myself, attaining my SEP, and additional Touch training with Kathy Kaine helped me realize how our bodies are always looking out for our best interests. These days I aim to honour our bodies’ wisdom in all that we do.

I currently have a private practice in Regina largely based on touch work done in person or remotely. My volunteering ranges from baby cuddling to sorting donations at our local art exchange.

When not working I enjoy walking in nature, painting, visiting with family, gardening and creating gastronomic delights in the kitchen.

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.

Shama is a Somatic Therapist with more than 16 years of experience in body-centred therapies. Her work mainly targets depression, anxiety, stress-related conditions, developmental and shock trauma. Through her many years of training, practising and synthesizing eastern and western therapeutic modalities that complement each other in her work, she created her unique way of working with clients.

In her sessions, Shama combines different modalities like Somatic Experiencing®, Somatic touch, Bodynamic Developmental Psychology, Brain Spotting, Breath-Work, EFT and Meditation Techniques for healthful integration and wellness.

Shama has had her private practice since 2016 in Vancouver, BC.

SOME OF SHAMA’S TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS INCLUDE

Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Training

Bodynamics.

Relational Trauma Therapy: Identity, Stress and Trauma;

Including and Awakening Hypo Response

Hypnotherapy Training

Brain-spotting – Phase One / Phase 2

Diamond Breath Master Training

Sexual Awareness Counsellor Training

Relationship Counsellor Training

EFT-Emotional Freedom Technique

Reichen / Character Structure Analysis

Meditative Therapies facilitator Training

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.

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.