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SFU Staff
Indigenous Student Centre
Indigenous Clinical Counsellor
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)

Get to know the ISC staff!

Hello! My name is Jennifer and I am Cree from Northern Alberta on my mother’s side. On my father’s side I am of Settler ancestry (India, Wales).

I have worked at NEC Native Education College for the past 8 years as a coordinator/counsellor of the Family Violence Resouce Centre. Prior to this, I had also worked at the Surrey School District and Options Community Services. I work from an Indigenous, strength-based person/community approach that utilizes relevant and respectful mainstream therapeutic orientations and strive for a holistic balance (emotional, physical, spiritual, mental). I believe it is important to support connections with our Elders and cultural events and explore the development of our identity.

In addition to individual counselling, I have facilitated groups and workshops such as Beating Test Stress and Anxiety, Recognizing and Fighting Back to Depressions, and Lateral Violence 101. I have also been involved in wellness programming for Indigenous students, including lunchtime Yoga, Dragon Boating, and Healing through the Arts (beading, drum-making, painting). 

In her Staff Sunday post, Jennifer shares a bit about her weekend activities and tips for staying grounded.

“The weekend is my time to rest and recharge! I am mindful of the medicine wheel teachings to take care of the whole self (intellectual, physical, spiritual and emotional) in my downtime.

Some of the things that my children and I enjoy most are walks, making art and rock hunting. Rain or shine we try to make it outside, even if for a short walk to the mailbox. Meeting a small goal even on the days that it is hard to get out of bed can boost our mood and energy. We love to do our art, each having our own style. I love to see what each of my children create and it is so fun to get lost in the flow of the process. We are also avid rock hunters! I find myself drawn to rocks and over the years have noticed the grounding comfort that they can bring when feeling stressed or overwhelmed. A practice that has helped me is holding a rock in my hand feeling its weight, coldness, and curves and concentrating on belly breaths. Is there a grounding exercise/activity that you find helpful in stressful moments?”


This post was originally posted on the ISC Instagram page on March 8th, 2021.

SFU Staff
Indigenous Student Centre
Indigenous Clinical Counsellor
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
Jennifer is a registered clinical counsellor working with SFU’s Indigenous Student Centre (ISC). She works from a braided practice that honours Indigenous knowledge, strength-based person/community centered approach and relevant, respectful, mainstream therapeutic orientations that strive for holistic balance (emotional, physical, spiritual, intellectual).
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Mar 8, 2021