Every month going forward, Indigenous Psychological Services will send out our newsletter we call miyo-mahcihoyān to help support your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. miyo-mahcihoyān is Cree and refers to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of a person.
We will showcase language, culture, and stories relevant to Indigenous Psychological Services. You can also expect staff spotlights and written entries as an opportunity to connect with our team. Our goal with this newsletter is to bring more Culture to you!
If there is any content you would like to see in this newsletter that can help your healing, please tell us. If you, your family, or even your agency would like to be celebrated in this newsletter please let us know.
New Location Announcement!
We are moving our Edmonton West End office to: Suite 104, 10335 172 Street NW
We will be at our new location starting July 15, 2024.
Our Name “kakiyaw miyo-awin”
By Leigh Sheldon
The importance of our name...
When I created Indigenous Psychological Services, I felt like something was missing, particularly our name. I reflected with my team on how our name felt too Western. I wanted people to see that we were Indigenous-focused.
Western psychological practices represent a system of all-knowing based on a linear approach to offering support meaning we are the experts. I wanted to be different. I felt that "We are part of a colonial Western system if we do not incorporate the bridging to Indigenous healing ." We can become the system—A system I did not want us to be.
Indigenous-focused reflects the circle approach and reciprocity. The people we work with have the answers, which can come from grassroots teachings and ancestral knowledge already with them. Another words, the people are the experts.
My team reflected on how I needed to embody more of the Two-Eyed Seeing by honoring Indigenous and Western perspectives. Even though I come from a robust clinical background that is complex and trauma-focused, it would need more emphasis on Indigenous healing. My dear friend Kelly Hawreliak, IPS therapist shared the need to attend a ceremony with a Cree name that reflects what we do and how we need to ask our ancestors.
As a team, we submitted protocol with Elder Rose Wabasca. Our agency attended a sweat and we were presented with our name kakiyaw miyo-awin.
kakiyaw-means all / miyo-ayawin-wellness in a good state.
WHOListic approaches are needed too incorporate mind, body, and spirit into healing, daily living, and wellness. We all want a sense of belonging and we all want to be well. Well with ourselves, and well with others. I am thankful to be guided in this journey by the ancestors and to be surrounded by a great team. Picture below are from our ceremony that day.
Provider Spotlight - Meet Jasmine Nanooch!
For July’s staff spotlight, I had a conversation with one of our Indigenous Provisional Psychologists, Jasmine Nanooch, who also happens to be our Director of Community Development! Jasmine works to connect Indigenous communities with counselling services, fostering healing through culturally-enriched support. Many Indigenous people do not know that there is funding and support available for counselling services, and Jasmine has been a gift spreading that message to our community. Her passion for uplifting those around her is very clear to all of us at Indigenous Psychological Services, and I’m so happy our newsletter readers are getting a glimpse at that.
John: What inspired you to pursue a career in psychology, and how has your cultural background influenced your approach to counselling and community outreach?
Jasmine: I grew up on my home reserve from seven years old until I graduated from high school. My mom (grandma) raised me while helping her dad, my Mosum, Andrew Sewepagaham. When my Mosum passed away, and it was just my mom and me, I was entering junior high and high school. I had a good group of friends, cousins, and family around, but I also experienced many different challenges. I also witnessed a lot of challenges as a youth, and at some point, I used to daydream about wanting to bring something better for our young people. I kept thinking about it, and when I was in high school, they asked us, “What do you want to be?”
My Kokum, Florence Nanooch, was our Cree teacher then. She’s a tough woman, she’s been through a lot, and she taught me a lot. Whether she was aware of it or not, I had a lot of respect for her. I wanted to know her story, and I wanted to help our family because even as a teen, it would pain me to know where we had been hurt. I would think other families might feel this way. And one day in Cree class, when some of the kids laughed a bit at how some of the other kids pronounced certain words, my Kokum said, “Don’t laugh at those who are trying to speak Cree because if you do, they may never want to speak it again.”
So, I said I wanted to be a psychologist. I wanted a way to help my family and my community, and I wanted to hear our stories. This was the only way I could think to do it. A way to connect with and support our people, our youth, and our Elders. I wanted to open the doors like my Kokum did in our culture for me, creating a safe space to learn, grow, and get curious about our culture again. Even if all I could do was create a small doorway, that might be enough.
John: As the coordinator for community outreach, what are some of the key initiatives or events you’ve been involved in that you feel have made a meaningful difference in connecting our services with the community?
Jasmine: As a coordinator for community outreach, I believe this job means building community and creating spaces for Indigenous peoples to gather, connect, and heal. Doing so within the city can be a challenge, but it is one I want to try and figure out. I’ve attended quite a few networking and community events to speak about our services at Indigenous Psychological Services, to help spread awareness of what we do here and our different approaches to counselling. I’ve also been a part of community gatherings and events where we offer in-service support, connect with our Elders and community leaders, and set up groups within communities where we might be able to support others in many ways.
Although we have our limitations at times and the barriers to mental health support we often come across, seeing the community and getting the chance to be a part of it in this way allows me to connect with those around us and try to find ways for our agency to build a safe community space for our Indigenous peoples here.
John: How does the two-eyed seeing approach enhance the therapeutic experience for Indigenous clients, and in what ways does this make a significant impact?
Jasmine: Coming from a predominantly Western-run field, the Two-Eyed Seeing approach is the cultural lens that adapts our practice to include and uphold Indigenous ways of being, our understanding of one another, our connection to community, nature, and the Creator, and how we might create healing through the Indigenous lens.
As I learn and grow as an Indigenous counsellor, much of the work I do, and what is so important in working with Indigenous peoples, is the relational aspect—to be in a good relationship with those I work with. To learn and grow together, to find new pathways to walk, and to lean on our cultures for support and healing. I love connecting with my people in this way. This is not a clinical and cold space where we sit face to face in a harshly lit room and I ask detached questions. This is a way for us to build a relationship of trust, understanding, and love, and where, even if only for a short time, I can help carry the weight many of our people have had to carry. And that is something I take from both the Indigenous and therapeutic lenses.
Leigh: Jasmine has played a crucial role in the development of IPS, contributing her wisdom and knowledge to the agency. Leigh often seeks Jasmine's advice and guidance on foundational matters, affectionately referring to her as "Kukom Energy" for her profound wisdom and strength. Jasmine's deep love for her culture and dedication to helping others is evident in all her work.
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