Wisdom of Trauma Documentary Screening & Panel Discussion

In this 90-minute documentary, discover the interconnected epidemics of anxiety, chronic illness, and substance use disorder.

In the Wisdom of Trauma, we travel alongside physician, bestselling author, and Order of Canada recipient Dr. Gabor Maté to explore why Western society is facing such epidemics. This is a journey with a man who has dedicated his life to understanding the connection between illness, addiction, trauma, and society.

Trauma is the invisible force that shapes our lives. It shapes the way we live, the way we love and the way we make sense of the world. Dr. Maté gives us a new vision: A trauma-informed society in which we are not concerned with fixing behaviours, making diagnoses, suppressing symptoms, and judging, but seek instead to understand the sources from which troubling behaviours and diseases spring. He points us to the path of individual and collective healing.

The film will be followed by a discussion with a local panel.

Kelsi Baine - Executive Director, Counsellor Upper Island Counselling

Kelsi (she/her) is grateful to be practicing with Upper Island Counselling, on the traditional territory of the Laichwiltach people, since 2007. She has been Executive Director since 2017, and is registered as a CCC with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association since 2006. Areas of clinical specialty and interest for Kelsi include; couple's issues, parenting, grief, mental health and illness, support through addiction recovery, and wellness. Kelsi uses a client centered and trauma informed approach to counselling that recognizes each client’s goals, strengths, resources, and wisdom.

Amy LaRocque-Walker - Counsellor, Carihi Secondary

"I have been a school counsellor in four schools over the past seven years. I am currently a school counsellor at Carihi, and have also worked at North Island Distance Education School, Southgate Middle School and Queen Elizabeth Secondary School in the capacity of school counsellor (the latter before moving to Campbell River in 2017). Prior to that I was a learning support and Humanities high school teacher mostly in Surrey, BC at an inner-city school. From my work locally and on the mainland in the capacity of a teacher and school counsellor, I have witnessed firsthand the impact that trauma can have on our youth. When our students arrive to school, not all of them are in a position where they can engage in school work due to everything else that they have going on currently in their lives. It is very important to me that we meet students where they are and assume that all students need to be handled with care."

Sarah Day - Clinical Counsellor, John Howard Society

Sarah Day is a Clinical Counsellor at the John Howard Society of North Island with a Master of Arts in Conflict Analysis and Management. Sarah provides consultation and community workshops for service providers, schools and caregivers who aim to provide trauma-informed practices when working with youth. Sarah has focused on understanding and responding to behavioural needs, with an awareness that trauma experiences impact how individuals respond in conflict situations. Sarah’s thesis highlights the disproportionate outcomes for youth in care, as maladaptive behaviours increase the risk for youth justice involvement. Sarah’s research recommends a need for more effective interventions for youth who have adverse childhood experiences and increased mental health/behavioural needs. Sarah believes by first understanding an individual's internalized needs; we can enhance the capacity and willingness to address externalized behaviours more effectively. Sarah advocates for practitioners to use innovative approaches in responding to maladaptive conflict behaviours. Sarah’s research found that youth can be supported to change, grow and learn when they feel safe and can explore conflict behaviours with curiosity and trauma-informed practices that foster insight for the youth and others.