{"id":2586,"date":"2025-09-30T05:57:48","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T05:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/recovhercounselling.ca\/?p=2586"},"modified":"2025-09-30T06:20:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T06:20:25","slug":"truth-reconciliation-and-supporting-women-reflections-from-a-clinical-counsellor-in-stolo-territory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/recovhercounselling.ca\/?p=2586","title":{"rendered":"Truth, Reconciliation, and Supporting Women: Reflections from a Clinical Counsellor in St\u00f3:l\u014d Territory"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2586\" class=\"elementor elementor-2586\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4ba54962 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4ba54962\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1fc1d5f6\" data-id=\"1fc1d5f6\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-404bfae4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"404bfae4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>I live and work on the unceded, traditional, and ancestral territory of the St\u00f3:l\u014d Nation, I am a mother of two Indigenous children, and a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), supporting women, who have been impacted by Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).&nbsp;<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>As I bear witness to the stories of harm and wounds that have become part of the fabric of one\u2019s DNA, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a time of deep reflection. It calls upon us, to honour the survivors of residential schools, remember the children who never came home, and examine how colonial violence continues to shape the lives of Indigenous peoples today.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Truth: Naming Violence, Bearing Witness<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>In my counselling practice, truth often marks the beginning of healing. For women who have experienced IPV, speaking the truth \u2014 \u201csaying <em>this happened to me\u201d<\/em> \u2014 can create fear of inciting harm, retribution and disbelief.&nbsp; Truth be told, this is a looking glass into the shortcomings of our charge assessment standards and the threshold needed to prosecute offences. &nbsp;<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Such silencing however, mirrors the experience of many residential school survivors who, for decades, were denied recognition, justice, and support. Like them, many of the women I work with carry complex trauma rooted not only in personal experience but also in systemic failure.&nbsp; As stated in the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (2019):<i> &#8220;Indigenous women face some of the highest rates of gender-based violence in this country.&#8221;<\/i> This is not just a statistic; it is a reflection of systemic racism, poverty, intergenerational trauma, and the lasting impacts of colonization.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reconciliation: Not Just a Buzzword<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>As a society, we are still far from reconciliation \u2014 especially when we examine how little meaningful support is offered to Indigenous peoples today.&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\">We see this clearly in the chronic underfunding of Indigenous health and wellness. Despite ongoing trauma, the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) recently cut counselling coverage for many Indigenous clients. This decision has left individuals (often survivors of violence or intergenerational trauma) with even fewer options for support.&nbsp; Folks are pushed toward the limitations of community-based resources with overwhelming waitlists and short-term models of care.&nbsp; Not only does this further entrench inequality, it extinguishes hope for generations to come\u2014our children.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\"><br><\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>As professionals, we are required to take cultural safety training and ensure our email signatures are appropriately marked with land acknowledgments. &nbsp;While these initiatives are valuable and support in relationship building, if they are not paired with accountability and action, they risk becoming box-ticking exercises and performative gestures.&nbsp; If a land acknowledgment is the only Indigenous-related statement a person or organization makes, and if no Indigenous people are consulted, centered, or supported, it rings hollow.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Work We Must Do<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Reconciliation cannot be achieved through words alone. It must show up in:<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:list --><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><!-- wp:list-item --><\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Policies that prioritize Indigenous-led healing and mental health supports<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Long-term, sustainable funding that honours Indigenous sovereignty and wellness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>True accountability in how services are delivered and who they serve<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>And in every therapeutic relationship, where trust, humility, and cultural safety are not optional, but essential<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>My Commitment<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>As a mother and Registered Clinical Counsellor, I am committed to walking this path \u2014 imperfectly, but intentionally. I will continue to:<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:list --><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><!-- wp:list-item --><\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create safer spaces for all women, particularly Indigenous women who are so often over-targeted and under-supported<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Challenge systems that perpetuate colonial violence and racism<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Advocate for real investment in Indigenous wellness, beyond symbolic gestures<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>And approach every client\u2019s story with care, respect, and a trauma-informed lens<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I hold space for the truths that have been buried, the lives that have been lost, and the healing that is still needed.&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\">Reconciliation is not just for Indigenous people to carry. It is a collective responsibility, and it must live in our practices, our institutions, and our hearts<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I live and work on the unceded, traditional, and ancestral territory of the St\u00f3:l\u014d Nation, I am a mother of two Indigenous children, and a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), supporting women, who have been impacted by Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).&nbsp; As I bear witness to the stories of harm and wounds that have become part 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