Virtual Counselling for Indigenous People in Ontario
SHE:KON ... BOOZHOO ... HI!
I'M DR. DANA SEYMOUR
I'm an Indigenous therapist, NIHB provider, and educator in Ontario.
I'm passionate about helping Indigenous people
heal and empowering them to focus on their mental health.
You Don't Have to Walk This Path Alone
I am drawn to helping Indigenous people understand and learn what makes them feel balanced, rooted, and grounded.
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The extraordinary part of life's hardships, is that we have the inner strength to weather the hard seasons. I believe that as Indigenous people, we are inherently resilient, it's a gift from our ancestors. But when we are in the depths of life's challenges, it's difficult to see our own inner strength and resilience. Part of the therapy process, is helping you see your strengths, your resiliency, your gifts, and your voice. I believe these are already planted within you and I'll help you see them too.
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I believe that humour and laughter is just good medicine. Even in the tough seasons.
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As your therapist my priority is to provide sacred confidential space and stillness for you to process your personal experiences.
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I believe there is power in story telling. And that therapy is telling your story. It is the inner narrative of your experiences and understanding.
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The aim of therapy isn't too avoid the hard emotions or stress that are inherent in life, but instead to learn how to maneuver the hard seasons. Define your strengths. To nurture yourself. To learn. To grow. And, to heal.
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The issues that bring people to therapy are often specific ... they are feeling overwhelmed from stress. They are experiencing a difficult situation in life. Anxiety or depression keeps popping up. A situation from the past keeps getting triggered.
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My goal for counselling is to build a collaborative relationship with you that offers encouragement with how far you've come and to help you heal as you move forward.
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I'm a Rez girl from
Akwesasne Mohawk Territory
I'm a small community Rez girl from the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. I grew up surrounded by our Mohawk language, learning from my grandparents as they lived off the land, and learning our traditional teachings.
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My master's and doctorate in clinical psychology focused on how important our Indigenous teachings, culture, and heritage is for our mental health.
I conceptualize wellness from a two-eyed perspective. One eye through an Indigenous lens and the other eye through western psychology practices. When appropriate, I combine the two perspectives in education, therapy, and community work.
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3 Key Things I Believe In
I believe mental health impacts all areas of your life. Your ability to love yourself. Your ability to spend quality time with those you love. Your ability to do the things that bring you joy. Your ability to take care of your physical health. Your mental health literally impacts everything. But what I've witnessed in therapy, is that when you address the stress, anxiety, depression, or unresolved trauma the other areas of your life improve too.
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I believe when you find the right therapist, counselling can be helpful. Having scared space to tell your story with a trusted psychologist is what's needed to move forward. Research study, after research study, shows that it is the therapeutic relationship that makes a difference in the outcome of therapy. My goal is to meet you where you are and together we move forward to help you gain insights, perspectives, and find joy again in your life.
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Lastly, I firmly believe that "WHAT WE RESIST, PERSISTS". Meaning if you don't address the issues that are causing you distress ... the stress, anxiety, depression, trauma ... whatever it is, it will continue to cause you distress until you address the issue head on. This is something you don't have to tackle by yourself. I am here to help you address the issues and we move at your pace.
Over the course of my career as a therapist, I have helped people
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Ditch the depression and find joy in their daily life
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Harness their anxiety and feel calm and content
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Feel balanced, rooted, and grounded
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Sleep better
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Prioritize their mental health
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Become the parent they want to be
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Regulate their emotions
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Improve their mindset
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Manage stress
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Heal from trauma
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Learn to love themselves
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Be more productive