TRAUMA INFORMED, CULTURALLY AWARE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
sASKATCHEWAN cLINICIANS
DONNA-LEE MCLELLAN RSW,BISW, MISW,LCPC
As a young Indigenous woman, Donna-Lee faced many challenges. Like all Indigenous people, racism and the impacts of colonization coupled with the multi-generational impacts of Indian Residential Schools were at the forefront of the struggles she faced. Although the road to her own healing journey was not always a straight line and some of the detours were more harrowing than others, the journey inevitably led to her healing and to the finding of her calling. From her own life experiences and learnings, Donna-Lee's mission to become a clinical therapist was born.
Donna-Lee completed both her Bachelor Degree and her Masters Degree in Social Work to become a licensed clinical therapist in the field of mental health. Now, years later, she has dedicated many hours to her clients, working with kindness, discretion, respect and integrity, helping many people find their healing along the way.
Understanding that every single person has a unique story and their own individual path to travel, Donna offers a trauma informed, holistic approach to therapy. She will support you on your journey using her vast knowledge of Western techniques, her knowledge of traditional teachings and spirituality, and her warm heart filled with compassion.
In her quest to ensure that she can offer her best to all clients, Donna-Lee is continuously expanding her knowledge in the mental health field. Most recently, she has earned certifications in the specialized techniques of EMDR (Eye Movement Densensitization and Reprocessing) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She will incorporate these learnings into client treatment when beneficial.
As she continues to learn and grow, Donna-Lee is taking her dream one step further, building a wonderful network of Balancing Within Clinicans from coast to coast. We will add new provinces as they join.
TARA SANDERSON RSW, BSW
As an Indigenous woman, Tara has faced a great many challenges of her own and has travelled her own path to healing. While on this journey, she discovered a strong desire to help others find their own way to healing, balance and peace. This led her to seek her Bachelor of Social Work and eventually to work with the Indian Resolution Health Support Program as an IRS Counsellor.
Tara has much to offer her clients. Her unique insight, her knowledge of cultural and spiritual practices, her compassion, understanding and her commitment to continued learning in western techniques, make her a valued addition to the team at Balancing Within.
STACEY LEDOUX RSW, MISW
Hailing from Mistawasis First Nation in Treaty 6 Territory, Stacey was raised by a single parent and moved around a great deal in her childhood. The impacts of Inter-generational trauma, ongoing losses, year after year, and the never ending grief were only amplified by the ongoing racism and bullying, that led her to drop out of school at a very young age. Feeling lost, Stacey struggled for several years with anxiety and panic, and eventually these challenges led her to begin her own journey to healing.
Over the years of growth and healing Stacey learned a great deal and discovered her true calling, to help others. She began with a degree in nursing and eventually moved to a Master's Degree In Indigenous Social Work, with a mental health focus.
The combination of Stacey's lived experiences, her insight, her western education, and her knowledge of the Indigenous Ways of Knowing, come together to make her an exceptional mental health clinician for Indigenous Peoples, and a valued member of the Saskatchewan team.
new clients please call
If you are a new client please call the office toll free at 833-844-8687 to arrange your first appointment.