Cultural and Mental Wellness Supports

Brittany Clark-Wakefield (she/her) is of English, Irish and Scottish descent, who lives, works, and plays on the unceded, traditional and ancestral territories of the Coast Salish Peoples.

Brittany is a Mental Health Clinician (B.A. PSYC, SOC) for an Indigenous non-profit organization, Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS). Brittany is also the co-creator of CSFS Nanki Nezulne (Our Two Spirits) Adult (18+) LGBTQ2+ Health and Wellness Services. Brittany provides virtual, affirming counselling services to our diverse 2SLGBTQQIA+ community members, as well as psychosocial educational services to family members and health service providers within British Columbia.

Throughout Brittany’s professional and educational career, she has always been passionate about gender and sexuality. Brittany openly self-identifies as a Queer woman and is dedicated towards advocating for equity and inclusivity of the 2SLBGTQQIA+ community within her personal and professional platforms. Brittany continues to encourage representation of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, meanwhile celebrate the diversity, fluid expression and experiences of the individuals among it.

My name is Gertrude Pierre and my traditional name is i yal-xwemat. I am from the shíshálh Nation and hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from the University of British Columbia.

After graduating, I worked at the Gihanna House, Aboriginal Front Door,  Aboriginal Policing Station, Carnegie Centre, and as a health support worker for the National Inquiry. I now work for the Indian Residential School Survivors Society as an Elder Cultural Support Worker and for the Crisis Line.

I am a motivational speaker for Universities, Colleges, Elementary and High schools within and around the Lower Mainland. I also travel to various communities to give support on suicides and losses. When working for the Inquiry, I was educated to be trauma-informed for working with families that attended the hearings on the death or disappearance of missing loved ones.

I work towards decolonization in the prevention of systemic violence against Indigenous women, girls, men, boys, and 2SLGBTQ+ people. In February, I completed Crisis Verbal Intervention training to complement my work with the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.