How the Relationship Began
Our relationship with Foundry BC began through RJ and the virtual circle.
2 years later, Rebecca White, who was familiar with Dr. Denise Findlay’s work and the Gathering Our Medicine approach, joined.
The first engagement was a virtual Gathering Our Medicine circle. The session received very positive feedback and demonstrated the value of creating relational, culturally grounded learning spaces for people working alongside young people and families.
How the Work Expanded
Following the success of the initial circle, we were invited to work directly with individual Foundry centres and teams across British Columbia, including:
- Abbotsford
- Terrace
- Comox Valley
- Port Hardy
- Prince George
- Williams Lake
- Kootenays
Each engagement was shaped around the needs of the local Foundry team and community. Our work supported staff in strengthening relational practice, family inclusion, and their understanding of attachment, grief, belonging, and the important role of a young person’s family and community culture.
As the relationship grew, we worked with Steven M. and Toni C. to develop the Wayfinders Program, creating a more intentional pathway for bringing these teachings into Foundry’s broader work.
Where the Work Is Now
Dr. Findlay was also invited to deliver a keynote at Foundry’s central office for leaders and managers. This expanded the conversation from individual practice to workplace culture and the relational conditions needed to support meaningful organizational change.
Our work with Foundry has continued to expand across different roles and levels of the organization. We have worked with:
- Foundry leaders and managers
- Physicians and medical professionals
- Front-of-house and reception staff
- Family-inclusive practice teams
- Staff working directly with young people and families
- Individual Foundry centres across the province
Working with both clinical and non-clinical staff recognizes that every interaction matters. A young person or family member’s experience of care begins the moment they enter a Foundry centre, not only when they meet with a physician, counsellor, or clinician.
“”My understanding now is that the relationship is the intervention.”
— Wayfinder, Foundry
Reflections and Impact
Peer support workers, Foundry managers, physicians, and other staff have shared reflections about the deeper impact of the work. Participants described how the learning supported them to:
- Build healthier and more meaningful relationships with colleagues, young people, and families
- Better support one another through challenging situations
- Contribute to a healthier, more connected workplace culture
- Develop a trusted circle of like-minded colleagues with whom they could exchange ideas, reflect on challenges, and share experiences
- Feel less isolated in their roles
- Bring greater awareness, compassion, and relational accountability into their work
- Provide client- and family-centred care that responds to people's needs, rather than directing or imposing care upon them.
The circles created space for participants to learn not only from Dr. Findlay and the Gathering Our Medicine team, but also from one another. Staff could speak honestly about their experiences, explore challenges together, and develop relationships that continued beyond the formal learning sessions.
These reflections demonstrate that the work influenced more than individual knowledge. It strengthened relationships among staff and increased participants’ capacity to provide culturally safer and family-inclusive care.
The Difference It Made
The strongest evidence of the work’s success has been the continued growth of the relationship. Participants have been supported to:
- Understand how attachment, trauma, grief, and belonging can influence the experiences of young people and families
- Strengthen relational and family-inclusive approaches to care
- Recognize the importance of cultural safety across every point of contact
- Respond with greater curiosity, compassion, and awareness
- Consider how organizational culture affects both staff wellness and the experience of care
- Apply relational teachings within clinical and community-facing roles
Rather than delivering a single standardized training, Dr. Findlay and her team created responsive learning experiences that could be adapted to different Foundry locations, professional roles, and community contexts while maintaining the integrity of the Gathering Our Medicine approach.
What began as one virtual Gathering Our Medicine circle has grown into a sustained relationship with Foundry teams across British Columbia. The continued invitations, from local centres, leaders, managers, physicians, peer support workers, medical teams, and front-of-house staff, reflect the relevance and lasting value of this relational approach.