A young person heals through the people around them.
Culturally grounded coaching for educators, program leads and mental health teams supporting young people.
Since 2014
Working with children, youth and their families since 2014.
12 Years
Deep experience in residential treatment, provincial complex care, and community programs.
300+
Young people with complex needs safely supported with holistic, individualized practices.
50+
Indigenous Communities & Organizations served through culturally safe partnership models.
Cultural awareness alone doesn’t heal
People who choose to work with children and youth always arrive willing to do what it takes to help. They’ve done the cultural safety training and can speak accurately about the history and what it set in motion. Putting that knowledge to work inside a relationship with another human being asks something else of you, and not many training days prepare you for what it takes to be with a young person living the consequences. That’s where cultural work usually loses its footing.
Adding to this ordinary adolescence carries its own friction. The youth in your programs have all of that alongside intergenerational grief and the family disruption that systemic harm leaves behind.
A worker who knows that history but was never adequately prepared to carry the relationship when things get heavy won’t be able to support the young person through it, and that’s when they retreat.
Building the capacity to carry cultural awareness inside the relationship is where I can help you.
“The word for “kinship” in Cree is “wahkohtowin”, and it’s our foundational law as Cree people. Each and every one of us have an idea of what it means to be a good relative, and the world and our young people need the understanding of kinship and our interconnectedness in their healing journey”
Shanelle Bath
Kinship Circle for Professionals Supporting Youth
I work across child and youth care and mental health with individuals and organisations reimagining how education and services reach young people.
There’s no one right way to do this work, so I teach you to be more you and to find the unique thing you bring into the relational space.
We work on reading a young person accurately, and on what to do when they have written off every adult before you got there. Relationship and lived stories are what will get that young person talking again.
I work across six areas with youth-serving organizations:
Child and Youth Care & Mental Health
Grounded, relational approaches to supporting young people’s wellbeing
For mental health practitioners and program leads serving Indigenous peoples and communities, and practitioners supporting youth development and their connection to culture.
Cultural Programming
Designing programs that honour and centre cultural identity and knowledge
For project leaders building or strengthening cultural programming inside their organisation.
Indigenous Worldview Integration
Helping government and non-profit organisations meaningfully embed Indigenous ways of knowing into policy and service delivery
For anyone who wants to integrate Indigenous worldview and culture into their work and is unsure where to start.
Cross-Cultural Alignment
Building bridges between diverse cultural worldviews and systems of care so that programs and teams can hold multiple ways of knowing without tokenizing
For project leaders working closely with Indigenous communities who want to show up in a good way.
Indigenous Education
Supporting culturally responsive and community-grounded educational practice
For Indigenous support workers and educators building on programming they already run, and anyone developing Indigenous-focused awareness training for staff or systems.
Contemplative Education
Bringing reflective, presence-based practices into learning and professional development
For teams carrying heavy work who need somewhere to put it down and who want reflection built into how they work.
We move forward with each other
I create space for diversity and difference, honouring that teams and individuals bring their own knowledge and ways of being to the work.
A relational approach to youth work means difference is a strength. Even when the usual approaches have hit a wall, my Indigenous ingenuity means we will find a way forward.
“What I’ve learned working in government and mental health systems is that there are so many missed opportunities to integrate culture and family in a meaningful way.”
Shanelle Bath
Ways we can work together
Everyone starts with a consultation, and we work out the rest from there.
The Kinship Consultation
In this private session, I’ll work one on one with you to figure out a path forward so you can connect with the young people who need you.
You’ll leave our call with strategies you can implement immediately and a clearer sense of the relational aspects of your situation.
What’s Included
- 90 minutes online
- A call recording to refer back to
- A written summary with your next steps and a plan for the future
- Inquire for pricing
Once you’ve booked, you will receive a form to fill out with all the details so that I can prepare for the call.
After Our Consultation
If you want help putting what we found into practice, there are three ways to keep working together.
One to One:
Kinship Coaching
We work through the real situations as they happen building the relational skills you need to keep doing this work.
- 45 minutes, single sessions
- Packages of 3, 6, 9 and 12 months support
- Inquire for pricing
For Teams:
Group Practice Sessions
The same work with your staff together, so people hear how their colleagues are handling situations they’re also facing.
- 60 minutes online
- Or half day in person
- Inquire for pricing
Ongoing:
The Kinship Community
Stay connected with others in the circle who are doing this work in their community. Hear how others are working through similar situations.
- Monthly, online
- Included with Gathering Our Medicine membership
- Inquire for pricing
From inside the circle...
You are one relationship away from reaching the young person everyone else has given up on.
Tell me what your program is up against
Common Questions I Get About The Kinship Circle
Do you work with individuals or with whole teams?
Both. I train professionals in group settings, and I coach individuals on the specific cases they are working with.
Do we need to be an Indigenous organisation to work with you?
No. I work with government, non-profit and community organisations serving Indigenous young people, and with Indigenous organisations building on programming they already run.
Is this delivered in person or online?
Most of this work is able to be done well online. In-person work is available on request. If you would like an in-person engagement book a call and let’s chat about what you need. Most of this work is able to be done well online. In-person work is available on request. If you would like an in-person engagement book a call and let’s chat about what you need.
How long does an engagement run?
It depends on the level of support you need. Some people book a single session and go away with what they came for. Others want me available over months while they put something new in place. My aim is to stay in relationship with you and your team and be reachable without becoming someone your team depends on.
What does it cost?
Prices vary depending on the scope and duration of the support you need. Book a private session for $250 and we can work out together what makes sense for you.
What happens after I get in touch?
You book your session and a form comes to you first, so I know your situation before we speak. We use the ninety minutes on what you are dealing with right now, and by the end we will have a better idea of what kind of support fits from here.