“Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others.”
Pema Chödrön
Bio
Hello! I love this work because it is such an honour to walk with people as they connect with their own inner wisdom and find the path to healing and living their most authentic life.
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I have worked for over a decade providing mental health services for Island Health and for the Ministry of Children and Families. I took a lead role in opening the first Foundry youth centre in BC. For 5 years I worked with youth and families in suicide intervention and prevention as a therapist and mental health clinician on the High Risk Team at Child and Youth Mental Health.
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I graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Victoria.
I originally grew up in Treaty 6 territory in Saskatchewan, raised as a white, third-generation settler of European/Mennonite heritage. I have lived for over 20 years now on the beautiful homelands of the W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations and the Lekwungen peoples of the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.
I offer my respect for the living histories, traditions, and sovereignty of these Indigenous nations and all First Nation, Inuit and Métis people. I have had the privilege of learning from Dene, W̱SÁNEĆ, Northern Tutchone/Tlingit, Nuu-chah-nulth and Metis knowledge keepers and I try to honor their teachings with a good heart and a good mind.
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My book Heads Up: Changing Minds on Mental Health is a guide to all things mental health, trauma and recovery. I wrote it hoping it would help teens, young adults and their families and caregivers. It highlights diverse perspectives and shares the moving, true stories of youth finding their way to hope.
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The things that keep me healthy and grounded are my loved ones, my community of artists and writers, meditation, reading and writing, and time in the trees or on the water.
My full life has brought me experience in the areas of emergency medical services, guiding on wilderness rivers and creative writing. When it fits, I love bringing creativity, art and nature connection into therapy sessions.
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As I have had my own struggles in life and have greatly appreciated the support I've received, from both professionals and so many others, this quote from Pema Chödrön really resonates with me:
“Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others.”
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★ “Informative, diverse, and highly engaging; a much-needed addition to the realm of mental health.”
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“[A] helpful handbook...In easy-to-read chapters, Siebert skillfully breaks down what mental health is...An informative and nonintimidating work; a suitable addition for libraries needing to add to their mental health collection.”
— School Library Journal
“A sense of respect imbues every page…Everything in this book reassures the troubled teen that they are not alone, need not suffer in silence, and can forge a unique pathway to wellness. The value of this book cannot be overstated or underestimated.”
— School Library Connection
“A wonderful introduction to society's ever-evolving relationship with understanding mental illness.”
— Canadian Children's Book News