Provided throughout Ontario by: Stephanie Stephens
Offering an Alternative Type of Support Rooted in Indigenous Healing & Connection
If you are in crisis, please call the Hope for Wellness Help Line 1-855-242-3310
Toll free, 24/7 for Indigenous Mental Health and Wellness
What You Should Know:
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Confidential telephone appointments to First Nations adults age 18+ in Ontario who are seeking non-urgent support. I am available part time to those who are able to work with the flexibility of my workshop schedule.
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First Nations people with Indian Status qualify for 'mental health counselling' (Western terms) through the Non-Insured Health Benefits program.
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I prefer to call it INDIGENOUS WELLNESS SUPPORT because our ways of understanding wellbeing are wholistic and do not separate mental from emotional, physical or spiritual. We are spiritual beings who have human experiences every day that impact the balance of wellness in life.
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I offer 1:1 wellness support in a safe, confidential way that centres around Indigenous values, traditional laws, old knowledge and our worldview.
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This can be in through telephone, Zoom or in person (when accessible). Shifting into an Indigenous worldview is often a significant factor in healing and wellness along with deepening understanding of family and community history.
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If you have tried Western therapies and mainstream counsellors in the past and it wasn't for you, then I might be a good fit. I come from the understanding that everyone has special or inherent gifts, and sometimes those are spiritual gifts that are misunderstood in colonial society.
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EVERYONE needs connectedness. Our Indigenous ways of being in the world involved communal, cooperative care, and community support was built into all aspects of life before colonization. There is no shame or weakness in seeking supports. Positive social connectedness is a natural aspect of wellbeing for Anishinaabek.
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You should never feel alone in the world, but we live in a world that emphasizes individualism. When people attach shame and a label of being 'unwell' to mental health counselling, it limits people from accessing these services. No judgment here - no matter what. Wellness is not an expectation when people are faced with cultural genocide and colonial violence.
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I want to get rid of that stigma, and normalize positive support systems and safe, kind connections. Whether you're struggling with stress, trauma triggers, or just needing someone to listen, understand and process life happenings with, I am here to try my best to support you. ​​​
How to Access Services
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FREE
1:1 Wellness Support for First Nations (with status card) is covered through Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) under mental health counselling. I am a registered social worker, and registered provider with NIHB and bill direct.
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How to Get Started:
Send me an email (link at bottom of page) or click the initial request link at the top of this page and I will email you back to set up an initial telephone appointment.
Reasons to Access NIHB Services
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Non-Insured Health Benefits is a treaty right​ based on the Medicine Chest Clause from Treaty 6 in 1876 - the same year the Indian Act was created. The Act amalgamated the treaty agreements into a federal policy to administer them, and this is how First Nations people have health benefits today. We do not receive 'free' health care. Our ancestors knew that long term services were more valuable than money, so in treaty negotiations, rather than taking money, they demanded care/services in exchange for allowing British to share the land.