Compassion Fatigue Solutions Inc. is:
Françoise Mathieu, M.Ed., CCC. and Associates
Françoise is director of Compassion Fatigue Solutions inc., whose aim is to offer consulting and training to helpers on topics related to self care, wellness, burnout and compassion fatigue. She is a Certified Mental Health Counsellor and a Compassion Fatigue specialist. Her experience stems from many years as a crisis counsellor, working in a hospital emergency ward, university counselling service and community mental health environments. Her positive outlook and commitment to helping clients grow are hallmarks of her work. Françoise is one of the leaders in Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma education in Canada. Since 2001, Françoise has given hundreds of seminars on compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma across the country to thousands of helping professionals in the fields of health care, trauma services, law enforcement, education and addiction treatment. She is the author of The Compassion Fatigue Workbook and The Compassion Fatigue Train the Trainer Workbook. Françoise is also an organizational health consultant with Fisher and Associates Solutions. For more information on her work with Dr Pat Fisher, visit www.fisherandassociates.org
Rebecca Brown, MSW RSW, Associate
Rebecca Brown has a Master’s Degree in Social work and her career has spanned 23 years including medical social work and the child welfare sector. Rebecca is a Supervisor of a front line child protection team at the Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex and is a founding member of the Critical Incident Debriefing Team for CAS staff following traumatic work events. She is a provincial trainer for the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies and teaches the curriculum on Wellness and Self Care. Rebecca has been working with Francoise Mathieu and delivering workshops and seminars on the topics of Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue to helping professionals in a variety of social settings to balance the impact of the “cost of caring” for those in need.
Catherine Desjardins, M.Ps., Associate
Catherine Desjardins is a psychotherapist and the mental health team coordinator at the Centre Francophone de Toronto, a community health center serving the francophone community of Toronto. She dedicated the first decade of her professional life in Montreal as a psychologist in a private practice. For the past six years, her work involves helping clients from all over Francophone speaking countries suffering from post traumatic stress disorders. Most recently, she developed an interest in the vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue. Catherine is a gifted presenter and can offer sessions on compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma and chronic stress in French.
Diana Tikasz, MSW RSW, Associate
Diana has been committed to trauma-focused work in the health care sector for the past 20 years. She has coordinated hospital based sexual assault/domestic violence treatment programs, which involved counselling those who have been traumatized by violence, teaching other professionals how to do this work effectively while staying healthy themselves. Diana has also worked in the area of Employee Assistance Program counselling where she has specialized in working with individuals who are feeling stressed by their personal and/or work life. Her passion is to assist people in creating personal changes that promote health. Participation on numerous community and provincial committees, research projects and educational endeavors round out her professional interests.
Lori Tomalty-Nusca, RECE, Associate
Lori has been an Early Childhood Educator for over 25 years in the Hamilton community. Currently she works as a Parent Therapist, Early Childhood Resource Specialist and Staff Educator in Children’s Mental Health and Developmental Pediatrics at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton. Having the opportunity to work with such a variety of people in the health care sector, speaking about Compassion Fatigue is not only a pleasure, but almost a necessity. Each workshop is not only an opportunity to learn about compassion fatigue and yourself and self care, but a fun opportunity for you to relax, learn and enjoy.
Meaghan Welfare, BA, Certified Compassion Fatigue Educator, Associate
Meaghan Welfare is a conflict management practitioner with the Department of National Defence at CFB Kingston. She is also a Certified Compassion Fatigue Educator with the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology. She holds a degree in criminology and criminal justice with a minor in law, a graduate certificate in dispute resolution from York University and a certificate in family mediation from University of Waterloo. Meaghan has many years of experience working in the field of conflict management in the workplace, community, family and criminal justice system. She began her career as a Program Coordinator with the Durham Community Mediation Program and Victim Offender Reconciliation Program in Ajax, Ontario. Meaghan has experience working in the many government departments including the National Parole Board, Veterans Affairs, Department of National Defence, Corrections Canada, and Canada Post. Meaghan has also worked with non-profit organizations and public companies. Meaghan develops and delivers training in the field of conflict management, communication, workplace bullying, decision-making for board of directors and compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma, among other topics. She is currently a member of the Advisory Committee for ResolveKingston, a non-profit Program provided by K3C Community Counselling Centres, which provides mediation and victim offender reconciliation services to the Kingston and region community.
Alexandra Fortier, MSS, RSW, WHP Associate
Alexandra Fortier is Program Manager for Children’s Mental Health at the Centre francophone de Toronto. Her experience varies from systemic intervention of incestuous sexual abuse, Children’s Aid, families in Crisis, as well as clinical and program supervision. Currently, she’s on the Advisory Committee of the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and youth Mental Health. Her interest for Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma stems from the very beginning of her career. In 2009, she was given the opportunity to create a Committee at her current Agency that addresses systematically Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma to all the staff. The Committee also has the mandate to implement an organizational culture to help prevent negative effects that may affect various professionals. Considering Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious trauma on an individual, professional and organizational level are key to Alexandra. She offers these perspectives in her workshops, which are offered both in French and in English.
Valerie Spironello, MSW, RSW
Valerie Spironello has been a social worker for over 20 years working in a variety of settings including wellness counseling, health care, family therapy, child welfare, family violence. Most recently she has worked in palliative care and with people living with Multiple Sclerosis. Throughout her career, Valerie recognized the importance of addressing challenges holistically. As a result, she trained in mindfulness and the use of visualization which she uses in her work to assist others in improving wellness in body, mind and spirit. Valerie has also completed Compassion Fatigue training with Françoise Mathieu. Valerie is an Assistant Professor (PT) with the Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, teaching health-care providers, medical students and residents with an emphasis on developing self-care and work-life balance. As well, she runs a Hamilton based private practice called Choose Wellness (www.choosewellness.ca) working to help others to improve their well-being.