The Holistic Centre, 4927 51 AV Vegreville, AB T9C-1T9
OUR FOUNDING CEO
Shayla S. Dube MSW, RSW, LCSW (Registered in AB, BC, ON, NWT & NS)
Shayla (She/Her/We/Us) asserts herself as a mother 1st who stands on the shoulders of her creator, community and ancestors before all the other fancy titles and academic accolades. When she is not mothering and co-parenting with her partner, she is often holding space for the healing journeys of people of different ages, cultures, identities and abilities. She is a culturally responsive and anti-oppressive Clinical Social Worker who is passionate about the collective healing of Historical, Childhood, Intergenerational, Institutional, Cultural and Personal traumas and wounds that bind us.
She aims to learn and understand each individual and communities within the context of their unique experiences, multi-layered stories, values and cultural heritage. She walks alongside people with kindness, compassion and curiosity, believing that everyone embodies light within; they are inherently resilient and more than their symptoms and adversities.
Shayla is also passionate about decolonizing mental health and centering the mental wellness needs and well-being of people with marginalized identities such as people of African descent who are racialized as Black, Indigenous Peoples, gender diverse and sexually expansive folks and other equity seeking groups.
Grounded in Africentric ways of knowing and UBUNTU ways of being, Shayla believes in Collective liberation and inclusion for all, with the ultimate goal of equitable co-existence and community wholeness. She is a two times York University alumna who holds a Bachelors and Masters in Social Work as well as a Certificate in Refugee and Migration Studies, acquired between 2005 and 2010).
Shayla is a registered clinical social worker with over 12 years' experience of bearing witness, to children, youth and their families’ varied stories. She has also worked with adults, couples and families.
Shayla is a board approved clinical supervisor who mentors, coaches and consults with other Social Workers and Psychotherapists. She enjoys contributing to the growth of other clinicians and supporting them to thrive. She also enjoys facilitating psychoeducational workshops on mental health and wellness. She is a sought-after speaker and workshop presenter on matters of race, racialization, racial healing and Africentric Cultural Safety who has spent many years learning from DECOLONIAL scholars and elders. Shayla is a Bantu Ndebele child who was planted in Zimbabwe, rooted in the Alkebulan continent of Africa and she has been gratefully grounded in Turtle Island, Canada for almost 20 years.
With Ubuntu & Gratitude,
Shayla thanks you for being here and being in e-community with us.
OPERATIONS MANAGER & GENDER EQUALITY SPECIALIST
Dr Nomazwe Siziba-Sivela (PhD)
Dr Noma (She/Her/ Hers) is the brains behind the operations, programs coordination, gender mainstreaming & providing administrative support for Wellness empowered.
Dr Noma brings a plethora of knowledge and expertise to her job, as the first point of contact for clients, she makes them feel welcome with her warm, friendly demeanour. She also plays a major role in ensuring all our work is engendered and inclusive including our workshops content.
Through Global Virtual Administration Solutions (GVAS), she has freed wellness empowered therapists to focus on the clinical aspects of our work and we just cannot live without her.
Dr Noma's greatest gifts are multitasking and using her exceptional organizational & communication skills and dedication to provide the best logistics and support.
Her multi-disciplinary knowledge, systems thinking, problem solving and decision making competencies and skills are an asset that makes our work a walk in the park.