LET IT HEAL, THE COHORT & RETREAT
Let it Heal is a wellness program that fosters community building, mental wellness, care and safety for Black women and gender-diverse people. The program explores the healing journey, reclamation of pleasure and self-care. The program concludes with an overnight retreat where participants connect and celebrate their journeys. Let it Heal takes place once in the fall, and once in the spring.
Participants can expect access to goodies and care packages, bus tickets and transportation, child care stipends, as well as exclusive sessions with Black psychotherapists and c0mmunity leaders.
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Let it Heal also houses an overnight retreat for Black survivors to unwind, connect, explore afro-centric healing and community building.
LET IT HEAL, THE COHORT FACILITATORS
NORA ELMI (SHE/HER)
Registered Social Worker and licensed therapist
Nora has over a decade of experience working for numerous non-profit community organizations. Nora utilizes her education as well as her professional, and personal experiences to empower and educate individuals, particularly Black women.
LYDIA COLLINS (SHE/HER)
Author, Educator and Content Creator
Lydia brings an accessible, anti-racist and intersectional approach to sexual health education. Through her work, Lydia aims to equip individuals with the necessary tools to make informed decisions about their bodies.
Cultural Worker, Movement Facilitator, and Strategic Feminist Troublemaker
Yami sits on the advisory board of Black Femme Legal and Co-Chairs the Advancing Gender Equity For Black Women, Girls And Gender Diverse (B-WGGD) Peoples in Canada Initiative Advisory. In 2017, they founded SEEDS Yoga for Survivors to hold space where Black folks can practice embodiment and somatic experiencing as tools to support healing and liberation.
They have been featured in several publications including Violence Interrupted: Confronting Sexual Violence on University Campuses with Jane Bailey and Suzie Dunn. In 2022 Yami was awarded by Jamaican Canadian Women' Association for their contribution to the anti-sexual violence movement and Black survivors.
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PAMELAÂ TWAGIRAYEZU (SHE/HER)
Sound and Reiki Healer
Pamela Twagirayezu, a compassionate activist and healer, combines her background in Social Work with a deep dedication to combating gender based violence and creating safe communities for BIPOC and gender diverse people. Currently serving as an Access Program Manager with the National Abortion Federation Canada, Pam guides individuals in accessing safe abortion care while advocating for sexual health and reproductive rights. As a community Sound and Reiki Healer, she channels the sacred vibrations of sound and the universal life force energy of Reiki to foster collective healing and well-being. Through her work, Pam seeks to create spaces of love, healing, and empowerment, where souls can awaken to their true essence, find their own rhythm and embrace the journey of transformation.
TOLA OGUNLANA (SHE/HER)
Registered Psychotherapist
Tola Ogunlana is a Registered Psychotherapist and the owner of Ogunlana Psychotherapy Counselling, a therapy practice specialized in supporting the BIPOC community in Ottawa, Ontario Tola received her M.A in Counselling, Psychotherapy, and Spirituality from Saint Paul University, and has 5+ years of experience in mental health research, education, and clinical practice. She works with individuals and couples experiencing relational difficulties, attachment wounds, sexual trauma, and faith-based trauma. She believes in walking alongside her clients to transform unhelpful patterns into more helpful ways of being and practices from an integrative, culturally sensitive, and harm reduction approach. Tola is an enthusiastic and eclectic hobbyist, and you can find her visiting local coffee shops, bookstores, and plant nurseries during her free time.