Jean Erasmus
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Dene and Cree
Jean has been helping Indigenous communities heal and reconnect throughout her career as a businesswoman, first through family services and today as a counsellor in the Northwest Territories. She founded Dene Wellness Warriors, an Indigenous counselling practice, with her husband Roy on Orange Shirt Day in 2016.
Having attended residential school for several years, Jean carried wounds for a long time, but she didn’t realize they needed healing until she was began pursuing her training as a counsellor with Rhodes Wellness College. That healing journey allowed her to be more authentic and open, and it inspired Roy to join her on the journey.
“It’s really important to not be afraid to ask for help. If that help means going to see a therapist so that you’re not holding in all of your traumas and pain that you’re carrying, I think is vitally important.”
Today Jean and Roy are helping Indigenous People across the North by running land-based healing programs. They are also helping more Indigenous People become counselors in the North so that they can help their people.
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