Revitalize & Thrive: A Self-Care & Empowerment Series for Social Workers

It is truly exciting to witness and help guide people through transformative times according to what matters for that individual. I have enjoyed over 23 years of direct clinical experience in interdisciplinary settings assisting clients with restoring function and returning to a life within their value systems. Registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) since 2016, I have a passion for communication, empowerment and awareness in my practice. I have extensive experience within the CBT, ACT, DBT and functional based problem-solving paradigms. I also have formal training in Kinesiology and Yoga. The blend of both movement and stillness as healing tools is something else that I am passionate about teaching to my clients. After all, we cannot neatly separate the body from the brain and everything else that makes us, us. Because of this, I believe that an individualized, integrative approach to mental health yields the best results. Since there is no growth in our comfort zones, the change inherent in healing can be extremely uncomfortable and even prohibitive. The assistance provided through psychotherapy and life coaching can add much comfort and efficacy to this journey.

When Asifa found Firefly, she took great comfort in knowing there were people who believed in the power and beauty of language in the same way she did, and that she could live out that love within community. For over a decade, she has facilitated therapeutic groups for mothers and children who are healing from violence, and believed deeply in the power of small groups, but had never brought that love into her love of writing. Asifa believes that writing is about tapping into the fluid, unseen grace flowing through humanity, and sharing our gifts no matter what they look like. She loves working with writers who are looking for their voices, feeling nervous and tentative as she once did. She has a gentle and powerful presence rooted in her profound understanding of how to hold space for transformation.

Sophia's love of words and passion for personal transformation came together at Firefly. She could see how writing let her witness her life with greater compassion and gentleness. She could see how much power lay dormant in that forgotten creativity. Sophia brings her intrinsic mama bear warmth with her deep passion for words. She especially loves working with people who are new and nervous, not certain what the page will reveal, but ready to pick up a pen and find out… even if their hands are shaking.

Mitch Evans is a Registered Social Worker and psychotherapist who works primarily with individuals and couples to help support healthier relationships and establish a more meaningful existence. Over the last several years, Mitch has worked in a variety of diverse social service settings, focusing primarily on adult mental health. He has supported individuals facing a variety of mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, substance use, and relationship issues. Mitch is passionate about exploring the complexities of modern relationships, and how we can create healthier outcomes for ourselves and our loved ones by understanding our emotional experiences, and the sources of our suffering.

Kate Dunn (she/her) is a workshop facilitator with Digitally Well Inc. and a professor with over 13 years of post-secondary teaching experience. She earned her M.A. in Sociology from Western University and a Hons. B.A. in Sociology and Women's Studies from McMaster University. She obtained her certification in Unified Mindfulness (2022) and is a positive psychology enthusiast. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, painting, playing tennis, and spending time outdoors hiking with her husband and their dog, Harry.

Murray Foster is a Juno-nominated songwriter, producer, and performer with songwriting credits on multiple certified gold and platinum recordings. Best known for his role in the legendary Canadian bands Moxy Früvous and Great Big Sea, he has a reputation as an insightful collaborator and a patient instructor and mentor to up-and-coming songwriters. After Great Big Sea retired in 2014, Murray founded Toronto Songwriting School and also began teaching at Seneca College's Independent Performing Songwriter program, where he continues to work as a Professor of Songwriting.

In addition to leading classes, workshops, and retreats for Toronto Songwriting School, Murray has been an enthusiastic participant in Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall’s Lullaby Project and the Lyrics and Legacies Project. In the Lullaby Project, pregnant women and new mothers work with professional musicians to write personal lullabies for their babies. The Lyrics and Legacies project pairs songwriters with seniors to turn their life stories into songs. This program empowers seniors, including residents with dementia, to leave a musical legacy with their loved ones that will last for years to come, telling their story in their own words and melodies.

Whether it’s helping a new songwriter find their voice or working on already existing material, Murray has a gift for nurturing the talent of others and pinpointing exactly how a song can be refined.