TEAO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
nicole brown-faulknor
FOUNDER AND CEO
Nicole is the Founder of Wounds 2 Wings Trauma + Psychotherapy Services, a Yoga Instructor, Registered Psychotherapist, Child and Youth Counsellor, Trauma Consultant, Author and Trauma Survivor. She is also a member of both the Colleges of Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario and the Canadian Association for Psychodynamic Therapy with over 18 years of professional experience working with marginalized, vulnerable and oppressed communities, individuals, families and children.
kristina snjaric
DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP AND ADVISORY
Kristina is a freelance digital marketer and copywriter with a passion for connecting. While completing her studies in marketing, she was involved with non-profit sport organizations in both the event and digital spaces that focused on using sport to promote mental wellness as well as uplift Indigenous youth.
Carolina alvarado
SOCIAL INCLUSION ADVOCACY AND STRATEGIC DIRECTOR
Carolina Alvarado is a social justice advocate and a cultural broker with over 12 years of experience working as a community interpreter and translator in Toronto, specifically with refugees, undocumented peoples, and migrant communities. She also has extensive community organizing and leadership training experience with migrant communities working in solidarity for labour issues in Toronto and Southern Ontario.
Mohammad Arish
FINANCE DIRECTOR (ACTING)
Mohammad Arish is a dedicated healthcare professional from India with a strong foundation in both dentistry and healthcare administration. Mohammad has demonstrated his expertise in managing clinic operations, improving patient care, and ensuring compliance with health regulations. Mohammad is committed to fostering a culture of safety and excellence. As the Finance Director at TEAO Canada, Mohammad is eager to leverage his diverse experience to contribute to the organization's mission and represent Canada in efforts to innovate and improve developmental learning approaches, organizationally.
Becca GREGORY
ADMINISTRATION OFFICER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Becca is a versatile creative with a keen eye for all things art, mental health and marketing. Becca holds a Communications degree from McMaster University and boasts a diverse portfolio of experience in freelance photography, graphic design, and digital marketing.
Becca has worked under Nicole Brown Faulknor’s wings for the past four years and has since gained invaluable insights into Nicole’s innovative, anti-oppressive and non-traditional approaches to psychotherapy and community work. Becca is eager to continue exploring and applying this knowledge in both her own work and life, and is committed to advocating for mental health awareness and social justice.
amanda j. edwin
PARALEGAL AND NOTARY PUBLIC
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Amanda immigrated to Canada with her family in 2008. She was an Educator in Trinidad and Tobago for over 21 years and ended her tenure as a Head of Department. Over the years, Amanda has worked as a Litigation Paralegal and gained a significant amount of administrative and courtroom experience in Small Claims, Provincial Offences and Landlord and Tenant matters, experience she now brings to Amicus Paralegal Services.
Website: kwnotary.ca
TEAO BOARD MANUAL
The governing Board of The Wounds 2 Wings Trauma and Embodiment Association of Ontario (TEAO) will provide effective and ethical governance leadership on behalf of its stakeholders’ interest to ensure that the organization focuses on its purpose and outcomes for the persons served, resulting in the organization’s long-term success and stability. Click HERE to read more and download the TEAO Board Manual.
INTERNATIONAL RESOURCE & ADVISORY TEAM
IONA SKY
VISIONARY, LEADER, CONSULTANT & EDUCATOR
Iona Sky (she/her) is an Indo-Canadian social worker, consultant and educator. She has worked in the social services for over 20 years and is a consultant and leader in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (with a particular focus on transfer to practice/action), leadership and organizational development. Iona is also part-time faculty in the Social Work department at the University of Waterloo. In all her work, both personally and professionally, Iona brings her lived intersectional experiences as a queer immigrant parent with invisible disabilities. This self-reflexive journey as a dually marginalized and privileged woman in the Canadian landscape has provided Iona with different experiences of oppression as well as privilege, which she uses to inform her advocacy and social justice work.
Website: ionasky.ca
Shivana Ramsingh
YOUTH & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONSULTANT
Shivana Ramsingh (she/they) is a registered Social Worker with the OCSWSSW, Psychotherapist, Energy Medicine Facilitator / Practitioner, Program Manager, teacher/educator, and community member, mentor and leader.
With over 20 years of professional experience in the fields of holistic wellness, mental health, anti-oppression and addictions and recovery, Shivana has worked extensively with youth, 2SLGBTQ+, BIPOC, (dis)abled, womyn, newcomers, and refugee communities across the globe.
Her work is grounded in Soul-based, anti-oppressive approaches to support and enhance the sustainable health and wellbeing of the individuals, families and communities she serves.
As a Soul, Shivana also identifies as an Indo-Caribbean-Canadian, racialized, immigrant, queer, (dis)abled, survivor and recovered person.
TEAO VOLUNTEER OUTREACH TEAM
Nora De Arco
CREATIVE PROJECT MANAGER
A creative project manager with over four years of experience in projects centering on community empowerment, Nora focuses on empowering women, especially women of color, to take ownership of their health, mind, and body. As an Afro-Latina woman passionate about holistic health, it is an honor for her to translate and break down common mental health issues/approaches in her community, where mental health is taboo. Nora holds a Master of Divinity from Boston University and is versed in project management for healthcare advertising and digital and print projects.
Kelly o’sullivan
Hello, my name is Kelly O’Sullivan and I have lived in the downtown Toronto east community for many years and have been involved in working for social justice as a front-line crisis support worker and community organizer. This past year, I returned to graduate school at the University of Toronto to do a master's in social work.
I was fortunate to connect with a former colleague, who is now working with the Trauma Embodiment Association of Ontario (TEAO) to do a practicum placement. TEAO is a not-for- profit seeking to make change within our mental health system by creating a safe space for healing.
TEAO focuses on educating and sharing information about how trauma impacts our bodies while learning from, recognizing and working to overcome the systemic barriers to healing that BIPOC and other communities face due to a lack of access to culturally competent and trauma- informed mental health care. TEAO's work is grounded in an understanding of the impacts of colonialism and a commitment to anti-oppressive practices.
By working with TEAO, I have the opportunity to work within an anti-oppressive framework to build my awareness of trauma and develop an embodiment mindset. It is important for my learning and personal growth as a holistic mental health practitioner to ensure my education includes anti-oppressive practices, with an understanding of how trauma impacts our bodies and how that can cause us to project, respond or react to others from a place of trauma. Social work includes an ethic and value of "do no harm," and the training and learning with TEAO will help me uphold that principle in my future career.