Working With the Alberta Community & Beyond
Our highly skilled and qualified staff also experience the wonders that await them at Dreamcatcher™ Ranch making it a healthy and rewarding place to work. Our students, volunteers and interns alike are blessed too. Together; we learn and experience the benefits of being teachable students ourselves making us fit and ready to 'be' and to 'serve' others in partnership with our furry co-counselors.
Eileen Bona M.Ed., Registered Psychologist,
Director and Founder of Dreamcatcher™
Eileen
Eileen is the youngest of 11 children. Eileen's older brother, John, sustained a severe brain injury as a result of a misdiagnosis of Tonsillitis, which was really Meningitis. He was only eight months old. John was able to reside at home until he was 11 with the help of his devoted parents and older siblings but due to hardship and “the times” John went to the children’s institute for his teenage years. He came home every weekend and every special occasion but from this point forward, John’s life was complicated and the family was forced to be strong advocates for him. It was these experiences that led Eileen into the field of helping others, specifically those could not advocate for themselves and whom others did not seem to understand.
For the past 25 years, Eileen has worked with people who had difficulty getting help. Although her career started with adults with severe neurodevelopmental issues, she shifted into working with children and youth shortly after. Today, Eileen specializes in helping children, youth and adults with multiple mental health diagnoses, neurodevelopmental conditions and complex trauma. Due to the fact that Traditional Therapy is typically not effective for her population, she started Dreamcatcher to allow for a non-threatening and motivating therapeutic environment for people to attend to get the help they need.
Eileen is a past Sessional Instructor of Introductory Psychology at King’s University and she designed Canada’s first college-accredited course in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). She offered the only certification in Animal Assisted Therapy through Dreamcatcher and has now partnered with Lakeland College to offer the first college certificate in AAT in English in Canada. She is currently the President of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and is working toward developing Standards and Certification for Animal Assisted Therapy in our country.
Eileen presents the concept and techniques of Animal Assisted Therapy nationally at conferences and agency-level presentations. She provides intensive training in Animal Assisted Therapy in both Workshop and Internship formats at Dreamcatcher™ to national and international students as well as travels to help other organizations develop and implement their Animal Assisted programs.
For the past 25 years, Eileen has worked with people who had difficulty getting help. Although her career started with adults with severe neurodevelopmental issues, she shifted into working with children and youth shortly after. Today, Eileen specializes in helping children, youth and adults with multiple mental health diagnoses, neurodevelopmental conditions and complex trauma. Due to the fact that Traditional Therapy is typically not effective for her population, she started Dreamcatcher to allow for a non-threatening and motivating therapeutic environment for people to attend to get the help they need.
Eileen is a past Sessional Instructor of Introductory Psychology at King’s University and she designed Canada’s first college-accredited course in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). She offered the only certification in Animal Assisted Therapy through Dreamcatcher and has now partnered with Lakeland College to offer the first college certificate in AAT in English in Canada. She is currently the President of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and is working toward developing Standards and Certification for Animal Assisted Therapy in our country.
Eileen presents the concept and techniques of Animal Assisted Therapy nationally at conferences and agency-level presentations. She provides intensive training in Animal Assisted Therapy in both Workshop and Internship formats at Dreamcatcher™ to national and international students as well as travels to help other organizations develop and implement their Animal Assisted programs.
Therapists
Reesa Lerner MSW, Registered Clinical Social Worker
Reesa
Reesa is a registered Clinical Social Worker. Inspired by a beagle named Bailey, she has been researching and training in the Nature and Animal Assisted Therapy field since 2006. Reesa has been involved with Dreamcatcher™ since 2010. Reesa completed her Masters of Social work, with a clinical focus, at Yeshiva University (NY), her Bachelor of Social Work from York University, and Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Alberta. She specializes in working with teens and adults with complex needs including trauma, addictions, psychosis and especially those who have been marginalized. Her therapeutic approaches include cognitive-behavioural, strengths based, trauma-focused, nature and animal assisted. You will often find her in the chicken coop, goat pen or snuggling with a cat. Reesa is compassionate and committed to meeting people “where they are”. She finds the best in people and supports them to achieve it through providing them with a genuine healthy mirror. With her quick wit and down to earth personality she is a perfect fit for older teens and young adults. |
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Janine Kristensen, M.Ed., Provisional Psychologist
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Kaeley Kereliuk, M.A, Provisional Psychologist
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Jenn Epp, M.P.S, Psychotherapist
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Janine
Janine holds a Master of Education with a Specialization in School and Clinical Child Psychology and a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Psychology. Animals have always had a special place in Janine’s heart. She has fostered dogs with Paws for Life and volunteered with Little Bits Therapeutic Riding Association at the Whitemud Equine Learning Centre for several years. Volunteering at Little Bits opened her eyes to the beneficial impact horses can have on people with mental health diagnoses and physical disabilities. These experiences started her on a journey to discover how she could integrate animals into therapy, which has excitingly culminated in working as a therapist at Dreamcatcher. Janine has worked with children, youth and adults for over 11 years in group home care, working in different areas such as Addictions, Intervention, Family Support and High Risk programs. She has worked with people with various mental health disorders with the desire to support each person in their journey. Janine provides psychological assessments and therapeutic interventions with her main theoretical framework rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She also offers Play Therapy interventions and is learning how to integrate Animal Assisted Therapy into her therapeutic approach as well. In her spare time, Janine loves climbing and mountaineering in the gloriously beautiful Rocky Mountains year round. |
Kaeley
In 2013 Kaeley obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Child and Youth Care, and a Masters of Counselling Degree in 2016 through the City University of Seattle. She has recently pursued her Provisional Registration as a Psychologist in Alberta. Her previous experience is in group homes, community, and school settings working with children and youth ages 5-18 with complex needs. Kaeley completed her internship in 2015/2016 at The Be Brave Ranch (Little Warriors) where she was able to see how integrating different therapeutic approaches to therapy was valuable. Her love for nature and animals brought Kaeley to Dreamcatcher™ in early 2020 as one of our student therapists. She incorporates animal assisted, nature-assisted, music, art and play interventions into her therapy practice. Kaeley works most often from a trauma focused, strength based, and narrative lens. Kaeley admires the bravery it takes to come forward and work through personal challenges and believe it is an honor to be able to walk alongside those in their healing journey. In her spare time she loves to spend time with her family at the lake, going on hikes, doing yoga, art and music. |
JENN
Jenn grew up on a small hobby farm. As a highly sensitive person she often felt lonely and misunderstood. By spending time in nature and with her dogs and cats she often experienced a comfort that she could not find anywhere else and nature was a place in which she could feel a deep grounding within her self. Jenn graduated with a Bachelor of Community Rehabilitation from the University of Calgary and a Masters in Psychotherapy and Spirituality in 2019 from St. Stephen’s College at the University of Alberta. For the past 15 years she has worked extensively in the area of disability and understands the power that the nonverbal language of animals can offer to support individuals who struggle with language processing and social communication. Jenn is particularly passionate about supporting individuals who present with issues of grief and loss of family, identity and community. Her strengths are working with adults and young teens. Through a trauma-informed lens she utilizes cognitive behavioural, narrative and animal assisted therapeutic strategies to support individual’s to address their challenges. Jenn’s quiet, warm and empathic demeanor provides a holding space for individuals to journey towards healing and to experience the hope and joy that life has to offer. |
Mary Meyer, M.P.S-AT, Psychotherapist
Mary
Mary holds a Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality-Art Therapy Emphasis degree from St. Stephen’s College in Edmonton. She has always been passionate about art, animals and nature and has come to realize their healing power in people. Mary works at Dreamcatcher as a Nature-Based Art Therapist to support clients’ growth and healing by integrating art, animals and nature in her therapeutic practice. Mary has experience in: (a) Individual art therapy with children ages 5-12 who suffered from abuse, anxiety, attachment issues, and loss and grief; (b) Group art therapy for sexual assault survivors ages 8-18; (c) Open group art therapy with seniors; and (d) Group art therapy for family members of individuals with eating disorders. Her areas of professional interests are diverse but rooted in social justice principles for populations of all ages, specifically for survivors of abuse and vulnerable populations including the LGBTQ2S+ community. Mary’s art therapy practice is nature-based, trauma-informed, and gender affirmed. While Mary works with people of all ages in her therapeutic practice, she has a warm spot for children, youth, teens and young adults. Mary combines art and nature in her art therapy practice to assist clients who are experiencing stress, anxiety, grief or loss, to move towards emotional, physical, social and spiritual health. She believes artmaking works well in a therapeutic setting because it is a non-verbal way of communicating: Experiences that might be too difficult to talk about can be expressed and released through artmaking. Additionally, clients do not have to be skilled in art to express themselves artistically; therefore, anyone can benefit from art therapy. Nature is therapeutic because it holds mysteries, wonders, enchantments and endless possibilities of discoveries. Spending time in nature helps us to begin to understand it and supports us in feeling a part of nature. Mary believes the sensory experiences in nature and in art making enhances clients’ connections to nature and brings them to a deeper understanding of themselves, others, non-human life and the relationships among them. The process of personalizing experiences in nature by making tangible objects (art pieces) could be transformational for clients as they free their thoughts and feelings by externalizing what was inside of them without the need to verbalize it. Additionally, Mary uses her nature-based art therapy practice to help create communities where all humans and non-humans share space with equity, diversity and sustainability. |
Allison Hay BSW, Registered Social Worker
Allison
Allison is a Registered Social Worker in Alberta. She has over 25 years of experience working with adults and adolescents with a variety of behavioural, emotional, legal and mental health challenges. Allison has worked in a variety of settings including adult and youth correctional facilities, hospital and community mental health services. Allison has been working at Dreamcatcher™ since August 2017. She has a joy for learning about and interacting with animals and has a deep respect for the healing that can come through these relationships and in being in nature. Combining nature, animals, and in particular, horses, in assisting people toward health is an opportunity that she regards with excitement and is one that she believes can be of benefit to all. Allison is in the process of becoming certified through Equine Facilitated Wellness – Canada as a Mental Health Professional and as an Equine Learning Professional. |
Behaviour Interventionists
Kaytlyn Morris BSW, Registered Social Worker
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Kristina Koncz BSW, Registered Social Worker
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Liesel Wierenga
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Kaytlyn
Since 2015, Kaytlyn has been a Registered Social Worker in Alberta. She started her journey with Dreamcatcher™ as a practicum student and quickly learned that she needed to stay involved with the Animal-Assisted and Nature-Assisted Therapy world. She has helped out at Dreamcatcher™ as a volunteer, animal handler and co-facilitator of groups. Growing up out in the country, she understands the importance of connecting with the outdoors and the unconditional love of animals. Being a part of the Dreamcatcher™ team, Kaytlyn is able to combine her passion of helping others with her love of animals. Kaytlyn has experience working with an intensive addiction and mental health outreach team, supporting the inner city’s most vulnerable forensic and homeless population with concurrent disorders. She is competent in providing crisis intervention, safety planning and harm reduction strategies. She has also worked collaboratively with Child and Family Services, supporting children and their families through issues of domestic violence, gang affiliation, mental health, addictions, exploitation and parenting. She supports individuals to explore and connect to Indigenous culture and ceremonies. She is an advocate for families and their children, empowering them to overcome systemic barriers in order to nurture their basic needs. She also understands the importance of children and teens developing skills in regards to emotional regulation, relationship building, communication, stress tolerance and mindfulness. Kaytlyn works from a place of non-judgmental, client-centered, strength based and recovery-focused support. In Kaytlyn’s free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, sharing the mutual love of horses and the outdoors. She can also be found hiking and camping in the mountains. She has two special kitties at home, Frank and Barb, who she hopes to introduce into the Animal-Assisted role in the future. |
kristina
Kristina has been a Registered Social Worker since 2015. While working on her degree, she volunteered with Victims Services in Lethbridge, working alongside first responders to support victims and their families immediately after experiencing trauma. She has also worked collaboratively with Child and Family Services, supporting children and their families through a variety of issues including domestic violence, mental health, addictions and parenting. When Kristina started working in a school setting, she found her passion working one-on-one and in groups with children to build skills, such as emotional regulation, self-esteem, coping with big/difficult feelings and social skills, as well as providing a safe place for kids to share their thoughts and feelings without judgment. She has also worked with parents on how to better understand their children’s behavior and how they can help set their children up for success. Kristina learned that for most kids, sitting down and talking about their problems wasn’t the most effective way to reach them and so she obtained a play therapy certificate through Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute that has allowed her to therapeutically incorporate toys and games in to her work. Kristina has always had a deep love for animals, but after attending an open house at Dreamcatcher, Kristina immediately saw the value of working with animals and nature in this field and fell in love with Dreamcatcher. She has since combined her passion of working with children and families in an engaging and fun way, with her love and respect for animals. Kristina works from a strength-based approach, meeting kids and adults where they are and continually supporting them in seeing the value and importance of everything that they are. When not working, Kristina can be found spending time with her family and their dog June, whom they rescued a year and a half ago and who has become a special member of the family. |
LIESEL
Liesel started out at Dreamcatcher™ in 2017 as a volunteer where she began feeding and caring for the animals. She advanced through the roles and became an animal handler, then Volunteer Coordinator, and now a Behavioural Interventionist. She is completing her degree in Therapeutic Recreation online through the University of Lethbridge which enables her to help others build social, emotional, physical, cognitive, spiritual and environmental skills through enjoyable and meaningful activities. She has worked with children, youth, adults and seniors in clinical settings, helping them find purpose and meaning to their lives through recreation and leisure. Liesel grew up on a farm and loves spending time in nature and with animals of all kinds. Her passion is to help individuals experience the healing that nature and animals can bring to those who live with mental health challenges. |
Support Staff
Jess Mayhew B.H.Sc., Office Admin
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Patricia Rojek, Front Line Fridays Program and Evening Admin
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Megan Riley, Volunteer Coordinator
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Jess
Jess graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in Addictions Counselling in 2009. She grew up in the Okanagan, with such a passion for children and animals that she knew she had to find some capacity to work with them together. She has a great love and respect for all species of animals from horses to salamanders, fish to hedgehogs. She has a particular fondness for reptiles of all sorts, especially snakes. Jess loves working with kids of all ages and especially enjoys the opportunity to teach them all sorts of things about animals, like how reptiles are ectothermic or chickens typically take 21 days to hatch. In her downtime, Jess enjoys fire spinning, drawing haida artwork, playing video games, gardening, and caring for her son, husband, and guinea pigs: Sour Krowse and Bacon. She loves to travel and hopes to visit Iceland and Ireland in the upcoming years. You can usually catch Jess giving a belly rub to Rain the horse, checking up on the chickens, or napping with Emma the sheep! |
Patricia
Patricia is graduating from her Bachelor of Arts degree at MacEwan University in April 2021 and is majoring in Psychology with the intent of completing a graduate degree in counselling in the future, ideally incorporating art therapy into her practice one day. She joined the team at Dreamcatcher™ in December 2020 because of her love for animals and her desire to learn about the therapeutic benefits that they can have on their human friends. She has always been aware of the healing energy that animal companions possess and is excited to be working in an environment that fosters that energy in order to help individuals heal and live fulfilling lives. All animals have a place in her heart, with a special place reserved for wolves and horses which she finds that she is very drawn to spiritually. In her spare time, Patricia enjoys drawing portraits of her friends' and family's pets as well as various wildlife. Her most recent hobby includes learning to shuffle dance, which goes hand in hand with her love of electronic dance music. She also has a long list of places that she intends to travel to; the one she has her eyes set on next is Nepal to complete the Everest Base Camp Trek or to go skiing in the Swiss Alps! |
Megan
More to come. |
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Cheryl
In 2020 Cheryl started in the role of Administrator for the Time on the Land program at Dreamcatcher™, after an early retirement from the health insurance industry. Her 31 year career has provided her with the experience and knowledge to administrate the Time on the Land program, organizing special events supporting individuals who are struggling with being socially distanced from friends and family during the Covid-19 pandemic. Cheryl’s informative years were spent living on a farm with her family while her grandparents lived across the road from her. She credits a big part of her nurturing love, compassion of animals and helping others to the love and guidance of her grandparents. Over the past 35 plus years she has volunteered and supported various charities, animal rights and rescues in the Edmonton area. When you ask her how she feels about the Time on the Land program, the Dreamcatcher team, the land and the co-counsellor animals - her face lights up with the biggest smile and she will tell you how one door closed as another opened into her passion of helping others, being on the land with nature and animals and that she couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity. |
Lynn
More to come... |
SHAYNA
Shayna graduated from Concordia University of Edmonton with a BA in Applied Psychology. She will be attending a Masters in Counselling Program to fulfill her passion in becoming a Registered Psychologist. Shayna started at Dreamcatcher™ in September 2020 as a Practicum Student and immediately began to adore the field of Animal and Nature Assisted Therapy. She has a strong desire to help people and works hard to better herself and the world around her. Her love for animals continues to grow as she spends more time with the Dreamcatcher™ critters. She appreciates their unique personalities and admires how they help people overcome even the hardest obstacles in their lives. During her Practicum, Shayna was overjoyed when given the opportunity to facilitate the Rejuvenation Program with another Practicum Student. Her enthusiastic nature and leadership skills quickly came to life for the program and have continued to expand to this day, as she continues with the position even after her Practicum ended. Since finishing her schooling in April 2021, Shayna has become the Editor for Dreamcatcher™ and provides help and support wherever necessary to complete the tasks at hand. In Shayna's spare time, she enjoys crafting and painting pieces for her family and friends. She also enjoys spending extensive time outdoors, such as going for walks with her dogs and camping with her family. Shayna enjoys traveling and exploring different places to truly see what this world has to offer, and intends to increase her travel destinations in the future. |
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John
John does Animal Wellness Checks on the weekends ensuring that all the animals are healthy and happy. He particularly loves the goats and is thrilled to be part of the Dreamcatcher trip of goats. John spends his extra time socializing with the goats making sure that they all get scratches and hoof pettings galore. If you don’t see him right away, he is likely laying down in the middle of the trip! |
dale
More to come... |