By Ruth Stanley-Aikens

Expanding definitions

Trauma-informed approaches have begun to expand to include being violence-informed; this offers a more complete approach that incorporates an understanding of systemic and structural harm:

“Violence” was added to trauma-informed approaches to emphasize the broader structural violence that influences and shapes interpersonal experiences of trauma, an individual’s health and well-being, and engagement with services. [Trauma- and violence- informed] approaches seek to dismantle power imbalances within health and social service settings. This is particularly important for individuals who have been disempowered or whose voices have been silenced or talked over.

Western centre for research and education on violence against women and children

Trauma and violence-informed (TVI) practices are a confluence of best practices which put the person or community we serve at the centre of a safely supported collaboration, using tentative and strengths-based language, and begin from a dedicated position that the community we serve are the experts in their lived-experience(s). Therefore, the person or community we serve must be treated as partners at all stages of program and service development.

It does not stop there; TVI practices can also protect service providers, social workers, therapists, et al, from developing vicarious traumatization. The way we behave on the job, can be aligned to reflect low-impact debriefing, and by adding an empathetic vs sympathetic approach, can help to avoid the distress of vicarious traumatization.

A collaborative approach starts from a position of curiosity. It starts and ends with various forms of, “how can we work together to plan the way forward.” It avoids attempting to define a person’s trauma experience. Ultimately, this approach contributes to creating programs and services that meet the community member’s needs.

The confluence

Safe spaces

We should never promise to provide a safe space for others. We have a responsibility to exercise due diligence in supporting a safe(r) environment; however, safety is defined by the person/community we serve.

Persons with lived experience of trauma (PWLET) can feel safe one moment, and feel unsafe the next, despite the facilitator or service provider engaging in every best practice known. It is our responsibility to acknowledge when something has changed for an individual, asking respectfully, “I’ve noticed, (insert observable phenomenon)” and ask, “What can I do to help/help you feel safer?” This shows both concern and respect for the person who may no longer feel safe. It begins a collaboration on next steps.

We must always be transparent. We “support safety” in conversations, collaborations, programming and service delivery. Language is important.

A relational approach

Collaboration is not just a word; it is the driving force behind a trauma-informed approach. This starts from a position of understanding that we, as service providers are not the experts in the trauma a person/community has experienced (systemic and community-based macro and micro aggressions of racism, sexual assault/harassment, early childhood adverse experiences, to name a few) and we do not know the best way to create programming to meet their needs. We can only know when we consult. We need to partner in the work.

This does not exempt programs/service professionals/institutions from their responsibility to understand the potential impacts of trauma, or existing models of service. Each person must understand trauma, and the ways that trauma may influence coping, communications and needs. Service providers must be able to identify that dissonance in relationships may be occurring due to protective coping skills, and act to build trust with their client.

There are institutional limitations influencing the service an organization can deliver, and sometimes clinical best practices further limit the parameters of a program. Without transparent collaboration from the outset, these limitations and other factors can create conflict, lead to the loss of trust and credibility, result in financial repercussions and harm the community you intend to support.

Strengths-based language

All too often we stumble and advertise opportunities for engagement to improve people’s lives. For example claiming a program will “reduce veterans’ experience of isolation,” would be a hierarchical and assumptive statement. We must never define what another person is feeling or what is true for them. When we do, it can create conflict and interfere with our credibility because we can be wrong. No two persons experience a traumatic event in the same way.

Instead, we need to use language that brings people in, such as “to bring veterans together.” A strengths-based approach speaks to what is positive. Although people experience many challenges which can result in symptomatology, we need to remember that humans want positivity, despite being threat sensitive. Hammond and Zimmerman describe a strengths-based approach as, “Rather than the traditional perspective of engaging a person with a problem orientation and risk focus, a strengths-based approach seeks to understand and develop the strengths and capabilities that can transform the lives of people in positive ways.”

A strength-based perspective informs not only how we provide services but also how we promote them to potential participants (i.e. how we offer answers to the question “what’s in it for me?”). The way messages are received by our community partners does not always reflect what we intended to communicate, but we can do better if we listen. When we collaborate, we may find out that a portion of the population we serve is feeling disconnected; we might then advertise:

[Name of program] is a place to bring [identified PWLET community] together in a place that supports individual safety, to connect, support, and engage.

Finding a strengths-based approach to describe what you intend to do is important. We cannot make the mistake of defining another person’s experience.

Proactively preventing re-traumatization

Re-telling a trauma narrative may be a component of trauma therapy – not always, but it can be, and it must involve consent and the rationale for doing so. However, in other service relationships, re-traumatizing the individual and others can happen unintentionally, when trauma content is described. 

For some, they urgently want to tell their trauma experience. Containing that discussion can take gentle boundary setting. Engaging in this boundary setting can feel uncomfortable but it is necessary. No one wishes to lose the connection with a client because the client feels guilt or shame for disclosing their deeply personal experience to you prematurely, or without need.

For others, their priority is to not retell their trauma experience to people; often they have been asked repeatedly to describe their experience by various service providers, sometimes without knowing why.

In either scenario, people can suffer as a result.

Consider, “It is not the event that determines whether something is traumatic to someone, but the individual’s experience of the event and the meaning they make of it.” The internal meaning can affect all aspects of a person’s life/coping/ways of being in the world.

Instead, asking them about how this trauma has impacted them. 

Often, what happens after the traumatic event determines its effects. Understanding these influences helps providers work to avoid retraumatizing the community we serve.

Putting TVI practices into play within the workplace

We all experience trauma, grief, forms of institutional betrayal and moral injury. All experiences can have effects on our coping, communication style, relationships and capacity.

Notice when reactions to a conversation are responded to out of proportion to the subject being discussed; this is a good indication that someone may be suffering, and that person may even be you. Prioritize the relationship, be transparent, mend injuries to the relationship. Notice when there are unresolved feelings. Approach from a genuine position of curiosity, or intention to connect with the person and try to find a way through.

Low-impact debriefing can be very useful when seeking support in the workplace. TEND Academy offers resources that instruct on ‘debriefing without sliming’ or avoiding giving trauma content to another person which can make them vulnerable to vicarious traumatization. Using an empathetic lens, with a slightly different definition, can also be helpful.

Steve Davis writes about the benefits of empathetic facilitation, which can be applied to the concept of mutual support to make it more effective:

… coming from an empathetic perspective, you understand what the other is feeling but you don’t necessarily go there with them. Instead, you view them as capable of working through the issue at hand. To be empathetic to someone in pain, you might say something like, “I sense that you’re hurting. What do you need right now?”

Steve Davis: Be empathetic not sympathetic

This definition assumes the person who needs support is a competent problem solver. It doesn’t impose meaning to what they have been through – only the person who experienced the trauma is positioned to describe the impacts of their experiences.

Workplaces could benefit from adopting a similar approach to reduce the contagion of trauma material contributing to vicarious traumatization with clients and between colleagues.

From ideals to action

Applying trauma- and violence-informed principles is a confluence of best practices culled from training on counselling, the expert advice of the people we serve, debriefing without harming others, and our own self-knowledge. Using a TVI approach in all aspects of life, with colleagues, clients, community members, family and friends, can reduce harm and mitigate suffering.

References

Bolton, MJ et al, Trauma Informed Tool Kit 2nd Ed., (2013), Klinic Community Health Centre, https://trauma-informed.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/trauma-informed_toolkit_v07-1.pdf

Communities together for children, (2025), What is trauma, EarlyON Child and Family Centre Northwood, https://www.ctctbay.org/community/community-partner-table-resources/trauma-informed/what-trama

Davis, S (2013),Be empathetic not sympathetic, Facilitator U: awakening conscious leadership, https://facilitatoru.com/facilitation/be-empathetic-not-sympathetic

Tend, Tend Academy Ltd (2025), Low impact debriefing, https://tendtoolkit.com/low-impact-debriefing-strategy

Western centre for research and education on violence against women and children, (2020), Learning network, Issue 31: Trauma- and violence- informed approaches: Supporting children exposed to intimate partner violence, https://www.gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-31

Zimmerman R. and Hammond W, (2012), A strengths-based perspective, Homeless hub, https://homelesshub.ca/resource/strengths-based-perspective

Ruth Stanley-Aikens, MSW, RSW

Ruth has worked at the provincial and federal levels for over 40 years. She is currently the Special Advisor on Trauma at the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre, which provides services for Canada’s military and extended defence communities. Ruth is trained in a number of clinical modalities with a focus on dissociative coping, and has extensive experience working with survivors of sexual trauma including war-related trauma. In 2025, she was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of her service to trauma-informed practices within the Canadian Armed Forces/Department of National Defence.

Read more of Connection

• The continuing evolution of trauma-informed praxisJanuary 29, 2026
• Spotlight: 2025 Student Bursary RecipientsJanuary 15, 2026
• Responding to the epidemic of gender-based violence: Reflections & invitations for the 16 Days of ActionDecember 10, 2025
• Healing in the crossfire: Clinical social work in a genocideNovember 5, 2025
• Healthcare erosion: “Why didn’t you press the button?”October 21, 2025
• Food, Body, and Bias: Why Your Words MatterSeptember 25, 2025
• Developing a standard of care for social work practice with people who use alcohol and drugsMay 7, 2025
• Book review: Active HopeApril 22, 2025
• NSCSW Awards: A spotlight on our communityMarch 27, 2025
• Spotlight: 2024 Student Bursary RecipientsMarch 13, 2025

The NSCSW is seeking nominations for three social workers to join the Governance Committee. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction and oversight of the College’s governance updates, ensuring alignment with our values, legislative requirements, and the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Reconciliation, and Accessibility (EDIRA) Framework.

As a member of the Governance Committee, you will play a vital role in:

• Embedding EDIRA principles into governance updates.
• Aligning the College’s governance structure with the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA).
• Drafting instructions for legal counsel to update the College’s Regulations and By-laws.
• Providing guidance for revising the Governance Policy Manual.

Eligibility:
We are looking for Nova Scotian social workers who are passionate about advancing the College’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities.

How to Apply:
To express your interest, please submit the following:

1. A letter of interest outlining your qualifications and motivation for joining the committee.
2. Your CV.

Please send your application to Alec Stratford at [email protected]  by Friday, February 27, 2026.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
26 January, 2026

KJIPUKTUK (HALIFAX, NS) – The Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW) revoked the registration of Sherri Boyd (also known as Sherri Lynn Boyd and Sherri Lynn Ascroft Boyd), registration #7501, following a hearing held on October 27, 2025. This decision reflects the College’s commitment to ensuring the safe and ethical delivery of social work practice and maintaining the integrity of the profession.

The NSCSW received a complaint in May 2022 from Temperance Winger, which included serious allegations of grooming, harboring, and sexual abuse by Ms. Boyd when Ms. Winger was a minor. Following an investigation, the Complaints Committee imposed interim restrictions on Ms. Boyd’s registration in July 2022, including supervision requirements and a prohibition on providing social work services to individuals under 24 years of age. In July 2023, Ms. Boyd’s registration was further suspended, prohibiting her from practicing or representing herself as a social worker.

In 2025, Ms. Boyd applied for the revocation of her registration, which was consented to by the Complaints Committee and approved by the Discipline Committee.  A consent revocation results in the full revocation of a social worker’s registration, identical in outcome to a contested hearing that concludes with revocation. The decision to revoke her registration aligns with the College’s mandate to protect the public, uphold the integrity of the social work profession, and maintain public confidence in the field.

“The College exists to ensure the safe and ethical delivery of social work practice and to maintain the integrity of the profession,” said Valerie Heard, NSCSW’s Professional Conduct Manager. “Disciplinary actions like this one are a reflection of our commitment to this mandate. The revocation of Ms. Boyd’s registration is a necessary step to protect the public and preserve trust in the social work profession.”

The Discipline Committee’s decision was informed by several aggravating factors, including:

• Ms. Boyd’s lack of remorse or insight into her conduct;
• the fact that the complainant, Temperance Winger, was a minor at the time of the misconduct;
• Ms. Boyd’s position of trust as a de facto guardian to the complainant;
• a pattern of grooming and repeated sexual misconduct; and
• Ms. Boyd’s encouragement of harmful and inappropriate discussions about pedophilia.

The Committee also acknowledged the bravery of Temperance Winger, who provided a victim impact statement and requested that her name be included in the decision. Ms. Winger’s statement highlighted the devastating harm caused by Ms. Boyd’s actions and underscored the importance of accountability in this case.

As part of the decision, Ms. Boyd’s registration has been revoked, and she is prohibited from referring to herself as a social worker. She will not be eligible to apply for reinstatement for at least five years and has been ordered to contribute $15,000 toward the costs incurred by the NSCSW in this matter.

The NSCSW remains steadfast in its mission to protect the public and ensure that social work practice in Nova Scotia is conducted with the highest standards of safety, ethics, and professionalism.

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About us:

The Nova Scotia College of Social Workers serves and protects Nova Scotians by effectively regulating the profession of social work. We work in solidarity with Nova Scotians to advocate for policies that improve social conditions, challenge injustice and value diversity.

For more information or to arrange interviews with NSCSW spokespersons, contact: Rebecca Faria, communication coordinator for NSCSW (902-429-7799 ext. 227, [email protected]).

The College shares discipline decision information not only to meet the legislative requirements of the Social Workers Act, but to serve and protect the public interest. Information about reprimands, restrictions and license revocations is attached to the member profiles of individuals in the searchable registry, and the College has a dedicated web page for sharing decision findings.

We encourage our members to review decision information, to gain insight into the reasons for decisions and the College’s discipline process. It is important for all social workers in Nova Scotia to understand the College’s role in ensuring that Nova Scotians can rely on professional, ethical social work practice.

Before reading the decision summary below, please note that it describes sexual misconduct and harm to a minor.

Summary of Discipline Committee’s decision

Application for Consent Revocation

Member:  Sherri Boyd
Hearing date: October 27, 2025
Decision date: October 27, 2025

Sherri Boyd, Registration #7501, of Nova Scotia, was initially registered as a social worker with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW) in January 2017.  Previously, Ms. Boyd had been registered as a registered social worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

In May 2022, NSCSW received a complaint from Temperance Winger, which included a number of serious allegations against Ms. Boyd.  These included allegations of grooming, harbouring, and sexually abusing Temperance Winger when she was a minor.

In July 2022, the Complaints Committee imposed a number of interim restrictions on Ms. Boyd’s registration, pursuant to subsection 29(5) of the Social Workers Act, SNS 1993, c 12, as amended (Social Workers Act).  The restrictions required Ms. Boyd to have a supervisor approved by NSCSW, along with a number of conditions including terms of supervision and reporting to NSCSW.  In addition, Ms. Boyd was prohibited from providing social work services to any individual 24 years of age or younger.

On July 4, 2023, pursuant to subsection 29(5) of the Social Workers Act, the Complaints Committee imposed an interim suspension on Ms. Boyd’s registration.  Pursuant to the interim suspension, Ms. Boyd was prohibited from:

1. Practising as a social worker;
2. Using the title of social worker or registered social worker, or making use of any abbreviation of such title, or any name, title or designation which may lead to the belief that she is a social worker;
3. Advertising, or in any way, or by any means, representing herself as a social worker; and
4. Acting or representing herself in such manner as to lead to the belief that she is authorized to fill the office of or act as a social worker.

In 2025, Ms. Boyd applied for the revocation of her social work registration pursuant to section 31 of the Social Work Regulations.  NSCSW and the Complaints Committee consented to Ms. Boyd’s application for revocation.

Preliminary Issues

It is the practice of the Discipline Committee to not disclose the name or other identifying information of a complainant.

In this case, Temperance Winger, the complainant, requested the opportunity to provide a victim impact statement.  Temperance Winger also specifically requested that her name be used in the Discipline Committee’s decision and any summary of same. The Discipline Committee granted both requests.

Regarding disclosure of the complainant’s name, the Discipline Committee emphasized that the only basis for such disclosure was that it came from a specific and clear request from the complainant. 

The Discipline Committee greatly appreciated the statement of Temperance Winger and acknowledge the bravery and courage it took to come forward, and particularly in the presence of Ms. Boyd. Temperance Winger clearly articulated the devastating harm perpetuated upon her by Ms. Boyd.  Temperance Winger emphasized that she “chooses everyday to heal”. The Discipline Committee was moved by their words and recognizes their resilience in the face of such trauma.   The statement provided further confirmation that revocation is the only just and appropriate outcome in the circumstances.

Allegations Not Contested

Ms. Boyd did not contest the following allegations against her:

1. In or around January 2013 to May 2014 in Ontario, Ms. Boyd groomed the complainant by:
   • Having the complainant move in with her and her family;
   • Having the complainant call her “mom”;
   • Cuddling with the complainant; and
   • Distancing the complainant from their family.
2. In or around May 2013 to July 2017 in Ontario and Nova Scotia, Ms. Boyd engaged in sexual misconduct by:
   • Suggesting she was sexually attracted to the complainant and wanted to pursue a “relationship” with the complainant;
   • Kissing the complainant;
   • Sexual touching the complainant;
   • Engaging in sexual intercourse with the complainant;
   • Encouraging the complainant to masturbate in her presence;
   • Using sex toys with the complainant;
   • Making sexualized comments to the complainant, including but not limited to: “You do have an amazing booty”; “That boooootttyyyyy!!!! So fine! So fine!”; and “Hot pic”;
   • Referring to the complainant in communications as “babe”; “my love”; “my heart”; “my dearest heart”;
   • Encouraging the Complainant to discuss pedophilia and age as a “social construct” with other individuals on the internet; and
   • Suggesting pedophilia was acceptable and encouraging the complainant to think same.
3. On February 7, 2024, Ms. Boyd failed to cooperate with NSCSW’s investigation of this matter, specifically by refusing to respond to questions posed by the NSCSW’s investigator.

Disposition

The Application for Consent Revocation was presented to the Discipline Committee for consideration on October 27, 2025. The Committee heard submissions from legal counsel for the college, Ryan Baxter, and legal counsel for Ms. Boyd, Alexander MacKillop.

The Committee noted that consenting to the Application for Consent Revocation was consistent with the objects of the College set out at section 5 of the Social Workers Act.  The Committee found that the Application serves the public interest, preserves the integrity of the social work profession, and maintains the public confidence in the profession.

In the Committee’s view, revocation is the only acceptable outcome in the circumstances.  There were a number of aggravating factors in this case, including:

1. Ms. Boyd made no admissions and therefore has not demonstrated remorse or insight into her conduct;
2. Temperance Winger was a minor;
3. Ms. Boyd was in a position of trust and acted as a de facto guardian to Temperance Winger (including having Temperance Winger call her “mom”);
4. Ms. Boyd engaged in a pattern of grooming of Temperance Winger;
5. Ms. Boyd engaged in repeated sexual misconduct;
6. Ms. Boyd encouraged Temperance Winger to discuss pedophilia and age as a “social construct” with other individuals on the internet; and
7. Ms. Boyd suggested pedophilia was acceptable and encouraged Temperance Winger to think the same.

The Discipline Committee consented to the following disposition:

1. Ms. Boyd’s registration as a registered social worker registration with NSCSW pursuant to the Social Workers Act is revoked;
2. Ms. Boyd will no longer refer herself as a social worker;
3. Ms. Boyd will not be eligible to apply for reinstatement of her social worker registration until five years from the date of this decision;
4. Ms. Boyd shall pay a contribution toward the costs incurred by NSCSW in this matter in the amount of $15,000.00, on terms agreed upon by the parties, being $5,000.00 per year, the first payment of $5,000.00 due within 60 days of the date of this decision.

The Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW) Council is seeking proposals from qualified and experienced human resources or compensation consultants to conduct an independent, comprehensive review of its staff salary and compensation structure. The goal is to develop a fair, competitive, and fiscally responsible compensation framework that aligns with best practices, reflects the value and complexity of the work performed by our staff, and ensures we can attract and retain qualified professionals who are essential to fulfilling our mandate.

For more detail about this project, including background and proposal guidelines, please read the full request for proposals.

To bid on this project, please send your proposal to our Executive Director/Registrar Alec Stratford at [email protected] no later than 4:30 p.m. AST on Friday February 27. (If you have questions regarding this RFP, please ask Alec before February 13.)

Every year we offer a bursary program for several members of our College who are students completing accredited social work programs at Canadian universities. In 2025, these students each received $500 from NSCSW to help them achieve their academic and professional goals, and we wish them well in their studies and future endeavours.

Please join us in congratulating them!

Jazmine Dewtie
Dalhousie University

Jazmine Dewtie is a Master of Social Work student, Transition Year Program alum and Teaching Assistant who cares deeply about how African Nova Scotian communities are supported within systems. Her thesis includes an activity that explores African Nova Scotian history, intergenerational trauma and mental health to help explain how these experiences show up in youth today. Created for youth and frontline workers, it aims to build understanding, compassion and culturally grounded care.

As a proud Black mom, Jazmine brings her voice and lived experience to her work and hopes to become a clinical social worker supporting African Nova Scotian youth and families.

Jackie Gillies
University of Waterloo

Mary Googoo
Cape Breton University

Mary Virginia Googoo is a Mi’kmaq BSW student from Eskasoni First Nation studying at CBU. As a mother of four and the first in her family to attend university, she is passionate about community-based, culturally grounded social work.

Mary’s practicum experiences at Eskasoni Mental Health and Mi’kmaw Family & Children’s Services have shaped her commitment to trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and Two-Eyed Seeing practice. She hopes to continue supporting Indigenous youth, families, and communities through clinical social work rooted in healing, culture, and empowerment.

Madison Headley
Cape Breton University

Madison Headley, an African Nova Scotian woman, is a first-generation university student pursuing her Bachelor of Social Work at CBU. Passionate about advocacy and empowering marginalized voices, she aims to combine compassion with confidence to address injustice. Madison is committed to ethical, professional care and creating lasting change for vulnerable communities.

Jeffrey Sanda
Dalhousie University

I am Jeffrey Sanda, a Master of Social Work student at Dalhousie University, driven by a lifelong commitment to youth empowerment, social justice, and community development. Born and raised in Ghana, my experiences navigating structural inequities, poverty, and limited access to social supports shaped my passion for advocacy and service. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Ghana and spent over seven years working with the Ghana Youth Employment Agency, supporting vulnerable youth through skills development, mentorship, and livelihood initiatives.

Currently, my MSW studies focus on youth mental health, trauma-informed care, and anti-oppressive practice. My practice philosophy is grounded in cultural humility, relational accountability, and a strong commitment to addressing systemic injustice. My field placement at IWK CMHA and my role at Adsum for Women and Children have strengthened my clinical and community practice skills. I am deeply committed to working with immigrants, Black African communities and African Nova Scotians. The NSCSW bursary affirms my dedication to advancing equitable, culturally responsive, and justice-oriented social work practice in Nova Scotia and Canada as a whole.

Jinyu Yuan
Dalhousie University

In my final year of high school, I was the only student in my class who wrote “social worker” on the wall of ideal careers, surrounded by classmates who chose paths long considered more “serious” in the eyes of Chinese society. That small sticky note now feels symbolic of the world I grew up in – one that rarely spoke about mental health, diversity, or social justice, yet quietly shaped my resolve to pursue them.

This was the beginning of my story. In the years that followed, from China to Canada, I have continued strengthening my skills in the field of mental health to become a professional who can support people facing mental health challenges. My interests have centred on trauma, queer communities, newcomers, and cultures, and I am currently focusing on a cross-cultural research of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in my MSW program. After graduation, I hope to work with children and youth in the healthcare system and also help enhance the representation of racialized populations within it.

I want to take this opportunity to appreciate my parents, my partner Ben, and all the beautiful souls who have continuously supported me throughout my career journey. 谢谢你们! Thank you all!

Read more of Connection

• The continuing evolution of trauma-informed praxisJanuary 29, 2026
• Spotlight: 2025 Student Bursary RecipientsJanuary 15, 2026
• Responding to the epidemic of gender-based violence: Reflections & invitations for the 16 Days of ActionDecember 10, 2025
• Healing in the crossfire: Clinical social work in a genocideNovember 5, 2025
• Healthcare erosion: “Why didn’t you press the button?”October 21, 2025
• Food, Body, and Bias: Why Your Words MatterSeptember 25, 2025
• Developing a standard of care for social work practice with people who use alcohol and drugsMay 7, 2025
• Book review: Active HopeApril 22, 2025
• NSCSW Awards: A spotlight on our communityMarch 27, 2025
• Spotlight: 2024 Student Bursary RecipientsMarch 13, 2025

By Kristina Fifield, RSW-Clinical Specialist

I’ve been reflecting on our time together at last month’s mini-conference on transforming social work’s role in addressing gender-based and intimate partner violence (GBV/IPV).

If you were able to join us, I’d love to know how the experience felt for you — what stayed, what felt uncomfortable, and what opened or shifted in your body as we co-created and shared space.

Considering where we stand and how we got here

Since becoming a social worker, I’ve witnessed —again and again— how colonial, patriarchal, and misogynistic systems shape not only survivors’ lives but also how we are asked to practice. Survivors of gender-based violence carry the weight of systemic injustices in deeply embodied ways, and our bodies feel those pressures too.

I want to name something many of us hold quietly: the moral injuries that come with doing gender-based violence work. Coercion —both subtle and overt— shapes policy, practice, and the very systems we are expected to work inside. Many of these structures were built on control, risk-aversion, and surveillance, rather than relationship, trust, or self-determination. When survivors are failed by those systems, we witness not just harm but betrayal trauma at an institutional level — trauma that reverberates in survivors’ bodies and in ours.

You’re invited to hold this with me: The work is complex, layered, and often carried out within systems that were never designed to support relational, trauma-sensitive practice. And yet, here you are — choosing to show up, to stay connected, and to reimagine what becomes possible when we practice in ways that honour dignity, relationship, and nervous-system safety.

During the mini-conference, my intention wasn’t simply to share concepts. I wanted to model co-creating space and relational practices rooted in:

• attunement to our bodies,
• non-coercion and choice-making,
• non-attachment to outcome and expectations,
• curiosity over assumption, and
• sharing power and honouring survivors as the experts of their own lives.

I’ve also been noticing how much I’ve shifted my practice over time in doing this work. Over the years, I’ve become more aware of how deeply systems influence my nervous system — my privilege, my sense of safety, how I breathe, and how much presence I can access in any given moment.

I often think back to my early years on overnight shifts at Bryony House — working alone, new to the GBV field. I was surviving inside a house full of survivors and their children, witnessing their suffering, their trauma responses, and the ways those responses were often misunderstood. At 23, without internal supervision and witnessing colleagues and their own intense trauma responses, working within an organization in survival mode, and without the resources we desperately needed, the intensity of that environment began to reshape how I related to myself and to others. The threats and encounters with individuals causing harm, the constant holding of pain, and the repetition of misunderstood trauma responses taught me early what it means to work from a place of chronic hyperarousal — and how deeply that lands in the body, mind, and heart.

With time and reflection, I can see how many of us —colleagues, friends, and people who have carried this work for decades— live with chronic hyperarousal or, for some, chronic hypoarousal. These patterns are not simply about the work; they emerge from longstanding absences of systemic support, containment, and resourcing for those who provide care.

Something I continue to witness —and sit with heavily— is the disproportionate responsibility placed on diverse colleagues, particularly those deeply rooted in their own communities. So many are expected to carry not only their professional roles but also community trauma, community expectations, and the realities of living in the same spaces where violence, harm, and systemic inequities continually unfold. So much of this labour is unacknowledged, unsupported, and carried in isolation — despite being directly tied to long histories of systemic oppression and ongoing disproportionate harm.

Holding this, I am increasingly aware of my own privilege in this work — how my identities and social location shape the risks I take, the protections I have, and the ease with which I can move through certain systems. That awareness calls me into ongoing responsibility: to use my voice, to speak up for change, to intervene when silence would reinforce harm, and to show up as an ally who is accountable and grounded in relationship. Allyship, for me, isn’t a role I claim; it’s a practice I commit to — one that requires humility, action, discomfort, and a willingness to take risks for something larger than myself. I learned early in my career that remaining silent about harm becomes a painful moral injury — one that eroded my relationship with myself.

Much of my career has been spent advocating not just for change outside my workplaces, but for the kinds of structures, supervision, and resourcing and supports that could better hold survivors — and better hold the social workers, advocates, and support workers who walk alongside them, especially those whose identities mean they carry additional layers of responsibility, vulnerability, and exposure. This is part of why I believe so strongly in our shared responsibility to be trauma stewards in gender-based violence work.

At its core, I believe the epidemic of gender-based violence is an epidemic of disconnection and disempowerment. Individuals who cause harm are often profoundly disconnected — from themselves, from others, and from their own capacity for accountability. And survivors, in their own ways, often experience disconnection too — not as a failing, but as an adaptive, protective response. Many survivors learn to leave their bodies to survive what is unbearable. Dissociation, numbness, shutting down, or feeling far away from one’s sensations are not signs of weakness; they are signs of a body doing what it must to stay alive.

Part of our work, then, is honouring that wisdom and supporting survivors in reconnecting at a pace that feels safe, consensual, and chosen — never forced.

I hold onto the hope that through relational practice, collective care, and tending to our own nervous systems, we can contribute to a different way forward — one rooted in connection, compassion, curiosity, accountability, and possibility.

A question that often emerges

One question that surfaced more than once after the training —and one I’ve been asked many times— is:

“If we truly practice non-coercion and shift toward trauma-sensitive relationships, does that mean we will have no boundaries with survivors?”

I don’t think this question reflects individual uncertainty. I think it reflects the conditions and systems we practice within. Many of us are carrying the cumulative weight of this work. These systemic stressors shape our bodies. They create environments where risk-aversion feels like survival—and often shows up as coercion, not because we intend harm, but because our bodies are trying to stay “safe” in systems that do not hold us.

From a decolonial perspective, it’s also essential to acknowledge how colonial and patriarchal frameworks continue to shape social work and GBV practice—structuring the policies we follow, the resources we access, and the ways we are taught to respond to survivors. Anti-oppressive and decolonizing practice asks us to question these inherited systems, resist the impulse to control, and intentionally co-create ways of being that honour relationship, respect, sovereignty, and self-determination.

So, a trauma-sensitive, relational approach is not boundary-less. It creates clarity without control. It centers consent, collaboration, and shared humanity. In this frame and practice, boundaries are not walls. They are containers for safety—flexible enough to be responsive, steady enough to build trust, and grounded enough to support survivors’ agency, voice, and choice.

The nervous system realities we hold with survivors

Survivors often share that they struggle to trust their perceptions, their bodies, and others’ intentions. Systemic oppression, institutional betrayal, and repeated trauma shape not just someone’s story—they shape their nervous system. These forces can erode interoception, narrow the window of tolerance, and heighten external vigilance, because threat has been real, ongoing, and often unaddressed by the very systems meant to offer support. Our bodies respond to this, too. You are invited to reflect: Can you regulate your own body in these moments? How might modelling regulation support co-regulation with survivors?

Even with experience and training, our nervous systems absorb the conditions we practice within — chronic underfunding, crisis-driven workloads, exposure to trauma, and the emotional labour of holding so much for others. From an anti-oppressive and decolonial perspective, it’s also important to name that these nervous system realities are not individual failures—they are shaped by colonialism, racism, misogyny, ableism, and the broader social conditions that produce both violence and burnout.

This is why our embodied awareness is essential.

Tending to our breath, pace, and presence is part of ethical practice. It supports us in showing up with clarity rather than reactivity; with boundaries rooted in care rather than fear; and with enough inner steadiness to avoid replicating the coercive dynamics survivors already navigate. Attuning to our own bodies is also part of accountability—ensuring we do not unconsciously reproduce harm while working inside systems that make coercion feel like the “safe” or efficient choice.

Embodied awareness becomes both a protective practice and a relational offering. It is one way we honour survivors’ autonomy, dignity, and self-determination while honouring our own humanity within this work.

Calls to action: Turning inward

During the 16 Days of Action for Violence Against Women, you are invited to turn inward. Some questions for inquiry I hold in my own practice are:

• How does my body show up in GBV work, in ways that either open or close space for connection?
• What does co-regulation look and feel like between me and others?
• How do I notice when a survivor is within or outside their window of tolerance—and what is my role in supporting them there?
• What happens in me when there’s a rupture, and can I stay present long enough for repair?

This kind of embodied self-connection is relational. It grounds us, protects us, and is ethically necessary when we are walking beside others who carry trauma. Our bodies hold the history of our systems, our fears, and our patterns, and when we bring attention to them, we bring attention to the relationships we are in.

I also want to name honestly: this work asks us to enter the unknown and the uncomfortable, over and over. It asks us to sit with complexity, contradiction, and the places where we don’t yet have answers. And it asks us to look at ourselves in relation to others.

I have caused harm in my relationships with survivors — not from intention, but from conditioning, fear, overwhelm, and systems that live in my body. Returning to these truths is part of my commitment to relational practice and accountability. It is a reminder that fostering trauma-sensitive relationships is not a destination — it is an ongoing practice.

One of the most transformative shifts for me has been learning to befriend fear — to meet the sensations in my body with curiosity instead of judgment. This practice has changed how I show up with survivors and families. It helps me respond rather than react, stay present rather than collapse, and meet rupture with openness rather than defensiveness. And in doing so, it deepens the relational space where trust, repair, and growth can happen.

We are living in a time where violence, polarization, and extremism are intensifying. These conditions have an impact on our bodies, mind and heart. They pull us into urgency, fear, and reactivity. Befriending yourself—your breath, your heartbeat, your limits, and your rhythms—is not separate from your work. It is the work.

It will shape how you meet survivors.
It will shape your capacity to remain relational when things become nuanced or uncomfortable.
It will shape your ability to repair when harm happens.

Tending to your own nervous system is activism, too. Try maybe noticing your breath, noticing your body, or simply asking, “What do I need in this moment?” Allow feelings to move through you without judgment, expanding your capacity to be present for yourself and others.

Calls to action: Being in community

The 16 Days of Activism invite us to connect — to ourselves, to each other, and to the communities we are part of. Being together, witnessing one another, and holding space can be a quiet yet powerful form of care and resistance.

Consider attending a community gathering or vigil in your area. Joining an event reminds us that we are not alone and that collective presence matters. December 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Gender-Based Violence, is a moment to pause, reflect, and act in solidarity with survivors.

You’re also invited to take one small daily action. It might be a pause, a conversation with a colleague, reading a survivor’s story, supporting a local organization, or resting when your body asks for it. Small actions shift culture and have meaning.

Sharing gratitude

I hold deep gratitude for the NSCSW, and for Robert Wright’s powerful opening remarks, which grounded the day with truth, clarity, and courage. I am grateful for every survivor and community member who spoke, and for the honesty, vulnerability, and wisdom you brought into the room.

A very special acknowledgment to the survivors and families I have the honour and privilege of walking alongside in your journeys. You shape my practice, my ethics, and my understanding of what relational social work truly is. You continue to teach me what accountability, presence, and connection look like in real time.

Deep gratitude to Alec for stepping up in your leadership role and naming the role of social workers in this moment — with clarity, courage, and care. Your willingness to hold complexity and to push our profession forward matters.

And an especially heartfelt thank you to Tyler. It has been an absolute joy to co-create this work with you. Your steadiness, humour, insight, and commitment to relational practice make this work feel possible.

Our time together on November 24 felt like a beginning — I hope it is the first of many opportunities to come together and co-create a relational response to the epidemic of gender-based violence.

You are invited to notice this:
You bring gifts.
You carry wisdom.
You matter here.
I appreciate you.
We’re in this together.

Kristina Fifield (she/her), MSW, RSW, CCTP, Certified EMDR Trauma Therapist

Kristina is an intersectional feminist social worker who supports survivors and families impacted by gender-based and family violence. Her therapeutic practice is deeply rooted in principles of intersectionality, equity, trauma-informed care, and social justice-driven community healing.

Kristina participated in the Mass Casualty Commission Public Inquiry and co-authored a report for the commission highlighting systemic issues related to GBV for marginalized survivors. In 2023, she was appointed to the Progress and Monitoring Committee to represent the gender-based violence and advocacy sector.

Kristina advocates for the elimination of the abusive use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). She co-facilitated NDA Informed training across Canada and continues to bring awareness to the abusive use of NDAs through an intersectional GBV lens. She believes that silencing survivors of GBV with NDAs is an injustice that requires government leaders to act.

Her work on the advisory committee for the LEAF’s Accountability Project and co-leading the GBV Advocacy Coalition in Nova Scotia underscores her commitment to promoting accountability for GBV.

Read more of Connection

• The continuing evolution of trauma-informed praxis
• Spotlight: 2025 Student Bursary Recipients
• Responding to the epidemic of gender-based violence: Reflections & invitations for the 16 Days of Action
• Healing in the crossfire: Clinical social work in a genocide
• Healthcare erosion: “Why didn’t you press the button?”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov 25, 2025

KJIPUKTUK (HALIFAX, NS) – In advance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, social workers, survivors, and government representatives gathered in downtown Halifax on November 24 for a pivotal conference that underscored social work’s critical responsibility in dismantling the normalization of gender-based and intimate partner violence, and championed the empowerment of survivors. 

Throughout the conference, social workers were called to the forefront as agents of systemic change. Speakers emphasized that violence and trauma are deeply tied to political decisions and structural inequality. Social work professionals were urged to advocate for survivor-centered practices and to challenge systems and policies that perpetuate harm. The message was clear: true recovery and justice for survivors depend on the willingness of social workers to disrupt cycles of powerlessness and disconnection.

Kristina Fifield, Registered Social Worker and Clinical Specialist in trauma therapy, shared a quote from Dr. Judith Herman — “No intervention that takes power away from the survivor can possibly foster her recovery, no matter how much it appears to be in her immediate best interest” — and explained that, “As social workers, our duty is to create safe, empowering relationships with survivors and avoid recreating harmful dynamics.”

Tyler Colbourne, Professional Development Consultant with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW), highlighted the importance of incorporating a “non-harming” approach into daily practice, stating, “Practicing compassion, kindness, and patience toward ourselves and others is fundamental for genuine healing.”

The conference challenged attendees to examine why many survivors do not feel supported by services labeled “trauma-informed” or “survivor-centered.” Conference speakers and participants alike called for a renewed commitment to practices and policies that empower and truly center the voices and experiences of survivors. Relationship-building, critical reflection, and the use of gender-inclusive language were identified as essential professional responsibilities.

As the event concluded, participants affirmed that social workers are uniquely positioned to confront systems of harm, promote non-violence, and create safer, more just communities. The conference served as a powerful reminder: the profession of social work must lead ongoing efforts to ensure that violence is neither normalized nor tolerated in any form.

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About us:

The Nova Scotia College of Social Workers serves and protects Nova Scotians by effectively regulating the profession of social work. We work in solidarity with Nova Scotians to advocate for policies that improve social conditions, challenge injustice, and value diversity.

For more information or to arrange interviews with NSCSW spokespersons, contact: Rebecca Faria, communication coordinator for NSCSW (902-429-7799 ext. 227, [email protected]). 

As we approach the end of the year, we offer a special thank-you to our members for your continued dedication to the social work profession, and to your communities. 

Please note that our regular office hours are slightly modified in December:

• We are holding a staff event on the afternoon of Friday, December 12, so the office will close early that day at 11:30 a.m. We’ll be available again in the morning on Monday December 15.
• The College’s office will close at noon on Wednesday, December 24, 2025. We will reopen on Friday, January 2, 2026.

We do not expect these brief closures to affect the annual renewal period, as the registration renewal deadline is January 31, 2026. However, if you have not already completed your renewal, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible as a gift to your future self.

NSCSW staff occasionally work remotely, so if you need to visit us in person, we strongly recommend that you make an appointment first to confirm whether a staff member can be present and able to assist you when you arrive. If you need step-by-step assistance, a video call may also be an effective way to get help; please email us to request a video appointment on Zoom or Teams.

Thank you for your patience and understanding! We hope the last weeks of 2025 will offer you all opportunities to rest, recharge, and prepare for what’s next; we look forward to seeing you in the new year.

Many members of our professional community have demonstrated considerable dedication, innovation and generosity during the last year.

Here’s one way for you to recognize your colleagues for their service. We’re seeking nominations for the following awards:

• Ron Stratford Memorial Award
  • community leaders who are not social workers may be nominated for this award
• Diane Kays Memorial Award
• David Connor Williams Memorial Award
• Freda Vickery Award
  • this award is offered biennially in even-numbered years, alternating with the Ken Belanger Award in even years

Awards will be presented at an appreciation gala dinner during National Social Work Month. Both recipients and their nominators are invited to attend in person.

» Read the award criteria

Looking for inspiration? Check out prior recipients of our awards!

Questions? Contact Tyler Colbourne at [email protected].

To submit your nomination for one of NSCSW’s awards, please complete the form below, no later than January 18, 2026.