Facilitators Profiles

Cindy Andrew
Consultant, Psychology Foundation of Canada

Cindy Andrew is a parent, former teacher and longtime advocate for Healthy Schools, Healthy People . Over the last 30 years, Cindy has worked within and alongside the school system, government, and non-government organizations – always with an eye to supporting the health and well-being of children, youth and the adults in their lives. Over the years, some of her work has focused specifically on healthy workplaces and fostering the conditions that are key for promoting health. 

Lisa Baylis
Secondary School Counsellor, Greater Victoria School District

With a Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology degree and over 10 years work experience provincially and internationally, Lisa Baylis practices and teaches concepts of positive psychology and mindfulness in her classroom and counselling sessions. She is a point person for positive education and mindfulness within the Greater Victoria School District. Outside of the school, she offers retreats and workshops that bring tools and strategies to parents and educators to help them create wellness habits for themselves first, and then their families and classrooms second, subsequently creating a culture of resiliency, self-regulation and awareness.

Kristi Blakeway
School Principal, Maple Ridge School District

Kristi Blakeway was named YWCA Vancouver's Woman of Distinction in 2014 for her work with Project HELLO, a student initiative that helps Vancouver’s homeless connect with family. Kristin has been a presenter in the United States, Canada and Mexico and recently spoke at TEDx, sharing stories that inspire and connect. She frequently offers professional development workshops on balanced leadership, happiness in schools and creating happy work environments. She writes regularly on her two blogs www.hopefullearning.com and www.beyondhello.org

Dr. Catherine Carr
Executive Coach and Clinical Counsellor

Catherine Carr holds a Doctorate degree in Coaching, winning the Goulding Award for Most Outstanding Doctorate of 2012 (Middlesex University, UK). She is a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation and a Corporate Executive Coach. As a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Catherine has over 25 years experience working with adults and teens, couples, and families. She is trained in many types of therapies and coaching including cognitive behavioural, dialectical behavioural, solution-focused and interpersonal therapies. For more information on Catherine's work, visit her website.

Larry Haberlin
Adjunct Professor Medicine, University of British Columbia

At UBC, Larry Haberlin supports the learning of second-year medical students in community Service Learning, as an aspect of a course entitled Doctor Patients and Society. He also coaches first-year students in the development of their Learning Portfolios. Larry has been an education consultant for the last 11 years, advising on the development and management of school-based programs that promote social and emotional learning. Larry is also a consultant and trainer for FRIENDS for Life, an elementary school-based program that promotes resilience and cognitive behavioural skills to prevent anxiety in children. He is the former social responsibility consultant with the Vancouver School Board.

Stacia Leech
Executive Director, Roberts Creek Community School Society

Stacia Leech has been the coordinator and executive director or the Roberts Creek Community School Society for 18 years. She is working collaboratively to support real, systematic change in educational institutions and community organizations responsible for children and adults’ health and well-being.

Angela Low
Consultant, Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education and Researcher, Social Emotional Education and Development (SEED), University of British Columbia

Angela Low is a specialist in emotional intelligence and child development who is committed to bringing social and emotional learning to the forefront of communities that support children, youth and their families. Angela has been developing resources and facilitating workshops on emotional intelligence for 12 years in China and Canada.

Nicole Marcia
Yoga Therapist, Founder and Director of Fine Balance Yoga

Nicole Marcia served as the Director of Therapeutic Yoga Programming for the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health between 2008 and 2017. Nicole is currently the Program Director for Incorporating Yoga as a Trauma-Informed Practice to Enhance Drug Treatment Outcomes for Justice Involved Youth, with Yoga Outreach. Nicole is also a project coordinator at Langara College Continuing Studies in addition to being a yoga therapist at Onsite, the treatment arm of North America’s first safe injection site. In 2009, Nicole was awarded a Master’s degree with a specialization in yoga therapy from Lesley University in Boston, MA.

Victoria Maxwell
Mental Health Speaker, Actor, and Writer

Victoria Maxwell is an actress and expert on the lived experience of mental illness and recovery, creativity and wellness. She lives with bipolar disorder, anxiety and psychosis. Since 2002, she has presented keynote shows and workshops internationally and blogged for Psychology Today for 10 years. Victoria now  teaches others to use creativity as a catalyst for self-care, to empower themselves and transform their lives. 

Olivia McIvor,
Business Leadership Expert

Known as a “people champion” since early in her career, Olivia McIvor was told she would never be successful if she continued to “wear her heart on her sleeve”. Today this proclamation has become her trademark. She has spent three decades as a Human Resources specialist supporting cultures to promote connection, compassion and community in business.  Olivia is a leadership facilitator, speaker and author of three best-selling books: The Business of Kindness; Four Generations-One Workplace; and Turning Compassion into Action.  Olivia serves on the board of The Kindness Foundation of Canada and has spearheaded the Charter for Compassion Education Institute. 

Molly Stewart Lawlor
PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia

Molly Stewart Lawlor has a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from UBC and is currently completing her Doctorate in Human Learning, Development and Culture. Molly has expertise in mindfulness and social and emotional learning. Her research includes the investigation of mindfulness and psychological adjustment in children and adolescents. She is the primary author for the Hawn Foundation’s MindUP Program and has acted as an educational advisor and mindfulness expert on a variety of children’s media projects. Molly provides professional development and research services to educators and parents in the area of social and emotional learning, mindfulness, positive psychology, well-being and primary prevention.

Suzanne Vardy
Registered Clinical Counsellor

Suzanne Vardy holds a Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology degree from the University of Victoria. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, and has been supporting children, youth and families in the Lower Mainland for over 25 years. In addition to private counselling practice, Suzanne works with a Lower Mainland school district helping to ensure schools are safe and welcoming places for children, youth and families.

Joanne Schroeder
Senior Policy Fellow, Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia

Joanne Schroeder is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP).  Her current work is focused on building compassionate leadership as a foundation to creating systems change for children. She is also the Executive Director of the Comox Valley Child Development Association.

Pippa Rowcliffe
Deputy Director, Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia

Pippa Rowcliffe was born and raised in London, UK. She holds a Masters degree in International Development with a specialization in rural development planning, at the University of East Anglia, UK.  She has worked for the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) at UBC since 2008, first as the Executive Director of the Council for Early Child Development and then as the Knowledge Translation Director.  In January 2015, Pippa assumed the position of Deputy Director of HELP. Pippa has a particular interest in health equity and the social determinants of health, and also in the fields of community systems change and evaluation.

Magdalena Szpala
Compassion Cultivation Training Teacher

Magdalena Szpala is a Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) Teacher, certified by the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University. She has been offering CCT courses, workshops, and presentations, in Vancouver, BC, since 2013.  As a facilitator, Magdalena has led engagements in a variety of settings, including businesses, non-profits, schools and higher education institutions for the last 15 years. Magdalena received her Masters degree in Strategic Leadership Toward Sustainability from the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden .