Faculty and Staff

Bachelors Child & Youth Care (University of Victoria); Masters Social Work (University of Toronto);

Ashleigh began her career in child and youth Care while completing her degree in CYC at the University of Victoria. For the first few years she worked with at-risk youth in a community setting and enjoyed the spunky attitudes of the youth she had the privilege of working with. She also had the unique opportunity of working internationally in Guyana, working with children and families impacted by HIV/AIDS. This was an extremely challenging and rewarding experience, and she hopes to work internationally again someday. Ashleigh's career then took her to beautiful Campbell River where she was employed by MCFD in the Child Protection field. The next eight years of her life were in Child Protection in Campbell River and Toronto. While in Toronto, Ashleigh obtained her Masters in Social Work from the University of Toronto. She is now back on the island and loving being back in BC. Although Ashleigh is a full-time instructor, she still practices in the CYC field in her areas of passion: child protection, adoption, at risk youth, family support, and community prevention programs. She feels that this current front-line work impacts her teaching in a positive way and she looks forward to seeing you in one of her classes!

Building 170, Shq'apthut

Geraldine is a member of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, is married to Earl Manson, has three children, seven grandchildren, and one great grandchild. Geraldine has worked for her community for over 17 years. “I give credit for my cultural wisdom and education to my Elders’, present and those who have passed on." As the Elders’ Coordinator for Snuneymuxw First Nations, she carries many other responsibilities that relate to the culture and traditions of her community. She has been an elected council-member for more than nine years. Today, she is being mentored by Dr. Ellen White, Kwulasulwut, in the traditional cultural practices of the Snuneymuxw people.

Michelle is an alumnus of Vancouver Island University, where she earned a master's degree in Educational Leadership and a bachelor's degree in Child and Youth Care. With 20 years of experience working with children and families in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, Michelle looks forward to collaborating with students, staff, and faculty through shared experiences and knowledge.

Michelle is passionate about helping adults and children use empathy as an effective and efficient intervention for dysregulation. She believes that children need to feel securely connected to the adults caring for them and that the child’s experience of that connection is paramount. As a published author, consultant, and speaker, her research and writing center around relational connection-based practices. She values diversity and creativity and strives to amplify the voices of individuals who are often marginalized by systemic oppression.

Michelle is honoured to join the CYC Faculty as a sessional instructor and to positively contribute to a culture of learning that prioritizes human connection and emotional engagement.

Doctorate Social Sciences (University of Tilburg, Netherlands)

Stephanie currently works for a large health organization specifically in the area of substance use. Through her role she has continued to build on her PhD work and introduce and develop collaborative therapeutic practices for individuals, families and groups accessing substance use treatment services. Stephanie sees her key role as influencing organizational change by promoting direct service practices that foster compassion, inclusion and partnership, and address the stigma, shame and isolation often encountered by people affected by substance use. She has developed literature for the Province of British Columbia to support parents and caregivers affected by substance use.  She released a book in the fall of 2015 written to aid direct service provider’s in their efforts to integrate collaborative group approaches for people accessing substance use programming. Stephanie is very interested in research, specifically research that privileges the voices of those often not heard in the substance use field (families, caregivers, practitioners). Stephanie has recently begun an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) project to elicit practitioner stories and opportunities for engaging families and carers of individuals involved in substance use services.

PhD (ABD) Outdoor Experiential Education, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH,

MA Transpersonal Counselling Psychology, Specialization in Wilderness Therapy, Naropa University, Boulder, CO,

BSc Life Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, NOLS Whitewater Canoeing and Wilderness Instructor, Whitehorse, YT,

Stephen is currently a professor in the Child and Youth Care department at Vancouver Island University. He has over 25 years of experience working with youth and young adults as a facilitator, guide, program manager, and counsellor, offering educational and therapeutic programming in settings ranging from schools to challenge courses to multi-week canoe expeditions in Canada’s North. He has a master’s degree in Transpersonal Counselling Psychology with a Wilderness Therapy specialization from Naropa University. He is currently completing his PhD in Outdoor Experiential Education with a focus on Outdoor Behavioural Healthcare (OBH)at the University of New Hampshire. Stephen’s research interests include risk management and predictors of clinical change in Adventure and Nature-Based Therapies and applications of adventure therapy/activity-based interventions in community settings. He is a past co-chair of the International Adventure Therapy Committee, Board Member of the BC Recreational Canoeing Association, member of the Association for Experiential Education, and has served on the leadership council for the Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group.

Book time with Stephen Javorski