Rising Bear Therapy primarily serves Indigenous clients, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, and also welcomes non-Indigenous clients seeking trauma-informed psychotherapy grounded in relational safety, accountability, and decolonizing practice, within an Indigenous-led framework.

No. While Rising Bear Therapy is Indigenous-centred and Indigenous-led, non-Indigenous clients are welcome when they are seeking culturally grounded care rooted in relational accountability rather than extractive or deficit-based models.

No. Therapy is shaped around each client’s needs, values, and comfort. Indigenous-centred and decolonizing approaches describe the ethical foundation and responsibilities of the practice, not requirements placed on clients. Non-Indigenous clients are not expected to adopt Indigenous beliefs, participate in ceremony, or engage in cultural practices unless they choose to and it is appropriate.

Traditional Western mental health models often focus on diagnosing and reducing symptoms within the individual. This practice also considers relational, historical, cultural, and environmental factors that shape mental health and wellbeing. Rather than treating distress as dysfunction, therapy here understands many symptoms as signs of resilience — ways the nervous system learned to protect you in response to lived experiences, environments, and systems. Emotions, behaviors, and coping strategies are viewed as adaptive survival responses, not defects or disorders. This approach recognizes that anxiety, depression, rage, shutdown, or dissociation are often reasonable reactions to experiences such as trauma, injustice, disconnection, or loss of belonging. Healing focuses on strengthening safety, choice, and connection, restoring meaning and wholeness, and working collaboratively rather than positioning the therapist as the sole expert or attempting to “fix” what is not broken.

Therapy is grounded in Indigenous worldviews and integrates trauma-informed approaches such as nervous system regulation, identity-based healing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), CBT, DBT, and culturally grounded frameworks including the Medicine Wheel, Circle of Courage, and Gathering Our Medicines Kinship.

Yes. Rising Bear Therapy offers virtual psychotherapy across Canada, supporting access regardless of location. Community-connected or in-person work may also occur when invited and appropriate.

We use Indigenous and Nation-specific language such as First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Some people may search using older terms such as Native, Aboriginal, or Indian. We respect that individuals and communities name themselves in different ways while using current, respectful language in our work.

An initial free 15-20 minute conversation helps determine whether Rising Bear’s approach aligns with your needs, values, and expectations. You are welcome to reach out with questions before deciding to begin therapy.

Visit the Contact page to send a message, request a therapy consultation, or ask questions. An initial conversation helps clarify fit and next steps.