HEATHER WOODWARD
For over 25 years, Heather Woodward has dedicated her career to supporting people through life’s toughest moments. Early work with at-risk children, youth, and families gave her hands-on experience in education, mental health, justice, crisis response, child protection, and social services. Along the way, she experienced and witnessed the toll of burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma, lessons that shaped the next phase of her journey.
In 2017, Heather’s Master’s thesis in Social Work, rooted in Indigenous Knowledge (MSW-IK), focused on supporting helpers. She explored wholistic self-care for social workers. Accepting and decolonizing her Western-born ideologies, while blending Indigenous perspectives with practical strategies, she has found her passion and purpose. Since earning her MSW-IK in 2019, she now prioritizes her well-being while supporting other helpers to do the same.
Heather now supports frontline workers, caregivers, and others in demanding roles through workshops, lunch + learns, one-on-one therapy, and motivational speaking. She has delivered over 200 workshops to more than 5,000 participants across North America, covering 53 mental health and wellness topics.
Heather truly believes that we must care for ourselves in balance with others so that we can do this heart work wholeheartedly.
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*I use the word Helper in my profession for many reasons. When I first started in this field, I did not desire to be a “social worker”; I just wanted to help others. I only knew “social workers” to be in the “child welfare system”, which, in my city and in my experiences, this had/has a negative connotation of “child apprehension”. To be truthful, I avoided being a social worker, but really enjoyed working with children, youth and families.
As I moved forward on the path of working with and helping children, youth and families, I began to see the light and learn the truth of what “social workers” could/should be; to help/support others. I learned that helping is a value in my culture. It is a value to walk with and honor. I have also learned that it is part of my gifts, passion and skills I have to offer.
Yes, I am a social worker, and I am proud to call myself one now that I know what it means to be this, but I call myself a Helper because that is at the core of all my work; It is a guiding light.
Vegas
Vegas is a 6-year-old Border Collie Mix, who you will see spending most of his days with his Mom at work, doing what he loves: Getting pats, sleeping, and supporting people when they have big feelings.