About Shannon Gander
Shannon Gander - Mental Health & Resilience Speaker & Counsellor
Over the years, working as a counsellor both in private practice and in the community mental health, I have witnessed a theme. By the time people seek help, they have waited and suffered far too long.
Burnout is costly to individuals, families and organizations and disability from unhealthy stress is even more so. I am highly motivated to do something about this.
I spent 25 years in frontline work, living on the edge of burnout. I had permission to take care of others, but not myself. I’ve had to take my own medicine.
I’m committed to using my skills and background to reach people earlier. I take the research on neuroscience and make it accessible, engaging and fun to learn. I teach strategies for burnout and compassion fatigue prevention. This includes what we can do as individuals to increase our resilience and protect our mental health, right now. Balanced with actions that employees, leaders and organizations can take to positively contribute to cultures and systems that promote positive mental health at work. Most importantly, reducing mental health stigma so that we treat our mental health as we do our overall health because we all have mental health and are innately resilient.
So I see myself as a mental health & resiliency strategist, supporting individuals & organization in the following ways:
Keynote speaking and workshops focused on inspiring employees and leaders to engage in behaviours that move them toward their mental health goals (individually, in their teams and organization-wide). To see my speaking style, perspective and just a few examples of what I can offer: click here.
Counselling: This is where my passion for mental health started. When I am not speaking or counselling, I am working in my small private practice in Winnipeg, Manitoba seeing clients or running small groups and retreats on a range of mental health topics.
I believe there is much we can do for ourselves and each other to improve our well-being!
My goal is to equip everyone with the essential skills and practical strategies they can immediately apply to protect their mental health and boost their resilience. Above all, I want people to experience the joy, energy, and fulfillment that they deserve and desire. By caring for our mental health, we can create a foundation for healthier lives and relationships.
With compassion, care and actionable strategies, we can thrive in both our personal and professional lives to maintain a sense of balance and well-being. Everyone deserves to live life with vitality, confidence, and peace of mind, and I’m committed to helping individuals achieve just that through simple, yet effective practices.
Academic Background
I have a dynamic background that has provided me with the good fortune to help people and get clients and audiences excited about what is possible. In my work, I draw on my extensive training in clinical counselling, certification in mediation and conflict resolution, and education in Corporate Health and Wellness from the University of Western Australia. I am also certified in Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace from the University of Fredericton to support organizations with current evidence-based practice on supporting employee mental wellness.
Prior to transitioning to the mental health field, I completed a degree in Physical Education from the University of Alberta, specializing in Fitness and Health Promotion.
My Story
After my first degree, I partnered in a personal training and corporate health business. Working with clients on their physical well-being while rewarding, fell short for me as it left out the psycho-emotional aspects of well-being. This lead me to the mental health field and supporting people in a more fulsome way.
When I am not working with clients, I have a family life that keeps me very busy. I have young adult children navigating school, work and what to do next in their lives. I appreciate and understand the juggle between work and home life and have to apply daily, the skills that I share with the people I support.
My Happiness
Time with friends, cooking, travel, walking in nature and a hot cup of coffee with the newspaper on a Saturday morning.
My Books
Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman because it raised my awareness so many years ago of the power of optimism over pessimism for living a better life.
Just One Thing by Rick Hanson because it is a good reminder that no matter how busy we are on any given day, we always have a moment (if just seconds) to do one thing that contributes to our wellness (and everything counts)
“We are raving fans of Shannon. She’s dynamic, funny and knows her stuff. We keep inviting her back to speak at our conference and deliver workshops. She has loads of relevant up-to-date content. Our members love her sessions!”
— MCCA event planner