Raechel Pefanis

Event Speaker

Raechel Pefanis

BIOGRAPHY

Raechel Pefanis is a Registered Social Worker based in Waterloo, Ontario, and is also a BA, MDIV, and MSW. She is a proud Indigenous woman from the Turtle clan. She is the author of "The Person Behind the Professional: Cognitive Behavioural Coaching for Everyday Workplaces." She is also a Clinical Supervisor and Instructor, as well as PCC Certified Coach (International Coaching Federation).

Over her 25 years in practice, Raechel has trained in and practiced almost every type of therapeutic modality there is, including MFT, CBT, DBT, IFS, SE, Psychedelic Assisted Therapy, and Professional Coaching, using these tools to supervise, mentor and develop other professionals for over 10 years.

Today, Raechel is the Principal and CEO of Red Maple Coaching & Consulting, which provides professional coaching and psychotherapy to individuals, families and workplaces. Raechel is an Instructor at ADLER Graduate Professional School in Toronto, Ontario, where she serves as the Director of Coach Education.

WORKSHOPS

Panel discussion: Caring for Ourselves so We Can Care Better for Others

Speakers: Cathy Gatlin, Raechel Pefanis, and Tifrah Warner

Let’s engage in conversation! We’ll address the need for mental health professionals to re-energize and re-connect so that we can safely and effectively help our clients in the aftermath of COVID 19.


Bullet Proof: Building a Sustainable Career in Mental Health

Speakers: Raechel Pefanis , BA, MSW, RSW, PCC-ICF

For most of us, our preparation for work in the field is focused wholly on the skills of delivering mental health services and interventions. What we do not learn a lot about is how to build a career that is sustainable.

Christina Maslach, a social psychologist, is often credited with coining the term "burnout" in the context of occupational stress, noting that burnout is a significant occupational hazard for those of us in the work of mental health. How do we do that? It requires attention to things that are not direct client care, such as our attention to the structure and pace of our work, environmental factors (such as toxicity at work), and ultimately, the mindsets we keep about our care of ourselves.

This workshop is critical for anyone who needs help to address the sustainability of their work, and is especially recommended for new (five years or less) practitioners within the field.

Learning outcomes

    • The factors that contribute to a sustainable career in mental health.
    • How to recognize early stages of practitioner decline and what to do about it.
    • Critical mindsets that protect against chronic stress and overwork.
    • Key practices that keep mental health practitioners strong and resilient.