Soul Space Ottawa

06/08/2026

Last Monday we enjoyed the energy and enthusiasm of a wonderful group of community carers from Pinecrest Queensway Community Health Centre's Youth Programs!

These lovely souls support youth in our community to ensure their wellbeing and best outcomes. It was our pleasure to give these folks time to play, something that many said they hadn't done in far too long!

Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre .pqchc

06/08/2026

06/05/2026

When our team heard about the defunding of Consumption and Treatment Services sites at Sandy Hill CHC / CSC Côte-de-sable and Ottawa Inner City Health, there were a lot of emotions among our team members, including our Frontline Worker Advisory Group (FLAG). Despite the heaviness, our FLAG team members organized to offer the collective care to affected teams and their workers in the ways that we have been for several years.

While we know that working with clay, connecting as a community, and offering a shared space in which to experience grief will not fix the deeply problematic and unjust issues facing workers and our community, we were affirmed that collective care offers hope and solace in the face of fear, anger, and sadness.

The nurses, community and harm reduction workers who courageously showed up for these offerings, as well as those who could not, are to be commended for their unwavering commitment to care and community.

Whatever the future holds, we are eternally grateful for all that they do, and will continue to do as compassionate leaders and carers.

Please join us in thanking them for meeting people where they are at, offering radical love, and persevering in a system that does not make their work easy. 💔🕊💜

06/01/2026

From CBC to CP24 to Today's Farmer, striking members of OPSEU/SEFPO are making waves in the media this week as a province-wide strike expands.

Workers are taking a historic stand – not just for themselves, but for the people they support and the future of services that communities rely on.

They are telling their stories and shining a light on the realities of underfunding: people falling through the cracks and families struggling to access support, while workers are pushed into poverty.

Take action at worthfightingfor.ca and join a picket line near you!

05/23/2026

Truly an honour to host this incredible team of nurses! Grateful for all of you. ❤️

Many thanks as well to the team at Earthen vessels - grateful for our collaboration to care for caregivers. 🙏🏽

05/21/2026

We're so grateful for these caring men who have served and continue to serve our community over many years. Soul Space volunteers Craig (retired social worker) and Bobby J (peer supporter who never tires) joined Ottawa Inner City Health 's fearless Chad to drop off some treats to workers affected by the recent defunding of supervised consumption sites.

Chad holds a special place in our 💞 at Soul Space, as he attended one of our first retreats in 2020. After all these years, he's been a strong steady force at Inner City, supporting clients and staff at Trailer 2.0., setting an example of balancing community and self-care, while also encouraging his team to engage in collective care with Soul Space.

The defunding and closures of supervised consumption sites are devastating news to the teams at Inner City, their clients, and to our community. But in partnership with their leadership team, we are holding space for workers to experience collective care - being seen and heard by a community of their peers that care deeply about their wellbeing.

We hope that we can continue to hold and share the hope that they have held for so many community members over the years. 🙏

In spirit and solidarity 💜 Thank you for all that you do.

05/14/2026

This may look like nap time, but it was so much more than that! We are honoured to have shared time and space with incredible caregivers from Centretown CHC | CSC du Centre-ville as they engaged in collective care with us at Misiwe Ni Relations Healing Lodge last week.

During their day retreat, we offered these healthcare and community workers a moment to pause, connect with themselves, each other, nature and their own sense of spirit to ensure that their cups are refilled before returning to their important work in the community.

We are grateful for their trust in us, as well as our team members, Lynn who offered a session on mindful self-compassion and grief around the campfire, Jenny Šâwanohk who offered an energy healing session, Bobby Jamison and Nicole Corinne for their peer support. It was not lost on us that our volunteer team that day was comprised of a retired family physician, a nurse, two community workers and a social worker. Truly collective care. 💖

05/14/2026

Love this! We are grateful to these dedicated souls who keep showing up with care and love for our community.

02/12/2026

It's been a long winter, and the need for community support is greater than we've ever known. We are so grateful, however, to have been gifted a Gratitude Sound Bath 🔔 by Ottawa Community Energy Healing for frontline workers and community members, as we came together for a restorative afternoon of connection.

We can't wait to do this again, as we know there were many of you who wanted to participate but couldn't.

With warm grateful hearts, we thank those of you on the frontlines, meeting community members with compassion and love ❤️❤️❤️

02/05/2026

SHARING from Amanda Rocheleau, MSW, RSW Compassion Fatigue Therapy:
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Hello Helpers,

I am writing to share an opportunity for accessible counselling support within my practice.

From February to the end of March, we are offering free virtual counselling for adults (18+) residing in Ontario, provided by Susan Taylor, an Advanced Year Master of Social Work intern completing her final practicum in advanced clinical practice under my clinical supervision.

Susan brings over 25 years of experience working in women’s mental health, trauma counselling, and gender-based violence services across community, shelter, crisis, and primary care settings in Ontario. She currently works as a Mental Health Counsellor within a Family Health Team and has extensive experience supporting women navigating stress, grief and loss, relationship strain, anxiety, and major life transitions.

Susan’s approach is calm, relational, and practical, and is grounded in trauma-informed, feminist, anti-oppressive, and attachment-oriented practice. She is available Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays from 9:30am to 4pm for secure virtual sessions.

This free counselling option may be a meaningful fit for individuals who are feeling overwhelmed, emotionally depleted, or simply in need of supportive space during this season.

To inquire about this service, interested individuals can complete a brief intake form, and we will follow up regarding availability and next steps.

Please feel free to share this opportunity with friends, family members, or colleagues in Ontario who may benefit from accessible mental health support at this time.

Susan is an MSW intern offering trauma-informed, caregiver-focused counselling for women in Ontario, with support for burnout, grief, relationship stress, and life transitions.