Rebekkah Williams, RP

 

Rebekkah is a Registered Psychotherapist, Writer, Trainer, and Expressive Arts Therapist specializing in the treatment of sexual trauma for nearly 40 years.  

 

She is the Co-founder and Director of Nemesis Group, contracting with Health Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, NIHB/IDS, Indian Residential Schools Resolution HSP, MMIWG (Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women And Girls), Child Internet Exploitation, and Veteran’s Affairs.

 

In addition to her psychotherapy practice, Rebekkah is the author of several therapeutic group curriculum: Niin Maabaa - This is Me and Amazing Girls, at Kikendaasogamig Elementary School, Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation which also created a social action video on MMIW (Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women), a book of artistic expression Eshkiniijig Tawchigewok, created by the children of Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation, where she also served as the Play Therapist at Nshiime Daycare and Kikendaasogamig Elementary, and Nawash Health Centre. She has served the Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation for 19 years.  She currently serves both the Saugeen First Nation and Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation through NIHB.

 

Rebekkah is presenting at the 2024 Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association National Conference: Navigating Trauma, Finding Connection.  Her week long training at Independent First Nations Health and Wellness Conference on First Nations Trauma Informed Practice, culminated in Onji-noojimom dibaajimong - Healing Through Stories: Revisioning Trauma Informed Practices.  

 

Rebekkah attended the University of Toronto, followed by a three year Graduate Degree in Expressive Art Therapy from CREATE Institute in Expressive Arts Therapy. She also holds certificates from Queen’s University in Business Management and Human Resources Management and has facilitated workshops in professional development/strategic planning as well as policy and procedure for non profit agencies.

 

Rebekkah also has a Graduate Certificate from the Humber School for Creative Writing and is the author of Front Porch Mannequins, a work of fiction, published in both paperback and Ebook, as well as Glass Houses, a Women’s Studies textbook an analysis of women’s anti-violence agencies, based on decades of work in rape crisis centres, shelters and treatment programs.

 

Rebekkah is currently developing a podcast, Prey, a narrative about sex trafficking.

Rebekkah’s creative background has also included the Georgia Straight, a weekly radio show - The Women’s Room, in Vancouver, along with numerous trauma related articles and published works of poetry and short fiction. She is co-authoring This Is What Happened: Children Expressing Trauma Through Art - a collection of professional case studies dedicated to artistic based traumatic expression and resilience.

 

Bonita Johnson deMatteis, RP
 

Bonita Johnson deMatteis is a Registered Psychotherapist and a Traumatic Incident

Reduction Facilitator and LSR Facilitator. She uses Narrative therapy and expressive art and play modalities that focus on the treatment of trauma. in practice for over thirty-one years.

 

Co-founder and Co-director of Nemesis Group, this was a perfect and creative realization for her skills as a former frontline crisis worker and sexual assault counsellor.The rise of internet exploitation, abuse, and other traumatic events are now approached in a respectful one on one format. Together with the past 20 years of Nemesis Group and her years in the VAW, (Violence Against Women) field, Bonita has 35 years in this practice.

 

Bonita’s undergrad was at Western University in psychology. She also holds a Certificate from Ryerson Poly Tech in Basic and Family Mediation, a Diploma with the National Guild of Hypnotists as a Certified Consulting Hypnotist and a a Diploma from Georgian College in Creative Design, on the Deans List.

 

Bonita is registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and holds memberships in good standing with professional organizations specializing in trauma treatment.

 

Bonita is a nationally recognized visual artist, writer, designer and illustrator. An accomplished portrait artist, Bonita has also written and illustrated many children’s

books, two of which are autobiographical telling her experience of being a bi-racial child of the 60’s. “Going North” and “Threads: Piecing together the Underground Railroad.”

See more of her art here.
 

 

Her book “Lest We Forget”, was the recipient of the Ontario Museum Association Award

of Merit for her writing and design. Bonita’s design of The Black History Cairn has been

internationally recognized.

 

She was born in London Ontario and has lived in the Owen Sound area for the past 40

years. She is an honours graduate from Georgian Colleges Art and Design program and

a recipient of the Dean’s Award 1998.

 

Just for fun, she loves to ride horses and instruct fitness and dance classes!