What graduate students say about our training programs?

“One of the best things I could have ever done in my life is to have completed this training, not only to assist First Nations People, but I truly feel as though I am a whole person for the first time in my life due to the healing I achieved throughout this training”.

“This program opened up areas I thought I had tucked far away, the personal growth I made is absolutely wonderful and the professional growth has given me the tools to be a real effective helper for all persons suffering from the pain of addiction”.

“Throughout this training I have learned the proper way to use the special tools I have gained, I have also learned to come from a gentle and caring place and to speak without using harsh words and not to fake my way through problems because the kids can see right through you”.

“I have gained so much knowledge through this training, alcohol, drugs, dysfunction, family breakdowns, reactions of drugs and alcohol on the body and a persons future, the importance of directing clients along the path toward wholeness, the advantage of using the holistic approach to treating addictions”.

“When I came to this course I was looking to help other people, I thought that I would learn how to help youth or anyone who was stuck in an addiction. What I didn’t realize was how much I was going to help myself. We started out as strangers and developed into a family, we’ve laughed, we’ve cried, learned to let go and ultimately love one another. I learned how to let go of my past and I can really see such a positive change in myself, I’ve learned that I have a lot of great qualities that I can share with my people and I can be a positive role model and example for them.”

“This class has been a real healing journey for me. I have faced many challenges in this course and I really looked at myself. I closed some doors from my past that were holding me back. I’ve learned to take care of myself better; I feel accepted, the many gifts of friendship, I learned how to be myself and be happy and confident. I will miss everyone but I am looking forward to being a colleague to every one of you. We must be the change we wish to see in the world. We can make a difference, a difference first in ourselves and then in the world.”

“I have learned that alcoholism and drug addiction is a progressive disease that can and does spread through all walks of life, the effects it has on the family members. The underlying issues and problems that feed the addictions and how vital it is that we take our new skills and work on preventive education and awareness programs in our communities. Although I have attended a treatment program, talked to many people, read many books, nothing has helped me through my own issues as much as this course has. It has allowed me to look at myself, it has allowed me to begin and continue to help myself as well as all the others in my community. I have learned that by offering all the support we can give with these new tools and skills we can truly help one person at a time one day at a time and this is a monumental start in healing our communities”.

“ I have accomplished a lot of personal growth from the beginning to the end of this class, a lot of windows were opened in my life that had been closed for some time. As I dealt with my past it felt as if a ton of weight was lifted off my back. Through all the special tools I have been given in this course I can now offer them to others and assist them in their personal healing. I am so thankful I have had the opportunity to be part of this class. I have learned so much from Lee; he is such a caring and gifted teacher. I have also learned a lot about myself through this experience, thank you so much for everything”

“ I am very grateful for my classmates that continued this journey with me. During my process of learning I was open enough to understand and allow my own pain to finally find its place. Through the challenges set before me in this training I have gained a clear understanding of myself, so I can now take the learning experiences and give some healthy direction to another human being. I have entered into a different level of understanding, acceptance, patience, love, joy, trust, faith, humor, and respect; these are the things I now can offer to the people of my community. I learned so much about alcohol and drugs, the effects, the damage, I also learned that the drugs and alcohol is just the tip of the iceberg, that there are underlying reasons and issues that led the person to alcohol and drugs. I now know how to help the client get to and deal with those issues in a good and helpful manner.”

“ This course taught me how to use the addiction wheel and the medicine wheel, enabling me to understand the most effective way to treat people in their addictions. I learned how to look at everything as a whole instead of one thing in particular, to treat the whole person, not just the symptoms of their addiction. I learned the hardcore realities of chemical addictions, I learned how to become a team player, how to teach people to live a healthier lifestyle, how alcohol and drugs affect the entire family and that the user is not the only victim. But most of all this entire course gave me the confidence to talk with and teach our next generation. I feel the cost and time it takes for this training is probably the best youth counselor course a person can take. The information and how to use it are absolutely amazing.”

“What I learned through this course is hard to describe in words, this course went far beyond textbook knowledge and traditional learning to a place of real healing. I also learned that self love is the key to helping others, it taught me that in order to help others heal themselves they must learn to love themselves, and for this lesson I am eternally grateful.”

“This training has been a remarkable experience for me, all that was taught in the past six months has given me more knowledge and information than I have ever received in the 23 years that I have been living. While taking this course I also came to my senses and changed my habits that I grew up with and was living with. I am going to go out there and try to make a difference, but I needed to make a difference in my home first. I wanted so much for the cycle to stop, well guess what, it has and it all started with me. Thank you Lee for all that you have done to help me lead a brighter and healthier life, you opened my eyes to a lot of things I never knew I had, I am going to continue to hold my head up high and be proud of who I am.”

“I have finally worked on letting go and taking back my life. I now have a positive outlook on life and hope to help others find happiness. We can’t dwell on the past but we can use it as a stepping-stone to a better life. I learned that the Creator gave us these as a trial and how we use them is up to us. I am grateful to have met others in my classes that share my story. It will always be worth the struggle to overcome the past because I have found my future, I have found me.”

“From the first day that we met and then throughout this course we worked as a team and it enabled me to share my past addiction, pain, sorrow, and happiness with each and every one of my classmates. Bonding with this group was dynamic and inspiring. The sharing and caring atmosphere daily lifted me to a height that left an incredible feeling of respect and trust with one another. I have learned to feel no shame or regrets for my past deeds; I have learned to focus on the good aspects of myself. The grief and loss healing process made a remarkable impact on my life, the format that was taught was very holistic and inspiring, it triggered incredible feelings and emotions within myself, prior to experiencing this method of healing I was never able to completely let go of the pain and hurts I had carried for a lifetime. Thank you Lee, for being a part of my life and sharing all the knowledge and experiences that you have shown me. I now have the confidence and abilities to work as a professional in my field.”

“I have learned that one is never too young or old to be educated and that to prosper in life is to not have limitations on your life. I learned about my own personal healing and wellness and following the Good Red Road. Thank you Lee for being my teacher and for giving me the opportunity to excel on my goals and complete this program.”

“Through this training I learned so many special skills to be a complete and effective helper, I have also learned so much about myself, learning how important it is to look at oneself first and the need to heal properly before one can truly be effective when helping others. I feel that if I had not taken this training I would not be where I am today, thank you Lee Mason for being my teacher and such a good helper in everything.”

“First and foremost, I have learned so much about myself as a human being. The many personal issues I have pent up for years have finally been dealt with. Issues around grief and loss, sexual abuse, the exposure to physical, emotional and mental abuse, teenage motherhood, drug and alcohol abuse. At the beginning of this program I was afraid that others will know the real me, everyone before had only seen the shell of a being, not the turmoil that was destroying me inside. I have throughout each component of this training become a person who is willing to listen and guide people in the right direction to a healthier and brighter future. Lee, I would like to thank you ever so much for all your valuable time, your patience and your wisdom. I hope to see you again.”

“I will always be thankful to the Creator for all the blessings that I have in my life, my family, my parents, my friends, and especially for Lee and the group that attended the Youth Counselor Training. I learned so much through this training, chemical dependency and its affect on the entire family, the dysfunction and the generational damage, and how to effectively help and treat all persons affected. Grief and loss, the Genogram, eco-map, healing circle, spiritual wheel, detox, supportive recovery houses, treatment centers, AA, NA, Alanon, Alateen. I also learned the true values of personal and professional wellness, ethical behaviors. I also learned so much about different drugs, solvents and inhalants, youth issues, gangs and gang mentality, abuse, neglect, and how to really be an effective and healthy helper. Today I can honestly say ‘I’m really happy, and it’s for real this time.”

“I have learned so many things, I have learned in detail the grief cycle, circle work, Genograms, suicide intervention, critical intervention. I have observed the diplomatic approach you have displayed and I really appreciate the approaches you have suggested in dealing with the concerns that have come up in my life and more effective ways to deal with difficult people. I also learned where I am in my recovery and how to maintain my sobriety and stay on the road to complete recovery.”

“I learned that no matter what you have been through or how bad you’ve been you can get on the wellness path and help others get on theirs. I learned the real struggles that an alcoholic or drug addict goes through trying to kick their addiction, and how we as counselors can be of the most assistance toward helping them help themselves. I am more understanding about other people and what they may have experienced. I really appreciate the Health Authority for getting this training program started in our community and I especially appreciate Lee for taking the time to teach us.”

“I learned a lot from this program, the effects alcohol and drugs have on the body, on family relationships and friends, what types of treatment and counseling they need to lead a healthier life. Also the suicide education, grief and loss, crisis intervention, victimization, adolescent counseling skills, and how to become an effective team player for youth outreach teams and alternative programs, group facilitation and how to control groups. I feel confident in myself and I’m glad I took this course, like Lee said ‘no one is here by accident, there is a reason for everything.’ I think I have found myself and I am happy with the person I have become.”

“I learned an amazing amount about addictions, treatment, effective tools, using the Genogram to look at the history of dysfunctions in the family, grief and loss and the circle in a circle technique sure opened my eyes. The suicide intervention was so helpful to learn when there are so many people who are lost and depressed, now I have the skills to properly read the signs and will be able to effectively respond in times of need. Out of everything that was taught I could identify with so much, child abuse, sexual assault, neglect, family violence, family alcoholism, suicide, unhealthy relationships, learned behaviors, co-dependency, enabling, birth order effects, denial, the cycles of abuse, and feelings of shame people experience and why. I also learned an amazing amount about myself and where all my issues came from.”

“For a lot of years I wore this mask and I was afraid to let people know that there was a person who was afraid, to show tears, and allow myself to recognize my feelings, allow myself to validate them, to take care of me. Whatever people said I tried my best to be a people pleaser. No more! I learned to lighten up and laugh at some of my own stuff; to not be such a serious person and how to have fun, it felt so good. I also learned to trust in 20 other people, I know now that I have thrown that mask away I can start my life all over again and I now have the valuable skills to really help other people that are struggling. I now have a wellness plan to take care of me and to face our community and start making a difference by setting a good example. I will be forever thankful for having such a positive experience and such an excellent instructor. Thank you so much Lee for helping me find the courage and the strength to discover the real me.”

“From the first day of class until the end I felt like our group got to be a family. The closeness, trust, openness and everyone’s caring ways were genuine. This was the first place that I ever went without being judged. I turned inside out with my feelings, emotions and felt like I was reborn after all the healing process. It is difficult to choose which part of the training I liked the most; they were all excellent. I would highly recommend for anyone to take this training to become more effective in their work and their everyday life.”

“I was very impressed with this entire training package, especially the youth outreach component, how to access information regarding alternatives to alcohol and drugs, how to set up programs for youth. I used this information for my clients at work to show them the way to healthy alternatives. I have learned so much from Lee and I use so many of the skills he has taught me that in order to write it all down it would add up to a novel.”

“I took college courses about addictions, I also went to a special school strictly for counselor training and none of my previous training even came close to the teachings Lee gave me. The dynamics of our group spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally will always be with me. This training through its structure and group individuals has woken me up to a brand new day, I feel refreshed and ready to meet the challenges ahead of me in my community. I am truly grateful the Creator kept me alive to meet such genuine and caring people, we are now connected spiritually and through this connection surfaced respect, caring and lifelong friendships.”

“I experienced so much personal and professional growth. I have learned these past months to put my faith in the Creator and this helps me to be in more balance within myself. The role-playing also taught me the do’s and don’ts of counseling and gave me greater confidence in myself. I have more confidence in myself and I feel that I have chosen wisely by participating in this program. Learning through experiential training gave me a great deal more knowledge by actually doing it instead of only experiencing textbook knowledge.”

“Understanding the predominant factors that have led my people to alcohol such as the effects of colonization, Catholicism and residential schools has personally taken away my shame and has given me clarity and pride in myself as a First Nations woman. While attending this course I was able to let go of my fears that were holding me back from growth, I never knew that people could make themselves so sick by holding all that garbage inside. I learned to laugh, to cry, and to be myself, my real self. The youth profile sessions helped me to finally understand where the youth in my community were coming from and what they are thinking of.”

“This course has helped me beyond my wildest expectations, I had heard so much about this course from one of my relatives that took it in B.C. and I thank them every day for suggesting I take it too. It opened my eyes and my heart and gave me such great tools to work with. I truly feel like I am now effective in my work with the youth of my community.”

“As a counselor that has worked in the field for many years I never knew how much I didn’t know about working with youth until I took this course, finally I am able to reach out to them on their level and build a real positive working relationship with them. Thank you Lee for all you have taught me and for your patience, your understanding and your encouragement.”