Finding our Power Together is a national Indigenous-led collective that supports Indigenous children, youth, and communities.
Finding our Power Together is a national Indigenous-led collective that supports Indigenous child...
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Usman Akhtar (he/him) holds a Master of Social Work and has experience supporting youth, adults, and families in community-based and crisis-informed settings. He is guided by a strong belief in each person’s capacity to heal and grow.
Usman is committed to creating a space that feels calm, safe, and free of judgment. He believes people need to feel genuinely understood before meaningful work can begin. His work focuses on helping individuals build clarity, strengthen self-trust, and stay firmly rooted in hope.
He tailors support to each person’s goals, needs, and lived experience. His eclectic approach draws from elements of holistic wellness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), family-systems, and other therapeutic approaches.
Whether someone is navigating trauma, uncertainty, or emotional overwhelm, the pace and direction of the work are guided by what feels most right to them.
There is no expectation to have things figured out. Starting where you are is enough.
Usman Akhtar (he/him) holds a Master of Social Work and has experience supporting youth, adults, ...
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Richelle (she/her), is Anishinaabe Kwi from Chippewas Rama First Nation and is in her fourth year of the Bachelor of Social Work Program at Toronto Metropolitan University. She will graduate this fall with a minor in psychology and her Indigenous Knowledge and Experience Certificate from the Change School of Education. Her additional educational background includes her Social Service Work and Indigenous Knowledges diploma from Centennial College. Richelle has been working with youth in creative outlets for over fifteen years, specializing in program creation for children with neurodiversity, like herself.
Richelle has also worked as an Indigenous crisis responder for youth around Turtle Island and mentored many young individuals seeking support. She also teaches Indigenous-based content through elementary classes within Toronto and conducts virtual guest lectures within post-secondary Institutions. Richelle holds extensive knowledge in trauma-informed practices, crisis care, youth mental health and development and arts-based and animal therapies. She is excited to work as a placement student with Finding Our Power Together this year to build upon her current knowledge and continue her journey toward working in youth mental health so she can support the growth, strength and power Indigenous youth hold.
Richelle Offers: Mental Health Counselling
Richelle (she/her), is Anishinaabe Kwi from Chippewas Rama First Nation and is in her fourth year...
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Gabby (she/her) is the Youth/Intake Worker at Finding Our Power Together and the Project Lead for our first community trips to Nibinamik First Nation this year. Gabby is actively involved in ongoing projects that focus on empowering Indigenous youth and strengthening culturally responsive programming.
With a degree in Child and Youth Care and Criminology, Gabby brings a strong foundation in trauma-informed and person-centred care. Originally from Guatemala, they were exposed to Mayan Indigenous culture from a young age, which has shaped their understanding of the importance of cultural identity in mental well-being and community care.
Gabby prioritizes strengths-based approaches and believes in the power of culture as a key part of identity and wellness, ensuring that their work remains rooted in relational, inclusive, and holistic care. Committed to continuous learning, she strives to deepen her understanding and approach to working with Indigenous communities in a way that is respectful, reciprocal, and grounded in the voices and needs of those we support.
Gabby (she/her) is the Youth/Intake Worker at Finding Our Power Together and the Project Lead for...
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Erika (she/they) grew up in Mohkinstsis (Calgary), at the meeting place between the wide-skied prairies and the rolling foothills. She holds ancestral ties to Dakota Plains First Nation and Piikani Nation through her birth parents, and was adopted into a loving Japanese and Irish family at birth. Erika pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a Certificate in Sustainability Studies at the University of Calgary and is now in their Master of Social Work at the University of Toronto. Erika joins FOPT as a Program Assistant, eager to contribute their love and skills to the spaces where her passions intersect: mental health, land-based learning and community organizing. Her adoption story inspires her hope to create warm, healing, and community-centered spaces at FOPT for all Indigenous people looking for their place in the world. She is passionate about using the intersections of her identity and knowledge to care for the land we all call home and teach others to do the same.
Erika (she/they) grew up in Mohkinstsis (Calgary), at the meeting place between the wide-skied pr...
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Felicia is mixed ancestry, she is Anishnaabe from Beausoleil First Nation and French Canadian. She lives outside of Toronto. She has recently completed her Bachelors of Social Work at Toronto Metropolitan University. She will be continuing her education by pursuing her Master of Social Work at the University of Toronto in the Indigenous Trauma and Resiliency field of study.
Opportunities, such as visiting a remote fly First Nation community and visiting Aotearoa (New Zealand) which were both Indigenous focused visits, continues to inspire and reinforce her journey towards reconnection to her culture. While also guiding her passion of supporting youth who need support with mental health and substance use. Her goal is to pursue her Master of Social Work.
Felicia also works at Finding Our Power Together as the Program Coordinator, working towards always creating spaces where Indigenous youth feel welcomed heard.
Felicia is mixed ancestry, she is Anishnaabe from Beausoleil First Nation and French Canadian. Sh...
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Keelin is a Red River Métis medical student at UofT. Keelin grew up in Winnipeg and enjoys watercolour, beading, hiking, and kayaking. Keelin’s interests lie in neurology, Indigenous healthcare, and cultural revitalization, especially as someone who struggled to access culture as a child.
Keelin is a Red River Métis medical student at UofT. Keelin grew up in Winnipeg and enjoys waterc...
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Veronica Miller (she/her) is Niya Iskwew Michif, Red River Métis, and Irish, living on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Omàmiwinini (meaning “down-river people”) or Algonquin People. Veronica is a Registered Indigenous Social Worker with an Honours Bachelor’s in Indigenous Social Work from Laurentian University and a Master’s of Social Work in the Indigenous Field of Study from Wilfrid Laurier University. They bring extensive experience supporting Indigenous youth and families in navigating systems such as child welfare and therapy.
Veronica’s practice is guided by the Medicine Wheel, which emphasizes balance across the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of life. Their approach braids Indigenous knowledge with evidence-based methods to meet the diverse needs of those they walk alongside, weaving them together in ways that honour both worlds.
Veronica is committed to creating a culturally safe, inclusive, and non-judgmental space where people feel seen, heard, and valued. Believing that healing is not a linear process, they honour the knowledge and capacity each person holds within themselves. Their work is relationship-focused and wholistic, grounded in empathy and trust, and centered on the belief that meaningful change comes through relationships—with ourselves, our kin, and our communities. Veronica walks beside those they support, offering guidance, connection, and care, affirming that no one has to carry their burdens alone.
Veronica Miller (she/her) is Niya Iskwew Michif, Red River Métis, and Irish, living on the uncede...
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