Sarah Marie Schlote

Sarah Marie Schlote

Salut! Hello!

Sarah is a white, bilingual settler (français/English), as well as a social justice-oriented and neurodivergent-affirming attachment and body-oriented psychotherapist. She integrates a depth and breadth of knowledge of trauma therapy approaches with a warm, engaging nature and capacity to sit with the complexity of her clients’ experiences. She is a published author who frequently teaches and consults internationally on the topics of trauma treatment, trauma-informed care, and horse-human trauma recovery (founder of EQUUSOMA: https://equusoma.com, integrating SE, attachment, ethology, and interspecies neuroscience in equine-human contexts, and co-facilitator of Equuscience: https://equuscience.com). She is also an instructor in Wilfrid Laurier University's Trauma Certificate program.

Professional Background

• Master's in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria (2009)
• Completed SE training with Berns Galloway and Kathy Kain in 2013
• Training assistant for Berns Galloway
• Approved SE personal session provider (all levels)
• Approved SE consultation provider (beginning and intermediate levels; approval for advanced-level consultations should be completed by summer 2022)
• Master classes with Peter Levine: Body Reading and Developmental Trauma (2015)
• Other approaches: EMDR, Brainspotting, Deep Brain Reorienting, parts work (Structural Dissociation Theory, aspects of Internal Family Systems and Transactional Analysis, Dolores Mosquera's progressive approach for parts work and EMDR), Touch Skills Training (Kathy Kain), Somatic Resilience and Regulation Training (Kathy Kain & Steve Terrell), NeuroAffective Touch (intro class and module 1, Aline LaPierre), Leading Edge pre- and peri-natal trauma training (Kate White), Indigenous Tools for Living (various trainers, developed by Shirley Turcotte), etc.
• Human-animal bond: training in Equine-Assisted Mental Health (Sue McIntosh), Integrative Equine-Facilitated Wellness (Deborah Marshall), Trauma-Focused Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (Natural Lifemanship fundamentals online), working with fear in horses from a behaviourist perspective (IAABC), EMDR for animals (Fabienne Gillibert), natural horsemanship and liberty clinics, etc.

Social Justice and Intersectional Framework

Sarah’s dedication to trauma-informed, anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice means that she will be transparent about her observations and discuss different therapeutic approaches that could be useful in reaching your goals. Your voice and right to informed choice are paramount. She also actively works at recognizing her various layers of privilege and and examining old, learned, hidden biases, stereotypes, prejudices and discriminations that stem from white supremacy, cis-heteronormativity, colonialism, ableism, speciesism, and other forms of toxic socialization. Sarah tries her best to foster a courageous space that celebrates diversity, acknowledges different paradigms and perspectives, and respects differences of opinion provided they don’t disrespect the human rights of others. Sarah is honoured to lend her support as an open-hearted ally and recognizes that allyship is an uncomfortable road that requires constant self-examination from a place of humility. She recognizes she will get it wrong at times, and is willing to learn.

She works with clients from a variety of cultures, ethnicities, religions/faiths, abilities, sexual orientations, appearances, gender expressions, abilities, and neurotypes. Sarah is informed by her own trauma history, her neurodivergence (ADHD, sensory sensitivities), complex health syndromes (genetic mast cell disorder and multiple co-morbidities), her experiences navigating the complexities of narcissistic abuse, and her experiences step-parenting within a neurodivergent and trauma-informed household with ADHD and autistic family members. Her early career experiences with seniors in long-term care, tutoring neurodivergent children, and helping foreign trained professionals, immigrants and refugees prior to becoming a therapist also inform her current work.

Sarah’s life experiences and background allow her to relate to individuals from many walks of life. She resonates with people who belong to many categories and yet don’t fit any one perfectly, remaining somewhat of an outsider with insider insights.

Sarah uses the pronouns she/elle, and has friends, family members and clients who are part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. She has supported people through the coming out process and through various phases of questioning and transitioning, including when this has occurred within the complicated confines of right-wing conservatism.

Thanks to her own diverse religious and spiritual experiences, she has the capacity to relate to individuals for whom formal religion is an important resource, as well as individuals who find meaning in other forms of spirituality or none at all. She also understands the complexities involved in leaving toxic religiosity or cult-like organizations and healing from religious / spiritual trauma and ritual abuse.

Areas of Interest

• Early developmental / complex trauma (pre- and peri-natal; emotional, physical, sexual)
• Intergenerational and ancestral trauma
• Dissociation and ego states
• Attachment, relational rupture and repair work
• Decolonization in support of Indigenous trauma recovery
• Neurodivergent-affirming trauma work
• Pelvic health and pelvic pain patterns
• Complex health syndromes / symptom flares
• Recovery from narcissistic abuse
• Ritual, religious, or spiritual abuse
• Integrative case conceptualization and trauma treatment
• Trauma dynamics and recovery in the context of equine-human interactions, for both species

Specialties

• Addiction
• ADHA
• Adults
• Adults abused as children
• Anxiety Disorders
• BIPOC Populations
• Chronic Illness
• Chronic Pain/Fibromyalgia
• Complex PTSD
• Couples Counseling
• Depression
• Developmental Trauma
• Dissociative Disorders
• Early Childhood Attachment Disturbances
• Equine-Assisted Therapy
• First Responders
• Gender Dysphoria
• Grief and Loss
• LGBTQIA+
• Medical Procedure Trauma
• Native Populations
• Birth Trauma
• Refugees
• Relational/Relationship Issues
• Self-Esteem
• Spirituality
• Intergeneration Trauma
• Racial Trauma
• Anti-Oppression Trauma Resolution
• Systemic Trauma
• Veterans
• Domestic Violence
• Sexual Abuse
• Womens’ Issues