Storytelling and sharing lived experience is a powerful tool in building resilience and healing from trauma. Weaving in her experiences as a social service worker, first responder, humanitarian worker, and emergency management professional, Sharon provides information on various mental health and wellness tools along with resources that can be incorporated into people’s personal and professional lives. With a focus on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, this session provides insight in to living with mental illness and the journey to a recovery mindset. It also allows for the participants to be engaged in sharing their own ideas and insights in a safe space should they choose to do so.
Sharon's Biography
Sharon Bak holds a diploma in Social Service Work and spent twenty years supporting individuals with various special needs and their families. She is an avid volunteer and has held leadership positions with many community organizations including the Pass Lake Volunteer Fire Department, Canadian Red Cross, Thunder Bay and Area Victim Services, the Thunder Bay branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Thunder Bay Family Network, and Family Alliance Ontario. In 2019 Sharon took on the volunteer role of Northern Operations Manager for Boots on the Ground, a 24/7 peer support service for first responders. She is currently employed with the Ministry of the Solicitor General, working as an Emergency Management Field Officer for the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management. Her personal and professional experiences provide valuable insight into the darkness that can come from trauma but also the resilience each of us has to pursue recovery and make positive changes.
