Nancy Garland

Hello,

 

My name is Nancy Garland. I’m a Personal Support Worker, Family Entertainer, Certified Coach Practitioner, and End-of-Life-Doula. Over the years, working with both children and adults, I’ve come to learn that positive energy is a powerful foundation for meaningful change. 

 

I was raised in Toronto in a loving family.  In 1990, my life changed suddenly when I was involved in a boat crash that resulted in a traumatic brain injury. The physical, cognitive, and emotional impacts were significant (luckily temporary). At the time, there were few supports and limited understanding of what I was experiencing, so recovery often felt isolating. I lost almost every aspect of my life(school, hobbies, relationships, family).  Then when I tried to get my life back, most of it wasn't available to me any longer.  The life I remembered was gone.   It took many years of trial, error and growth, with lots of time, patience, and perseverance, I rebuilt my skills and found a deeper appreciation for life.  

 

That experience shaped the work I do. I began volunteering with a Brain Injury Association, and then became a Personal Support Worker supporting clients with varying levels of dementia. In many ways, I could relate to their frustration and confusion with their lack of function and ability.  I was spending so much time doing activities with my PSW clients in-between regular PSW duties, that other PSW's were hired to do the regular care duties and I was hired to spend all my time doing one on one activities as family members were seeing such positive changes. I combined what I learned with my own brain retraining strategies and the needs of my clients to develop my Happy Brain Program to help others strengthen confidence, focus, and well-being.

 

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On my life journey, I experienced profound traumatic experiences and personal loss, including the early deaths of my father, brother, and daughter. Each loss was at different times, from different causes, and each required its own kind of healing. These experiences deepened my compassion and strengthened my commitment to helping others find steadiness, meaning, and hope—even during difficult seasons. Through it all, I learned that happiness can be supported through small choices, helpful tools, and gentle guidance.  

 

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Warmly,

Nancy Garland

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Hello,

 

My name is Nancy Garland.  I am a Certified Coach Practitioner, Family Entertainer, Personal Support Worker and End of Life Doula.  Through the years of working with children and adults, I've found that positive energy is fundamental in achieving results.  

 

I was born in 1972 and raised in a wonderful family in Toronto.  It wasn't until my life took a sharp turn, that I began to realize how important a positive attitude was.  

 

In 1990 I was involved in an accident that left me with a Traumatic Brain Injury.  Overcoming many physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges was definitely that - A challenge, for me and my family.  My new function limitations, changes and challenges, left me confused, tired and upset.  Doctors at the time offered very little help as they didn't really understand what I was experiencing.  However, after traveling a lonely, long, winding road to recovery, it made me appreciate what I have and who I am today.  I believe we should all be grateful.  This challenging time was an opportunity for me to discover that I could help others, so I became a volunteer helping people at a Brain Injury Association.  Then I became a PSW and worked mainly with clients who had varying levels of dementia.  I could understand, to some degree, the loss of function my clients were experiencing.  Later on, I used my brain re-training techniques in developing my Happy Brain Program.

 

The road my life took me on, sent me to live through many negative experiences.  These experiences gave me choices to make.  These experiences could have made me bitter, sad, or withdrawn...  I didn't want to become that person, so instead, I learned how go through these experiences and feelings, and I learned that happiness was a choice I could make at any time.  I learned that memories do not need to affect me now.  I learned how to feel confident, how to forgive and more forward.  I've also experienced the loss of family members, such as my father, brother, and daughter.  They all died at different times, from different causes, but they all died at young ages, and were all very emotionally challenging experiences.  I've learned how to be grateful for the time I have with people, how to let go of the physical, embrace the spiritual, and how to continue to be happy through difficult times.  I want to share that.  Education and understanding is the key to become motivated to become more positive.  These challenges led me to study the mind, our behaviour, and then led me to get Certified as a Life Coach, PSW, End of Life Doula, Reiki Master and I also practice Bal-A-Vis-X, Brain Gym, and Neorobics.

 

We all have a natural energy that we emit, and over time that energy is tarnished by negativity that comes in many forms.  We always have choices though, and I chose to learn to be positive through all the emotions I may be feeling.  You can too!

 

Smiles,

Nancy Garland