For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to the wisdom of Indigenous cultures – the way they honour the land, the spirit, and the interconnectedness of all things. This appreciation wasn’t just an interest; it was a quiet guiding force in my life, though I didn’t realize quite how much it would shape my future until the day of my graduation – Masters of Psychology.
The ceremony was on the University of Toronto’s downtown campus. Toronto is a city that prides itself on its pursuit of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and Adler is a place that strives to weave integrity into the very fabric of its curriculum. But that day, the “integrity” of the institution moved beyond textbooks and became a living, breathing experience.
The air in the hall changed as the ceremony began with a traditional smudging. The scent of sage, clearing the space for what was to come. Then came the heartbeat: the drumming circle. The rhythm seemed to sync with our own pulses, grounding us in the significance of the milestone we had reached.
Then, an Elder stood to speak. Though I don’t remember his name, I will never forget his presence or the medicine in his words.
He shared stories of his life – of hardship, of resilience, and of the deep psychological truths passed down through generations. But then, he said something that clicked into place like a missing key. He spoke of the human anatomy not just in terms of bone and blood, but in terms of spirit.
“The voice,” he said, “is the bridge between the heart and the head.”
In that moment, everything I had studied in psychology met everything I felt as a human being. We often live stuck in our heads – in logic, strategy, and analysis. Or, we are overwhelmed by our hearts – by raw emotion and impulse. True wisdom, true healing, and true leadership only happen when the bridge is open. When the voice speaks the truth of the heart with the clarity of the mind.
That was the birth of Balanced Voices.
I realized then that my work wasn’t just about psychology; it was about helping people find that bridge. It’s about ensuring that the voices we use in our lives, our businesses, and our communities are balanced – carrying both the weight of our intellect and the warmth of our humanity.