I am dedicated to a creative life and love to facilitate creativity, growth and innovation in others.  I am trained as an art therapist, marriage and family therapist, and graphic facilitator, with twenty-five years of experience working with groups, organizations, and individuals.

For many years, I  specialized in working with private and public sector agencies to improve supervision, performance and morale for clinicians, educators and home visitors dealing with complicated clients. Reflective practices and arts-based processes are among my primary tools.

I also practice the innovative use of graphic recording and visual facilitation in meetings, conferences and visioning sessions. This technique has garnered attention in the high-tech industry as well as in community and organizational engagement efforts.

Credentials include a Fellowship from Harvard Children’s Hospital in Infant mental Health, a license as a Marriage and Family Therapist in California (MFT 36136), a Registered Art Therapist (ATR), and Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT) in North America. I am eligible to work in both Canada and the United States.

Although my childhood was far from ideal and my naive decisions have had life-long consequences, my journey has been rich in lessons and experiences. Indeed it has been a journey that has taken me from a little girl silenced, to an award-winning artist and speaker.

Growing up I was silenced by the belief that “little girls should be seen and not heard” so I kept quiet. Art became my voice, as I began to silently sketch my innermost thoughts and feelings, and through my art, make sense of my life. Over time, I studied what had shaped me, who had influenced me, what was in my control, and what I needed to do to thrive!

I am not sure when I fully realized I was in control of changing my situation, but I do remember starting to make the most of my limited resources, rather than focusing on what I didn’t have. In retrospect, I was actually following a process I now call ART – Awareness, Resilience and Transformational which guided me out of the darkness, and into the life I love.

I now smile when I am introduced as an award-winning speaker and artist, with a growing list of awards & qualifications on my resume. I smile not in a boastful way but in an empowered way – as I am living proof that we can heal, grow and achieve. Today, I use my spoken words to empower the audience, and my creative expressions and art exhibitions as the backdrop for interactive, experiential learning.

Facilitator, coach, trainer and management consultant, support strategic change and organization development are what keep Bert busy these days.

He is a systems thinker who is strong at facilitating dynamic conversations that assess the current reality and inspire and support a shift to a desired future. He has facilitated many teams through strategic planning and strategy execution has coached leaders individually and in peer groups and has guided people through change.

Bert developed his professional fundamentals over thirty years with a diverse client base which gives him a strong ability to help teams and managers navigate the toughest of challenges. He brings professional knowledge and real-world experience and applications, which he shares with his clients.

Bert’s passion is to make a difference in his clients’ lives. He has a life-long interest in socially responsible organizations as a vehicle for personal growth and fulfillment and as the basic building block for healthy communities. He is inspired by helping clients to overcome obstacles and achieve goals. Bert thrives when he is working with individuals who are committed to team success. “If my clients aren’t interested in improvement or are sabotaging each other’s efforts, then I want to move on. Life’s too short. I am passionate about working with people who see themselves as change agents and are driven by a passion bigger than themselves.”

Bert takes on leadership roles in the community. He has served as a Director in the Air & Waste Management Association, a Director in the American Marketing Association, and has been Chair of the Vancouver Island Chapter of the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of British Columbia.

Bert operates in his profession like he played basketball; with a love for the game, creativity, teamwork, skill, and fun. “When playing basketball, I always got more of a thrill from making a great pass to set up a teammate than I got from scoring, myself. I tried to create situations that played to my teammates’ strengths. This is still what I do as a facilitator for strategic change: to help teams to collaborate so they can achieve their desired future.

Lauren Nackman has 20 years’ experience in public and not-for-profit agencies managing service delivery programs and transformation projects.

Early in her career, she worked as a front-line program manager in employment services. She has been a successful program manager; developing and implementing innovative programs to serve diverse populations which include at-risk youth, individuals with disabilities, long term public aid recipients as well as laid-off manufacturing workers.

Lauren has also worked in the private sector for the management consulting firm, Accenture, in their government service line. In these roles, she managed the communications and change management required to implement new welfare and foster care benefits system for almost 3000 users. This work included business process analysis, planning for process changes, and guiding the communications and training for both staff and leadership. After leaving the private sector Lauren returned to government with the State of California’s Legislative Analysts office. There on behalf of the Legislature, she provided research and recommendations for the areas of Child Welfare, Foster Care, Employment programs, and Child Care Licensing and quality. She regularly testified on policy and fiscal recommendations before policy and budget sub-committees of the Legislature.

Most recently Lauren has guided the development of a major system and business transformation for the Ministry of Social Development and Innovation and works currently advising on and implementing performance monitoring plans and evaluation for a program serving youth with disabilities. Lauren received her Master’s Degree in Social Policy Analysis (Urban Planning) from the University of California, Los Angeles.