Julie James is an art therapist at <a href="https://www.blackdogstudio.art/">Black Dog Studio in Nelson</a>. She facilitates our art therapy sessions for our <a href="https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/healing-and-wellness">HEART program</a> and is available for clients in our <a href="https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/skills-training">other programs</a> as well. We wanted to know more about art therapy and how it helps us prepare for training and work, so we asked Julie to tell us about what she does.
“Art can be a fun and relaxing tool, and it can be a great way to connect with family members, friends, and colleagues,” Julie tells us. “Art therapy combines art-making and talk therapy to communicate emotions and experiences beyond words.”
“Art serves as a tool for self-reflection, connection, and healing. My aim is to support you in cultivating your relationship with your creative practice.”
As an art therapist, Julie helps people develop a non-judgemental attitude towards their artwork and become a bit more mindful of what&#8217;s happening in their body. Drawing, writing, painting, sculpting, collage making, music writing, dance—the list of art options is extensive, and she encourages participants to find the art practice that suits them.
We include art therapy in our HEART program and other employment programs because, as project specialist Zoë Dowdall says, “sometimes you can draw your feelings and get things out that you don’t have words for.”
Finding common themes
Each art therapy session focuses on a different theme and is a blend of mindful art-making, connecting with group members, and psychoeducation. (Psychoeducation is a practice that provides participants with a better understanding of their mental health or illness with the aim helping them establish coping behaviours.) Some of the themes have included reflection on values and strength, self-care, and integration.
As a starting point, Julie offers art prompts related to the weekly theme. She then encourages participants to make themselves comfortable and take 20 to 30 minutes to create on their own. They may use any materials they have on hand: pen and paper, recycled materials, or natural materials. No previous experience or skill in art-making is required for art therapy to be helpful.
“My art prompts are designed to inspire your creativity and encourage you to take an expansive understanding of art. Every piece of art, no matter how small, is a valuable expression of who you are,” Julie says, and this is where the therapeutic value shows up most strongly.
“Then, we come back together to share our pieces and speak about what our art process was like for us that week.”
From creativity to healing
For people who are not used to doing something artistic or who haven’t tried art therapy, Julie emphasizes making them comfortable with being creative. Art therapy is all about expressing yourself creatively and learning how to do that in a group setting.
“Our groups offer a supportive and non-judgmental space where you can explore your emotions and experiences through art. Sharing your work with others is completely optional.”
Many of our clients have mentioned that they enjoy art-making but find it difficult to create time for themselves. The HEART program creates an opportunity to slow down and make time for yourself, time to create.
“Participants often come away surprised at the depth of their artwork and what they’ve discovered in the process,” Julie says. “A lot of people tell me they come out of sessions feeling relaxed. I love hearing that.”

Art for HEART’s sake

Being a woman in the trades offers a rewarding career. Stephanie McCarthy is a Red Seal electrician. She’s currently working on our building renovation in downtown Trail as part of the Martech Electrical team.
“There are so many positives. I absolutely love being an electrician,” she says. “I love everything about it. I love the tools, the different situations, the experience.”
Stephanie did not start her working life in the trades, however, she came to see it as a path to good opportunities. She started her apprenticeship when she was 30 years old, and after nine years of balancing having children with training and working, got her Red Seal two years ago.
“I needed a career change. I wanted to have a good job, level up in life, and getting my Red Seal has definitely done that.”
“I always thought in high school that I was bad at math. I had a teacher tell me jokingly that I would never be an electrician. But at 30 I’d done some upgrading and taken some courses and found I was actually really good at math.”
Taking charge of her career
That doesn’t mean it is always easy—no career path is—and she wants other women considering the trades to have a realistic perspective about a career she loves and has every intention of continuing.
The stereotype of math and women was only the first hurdle she encountered. Just 3 of the 25 students in her class at college were female. She started working in residential electrical where it was difficult for her to get her hours as an apprentice.
“You have to look at who you will be paired with. Ask all the questions. You’ve got to have the type of personality that can handle it. The obstacles aren’t a surprise. You know they’re coming.”
She explains that a good mentor makes all the difference. Great foremen are open to questions and mentoring and helping you learn. She found all of the above when she joined the IBEW union (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) and started working with Martech Electrical.
Martech has been her best work experience, and Stephanie would definitely recommend to anyone in the trades to join their local union. Along with better wages, benefits and RRSPs, the union hall provides plenty of local work opportunities.
Women make up only 4% of onsite construction trade workers in the country. Stephanie has been on projects with 10 to 15 electricians where she was the only female. Perhaps not surprisingly, she’s come across only one other female electrician in Trail, though at the union they are treated the same as the men. The Skills Centre renovation is a small job site with three electricians working at a time, and again she’s the only female journeyperson.
While there are more women in construction trades around the region, it’s clear that they are a rarity.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-4548 size-large" src="https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Stephenie-electrician-2-web-863x1024.webp" alt="" width="640" height="759" srcset="https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Stephenie-electrician-2-web-863x1024.webp 863w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Stephenie-electrician-2-web-253x300.webp 253w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Stephenie-electrician-2-web-768x911.webp 768w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Stephenie-electrician-2-web-1295x1536.webp 1295w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Stephenie-electrician-2-web-1727x2048.webp 1727w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />
The demands of high energy &amp; staying grounded
“Being an electrician means being good at intricate work. You gain the skills and experience to figure it out. It prepares you. The foundation is so strong. The challenges you face every day, and you’re constantly learning new things, that’s what I love most about it.”
The work can be physically demanding, and Stephanie loves the physical aspect and that it keeps her moving all day. When she started her electrician training, she needed to build up to the physical aspects. Now the physicality gives her the confidence she can get anything done.
For women coming into the trades, she says you’re going to be under the microscope more than a man would.
“You have to be prepared to work really hard. In school get good grades so that when you’re on a job you can show you know what you’re talking about. Once you can do that, it’ll be easier. It takes a certain kind of woman.”
“The positives far out weigh any negative for this career path. When you have that good crew it is amazing. It’s so much fun.”

No shock to find women electricians a rarity

How do horses teach us? That’s the question we put to Leah Hope, program director of Little Oasis Equine, an equine-assisted learning facility in Trail. Leah and her staff and, most importantly, their horses, are a key part of our <a href="https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/healing-and-wellness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HEART program</a>.
By doing, is her answer. The horses and people work together through obstacles.
“They navigate stations that we set up to explore with their peer partner and horse. Then we reflect on what we experienced with the horses that day.”
<blockquote>“We just facilitate; the horses are the teachers.”</blockquote>
And the result?
“I see such amazing development. Participants are able to rely on themselves and count on themselves and then see that they are able to do, what they need to do solve a problem. They become creative, and the joy you see when they find this in themselves, it shows how empowering working with the horses is.”
Removing barriers
Leah came into equine-assisted learning through necessity, almost.
“I was injured early in my nursing career, and I wanted to find something I could do given my physical limitations and give back to the community. My horses were injured and getting older. My ability to do things with the horses was limited, so I wanted to find something we both could do. It was about finding value in the things we could do instead of seeing barriers.”
Combining her nursing background and an approach based on her and the horses’ strengths, Leah got certified as an equine-assisted learning facilitator in 2011. Little Oasis now has four certified facilitators and may add as many as another three this year when their schedule gets busy.
Most of their work at Little Oasis is with youth, and to help make it more accessible, local businesses sponsor many of the kids who participate. The horses facilitate learning social skills, life skills, problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
<blockquote>Little Oasis also holds single day activities for corporate groups, teachers, or any group that wants to give it a try. They even host family sessions and date nights for couples to work with the horses.</blockquote>
Leah says her original herd has lived out their lives working for the kids, and she now owns five horses, has three more that live at Little Oasis, and have four others that come in for programs.
She is always looking at her work through the lens of removing barriers. And she is mindful of the horses’ capacity for doing the work. Some people and horses can only work one day a week. That’s fine. Some horses work only with certain demographics. That’s fine. That’s why they have several horses and facilitators.
Healing through equine-assisted learning
For HEART, they run 10 sessions with the horses and participants.
Leah says everyone—horses as well as facilitators—have no expectations for how a participant will work with a horse. If someone isn’t comfortable approaching a horse, they can wait and approach when they are comfortable.
“There is lots to observe and lots to do. They approach at their comfort not our expectations. You don’t need horse experience. What each participant brings forward will be an opportunity for growth.”
<blockquote>“Participants end the learning with increased confidence and that feeling of accomplishment when you’ve approached at your own pace. Success is defined by the participant.”</blockquote>
A participant in HEART can expect to first get comfortable around the horses. The first session with the horses is about skills acquisition, learning where to stand, where the horse can see you, safety, and building relationships with the horses. Then they move to two way communication, meaning delivery and reception.
“What are we doing with our bodies, our tone, our voice to communicate?”
“The horses react to the authentic person before them. It’s okay to experience whatever you’re feeling, and the horses will respond accordingly. They don’t judge and can’t lie. They’re in the moment and present.”
<figure id="attachment_4431" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4431" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-4431 size-large" src="https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Little-Oasis-team-2-web-1024x768.webp" alt="" width="640" height="480" srcset="https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Little-Oasis-team-2-web-1024x768.webp 1024w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Little-Oasis-team-2-web-300x225.webp 300w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Little-Oasis-team-2-web-768x576.webp 768w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Little-Oasis-team-2-web-1536x1152.webp 1536w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Little-Oasis-team-2-web.webp 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-4431" class="wp-caption-text">Leah (second from right) and her team at Little Oasis.</figcaption></figure>
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Other lessons they explore with the horses include trust and respect and what those words mean, boundaries and negotiation. They may also do teamwork activities.
“We find success in different ways. When we see clients find success, it’s unmistakable. It can give them confidence that they carry with them. Their confidence builds each time. They develop self-respect and trust in themselves. That confidence is remarkable.”
Our final HEART session in Trail starts February 26. <a href="https://skillscentre.ca/contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact us for more information &amp; to register.</a>

What horses teach us about ourselves

Jackie Payne found her calling in the trades more than 20 years ago. As a woman working as a drywaller, she knows she’s the exception rather than the rule. That certainly hasn’t stopped her, and she encourages any young people, particularly women, who want an active, rewarding job to consider her trade.
Jackie grew up in Nelson and lived in Calgary for a few years where she worked in manufacturing and at a coffee shop. Her partner at the time was a drywaller, and she was looking for a new job, so he asked her if she wanted to try drywall finishing work.
“I need to move. I need to occupy my body, to keep my body going,” she explains. She tried drywall finishing and liked it. That was in 2002, and she’s been a drywaller ever since.
In 2004, she moved back to the Kootenays. She and her partner worked together until they separated, and last fall Mark Young, owner of MGK Drywall Ltd. called her because he knew her good reputation and that she was available for work. She’s been working with Mark ever since.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-4370 size-large" src="https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Jackie-Payne-crop-1-web-1024x819.webp" alt="" width="640" height="512" srcset="https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Jackie-Payne-crop-1-web-1024x819.webp 1024w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Jackie-Payne-crop-1-web-300x240.webp 300w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Jackie-Payne-crop-1-web-768x614.webp 768w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Jackie-Payne-crop-1-web-1536x1229.webp 1536w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Jackie-Payne-crop-1-web-2048x1638.webp 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />
How does she do it?
“It’s crazy physical work,” she says as she points out that she doesn’t have to go to the gym to stay in great shape. “It’s an extremely physical job. And you have to not be afraid to get dirty.”
“You take care of your body. You have to eat well to be able to do the work.”
She also likes listening to music, and in many jobs, she’s working in a space on her own and can have her music blaring while she works. “No one has to tell me what to do. Hours can be flexible.”
They do commercial as well as residential projects, and right now Jackie and MGK are drywalling <a href="https://skillscentre.ca/who-we-are/our-new-building" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Skills Centre’s new building in downtown Trail</a>.
“It’s a whole different aspect doing commercial versus a house. We have to work around the other trades. The process flows differently than with a house.” And, she notes, this gives her a chance to learn about other trades working on a build.
Rewarding work
“If I’m making a house, I’m making someone’s home. They see my work. If my work isn’t good, they see it. I get to make their place comfortable. And it’s the same with a commercial building. People notice if their space is nice. My job is very visual. You have to have a good eye for detail.”
To someone considering the trades, especially women, Jackie says, “Give it a try. You don’t know if you don’t try, as with anything in life.”
There’s no particular training required for drywalling. It’s very much a learn it on the job vocation.
“It is such a niche job. You have to have someone who is willing to teach you. It’s all about the tools and the technique. If people are willing to try, they can do it.”
And that’s one of the reasons Jackie thinks people should give it a try.
“There’s nothing holding women back from this work. It’s dirty. I love it. You can make good money. There’s a good future. You could go anywhere in the world to do this work.”
“For someone who likes to be busy, it’s a great job.”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-4369 size-full" src="https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Jackie-on-stilts-January-2024-crop-web.webp" alt="" width="741" height="927" srcset="https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Jackie-on-stilts-January-2024-crop-web.webp 741w, https://partners.blackbeanmarketing.com/skillscentre/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/Jackie-on-stilts-January-2024-crop-web-240x300.webp 240w" sizes="(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px" />

No holding back: drywalling is the right trade for women

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I walked into the kitchen at the Trail United Church to meet the participants of Community Kitchens. Five friendly, enthusiastic people greeted me. They were working together to prepare a healthy meal for their families. They were tossing advice back and forth on how to prepare this or how to fix that, handing each other ingredients they needed, sharing the dishwashing duties, and generally just being social.
They looked like they were having fun. It was a good day. I was there to take their pictures for the Skills Centre’s social media and other communications. I wanted to stay and help and, yes, test the chocolate peanut butter squares that hadn’t even gone into the oven yet. (I didn’t; that’s not why I was there.)
Community Kitchens is one of the Skills Centre’s poverty reduction programs. People living with low income join our facilitator each week to learn about nutrition and food budgeting. Together they make a healthy meal with inexpensive ingredients. This day they were making meatloaf, a vegetable side dish, and chocolate peanut butter squares. Alanna, the facilitator, was clearly pleased to share that they were doing all this for less than $50 in food costs for all of them.
<blockquote>There was much more at play than economical meal planning though. They were sharing stories, socializing, becoming friends, building each other up.</blockquote>
They were happy to have me take their photos. They were equally happy to share how much they appreciate Alanna’s guidance and Community Kitchens. They shared their gratitude openly and unsolicited. It made me feel good to hear their genuine appreciation for the opportunities Community Kitchens is giving them.
It is a great example of strengthening our community together. Wouldn’t it be great if we could have more programs like Community Kitchens and more local people taking part?
Community Kitchens is part of our <a href="https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/poverty-reduction/">Thriving for All poverty reduction initiative</a> and is funded by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) and Teck. The Skills Centre is dedicated to strengthening the region’s workforce, promoting inclusion and eliminating poverty through initiatives such as Community Kitchens.

Community Kitchens participants take the cake

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No shock to find women electricians a rarity

What horses teach us about ourselves

No holding back: drywalling is the right trade for women