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April 24, 2025
News
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You can feel it as soon as you sit down across from her. A sense of serenity, of acceptance, of connection.
No judgement in this session room. No barriers — of any kind.
“I don’t see country, culture or colour,” Katie Israel says. “I see a soul.”
What clients see?
“When you come here — you see Katie.”
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Israel is one of 12 counsellors with the Healthy Minds Program at TIES (The Immigrant Education Society).
She’s been a vital member of the team, an anchor, for more than three years now. Over those years, she’s helped hundreds of clients deal with anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorders, relationship issues and much more.
“I see several and diverse mental health presentations and life situations in a day!”
Her specialty — past and present trauma.
“As a therapist I specialize in trauma. I am more healing and transformation oriented. The human spirit is resilient; therefore, we don’t just have to cope, we can grow and rise above trauma,” she points out.
“It has helped that I have been through a lot of psychological traumas, throughout my life.”
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Katie Israel hails from a small village nestled amid hills in Botswana, Africa. She immigrated to Canada more than a decade ago.
Like most immigrants the move wasn’t easy, but she worked her way up from humble beginnings, raising and supporting her family.
She eventually pursued a higher education, completing a master’s degree is counselling psychology, with a focus on trauma.
Israel joined TIES as a contractor with Healthy Minds in 2022, before even moving to Calgary. She provided online counselling before relocating to the city and adding in-person services.
It was a perfect fit; helping other immigrants deal with some of the same issues she’s faced in her own life.
“Your body carries the impacts of trauma,” she says. “Call them wounds or whatever you want. When you move to another country, you’re still carrying those if they haven’t been worked on. They say, ‘Wherever you go — there you are.”
Israel says many newcomers present with “cultural trauma” and can find it challenging to speak to a stranger about it. Her own “lived experiences” with cultural trauma and racial trauma helps her depth of understanding.
“Most immigrants share the same shame. The fact that the services are provided by another immigrant means the shame is lower and can open doors to the individual’s authentic expression.”
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Israel says she knew right away that TIES was a great fit.
“I interviewed them as they interviewed me,” she says. “They made it clear, ‘Come as you are. You are the expert.’”
As the expert, she says, TIES allows her to collaborate with her clients, focus on holistic transformation, and most importantly use her “empathetic approach” to counselling.
“They allow me to bring humanity into the service. They speak my language.”
Israel adds while many other programs have a “box” that staff and clients have to fit into — TIES accepts anyone and everyone who comes for help.
“We meet people where they are at. We remove barriers as much as possible,” she points out. “We don’t fit you in any boxes here, we embrace your humanity no matter what you’re going through.”
Israel adds this is not “just a job”, it’s the way her life expresses its purpose.
Helping others — help themselves embrace their “unique journey”.
“People don’t need me to heal or fix them. The healing resources are inside of them.”
When not at TIES, Katie Israel can be found at her private practice in Airdrie called Tranquil Pathways Counselling.
Counselling services with Healthy Minds is free of charge for any newcomer and other vulnerable Calgarian thanks largely to funding from the City of Calgary.
There is also no session limit, income testing or referral needed.
Counselling Services Airdrie, AB | Tranquil Pathways Counselling
Media RSVP, Interviews & Inquiries:
Tomasia DaSilva
Media and Relationship Strategist
Email: tomasiadasilva@immigrant-education.ca
Phone: 403-291-0002
Get involved with TIES on our social media platforms.
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