Amanda Willett
Helping Communities Heal & Reach Resilience
They say nothing teaches like experience does. If that is the case, there is no one better than Amanda Willett to transform the lives of trauma survivors. A Global Powerhouse, Amanda is the Founder of ‘Rituals for Recovery’, a non-profit organization whose primary purpose is strengthening communities and supporting recovery through trauma informed practices, training, and quality integrated care. Rituals for Recovery was born during the pandemic, but Amanda’s journey has been leading to it for decades.
For years, Amanda’s unwavering support for survivors of complex trauma manifested itself in many forms. And then, the pandemic hit. Global crisis in all forms continued to grow, adding to an increase in suicide, domestic violence, abuse, stress, job loss, financial strain, illness and various mental health challenges. “I saw a huge need for trauma relief support services and hence the idea for ‘Rituals for Recovery’ was born,” shares Amanda.
In the fall of 2020, Amanda launched ‘Rituals for Recovery’: “Our objective is to put trauma informed care and complex trauma prevention at the forefront of post pandemic recovery across the globe. We want to create a ‘trauma informed world’, in which equality, justice, inclusion, and harmony are the new normal for all,” she says.
The Rituals for Recovery Healing Arts Institute offers different options and pathways to recovery. There is no one size fits all or magic pill when it comes to healing. Thus, RFR provides personalized care, recognizing that recovery is unique for everyone. They operate using a strength-based model which is client led and take a healing centered engagement approach to restore wellbeing. They also offer corporate trauma informed training and TRMBW (Trauma Responsive Mind-Body Wellness) & SEL (Social Emotional Learning) certification for wellness practitioners, educators, clinicians, and other helping professionals.
Amanda herself is trained in many holistic healing modalities and is a certified coach in trauma recovery and workplace mental health leadership. Having the opportunity to transform her own trauma through psychotherapy, mindfulness, movement, the practice of yoga and the healing arts, Amanda truly believes in the remedial power of trauma-informed practices.
Trauma is not an individual problem but a collective problem for the community.Speaking about it, she explains, “Equity through education is the surest way to stop the transmission of trauma. The Shame Shifters Campaign – ‘Be a Voice Not an Echo’, is our roadmap and movement empowering the conversation of proactive complex trauma prevention.
It raises awareness about mental health, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and the legacy of trauma on our health over a lifetime. A key part of our mission is to improve the wellbeing of our
communities by investing in the physical, mental, and financial health of women and girls who’ve experienced gender-based violence and sexual exploitation. ‘Help Her Recover’ is the arm of RFR which serves women living with the intersecting challenges of violence, abuse, poverty, mental illness, and addiction.”
She adds: “In partnership with organizations, individuals, families, and 1000 community leaders, we aim to raise $100K annually over the next 10 years to change and empower 1 million individuals with a better quality of life. In unity with the SDG’s objectives for building a more viable world, we strive to redefine recovery, break down system barriers, and provide access to our most vulnerable populations.” This year, Amanda was nominated as the G100 Human Rights Wing Canada Country Chair.
As a serial entrepreneur, visionary, and lifelong learner, Amanda has made it her life’s goal to help survivors of all forms of complex trauma. Needless to say, a lifetime of such dedication and service has seen her bestowed with innumerable awards and honors for leadership and iconic innovations all across the globe. She has been featured in magazines alongside legends such as Oprah and participated in global women’s summits alongside celebrities like Sharon Stone and Gloria Steinem.
“If I had to choose one person who has inspired my path, I would say feminist leader Gloria Steinem,” says Amanda, with the beliefs that – change comes from the bottom not the top, and the art of life is not controlling what happens to us but using what happens to us for the greater good. The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day.
Amanda has now turned her attention to amplify the voices of youth. RFR collaborates with Colleges and Universities across the globe providing opportunities for students to become the next generation of leaders and partners in prevention through trauma informed education, training, and hands-onexperience. “I believe the future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope. I want to be the bridge that provides that hope encouraging others to put that power and that hope in themselves,” says the enigmatic Amanda.
