My Ethos
Unearthing Pathways speaks to the process of unveiling and releasing the hidden patterns and shadows often born as protection from trauma. This journey embraces a unique path of self (re)discovery, (re)creation and (re)connection. We’ll explore your connection to a deep sense of knowing and self and how that will aid in healing. I believe your lived experience is the expert in your understanding, and we will use your deep well of knowledge on this journey. As we partner together, I’ll use my training, skills and own lived experiences to help navigate this process.
I’m passionate about breaking down barriers to therapy so healing opportunities can be accessible to everyone, especially those who have historically felt excluded from this practice. At the heart of therapy lies a sense of connection where authenticity is key. Building your trust and creating a safer therapeutic space requires me to be my genuine self. When I show up authentically, I can understand you and how your lived experience, mind, and body impact your experiences and emotions.
“Strong communities are born out of individuals being their best selves.”
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Hello, I'm... Randell Duguid
A Registered Social Worker, Trauma Therapist, and Equine Facilitated Psychotherapist. I am a white settler of European decent who is queer, cis, able-bodied, poly and neurodivergent. My pronouns are she/her. I have lived experiences with trauma and healing.
I am grateful to be a guest living and working on unceded Mi’kmaq territory. Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island), Mi’kma’ki, is covered by the historic Treaties of Peace and Friendship. I pay my respects to the Indigenous Mi’kmaq People who have occupied this Island for over 12,000 years—past, present and future. I advocate for the return of ancestral lands to indigenous communities as a crucial step towards justice and healing. I am committed to the ongoing work of decolonization, both personally and professionally.
My focus is client-centred, body-focused, and grounded in an anti-oppression framework. My therapeutic passions are working with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, those who have/are experiencing sexual or relational toxicity or violence, as well as those who have typically been excluded or not seen in traditional therapy models.
My past professional experience includes community counselling clinics, sexual assault crisis centers, addiction facilities, education centres and trauma facilities. Formal education and certifications including a MSW from Wilfrid Laurier University, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR). Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy certifications include; FEEL (Wilfrid Laurier University/Horse Spirit Connections), Eagala and Natural Lifemanship. I am also constantly learning from my personal and professional journey, with my clients, and other non-formal teachers.
I recognize the oppressive harm my field has been a part of and continue to work to decolonize myself and my practice and be involved in community change and advocacy work. I am currently the chair of the Board for Women’s Network PEI, volunteer with PEERS Alliance and am involved with the United World College movement.
In my free time, you’ll likely find me exploring the outdoors with my pup, soaking up live music, reading, leaning into my nerdy love of birds, trying hopelessly to learn some creative craft, or connecting with the people who fill my heart.
My Approach
Whether you’re experiencing symptoms of trauma or other mental or emotional health struggles, our time together can provide you with a co-created safe and confidential space to explore these challenges. We will explore and grow new strategies to shift and cope with symptoms as well as explore opportunities for deeper trauma processing. Unearthing Pathways can help you find healing and reconnect with your inner wisdom in order to find different ways to navigate your life. In addition to the trauma processing, hopefully you will move forward with a deeper understanding of yourself and the systems you live within uncovering the path to a more connected and authentic life.
I believe in holistic therapy that integrates evidence-based practices with an appreciation for the mind-body connection. Through neurobiological understanding, somatic awareness, and an anti-oppressive framework, we’ll co-create a safer space to explore your hopes and struggles. I will help you untangle some of the roots and systemic harms of your trauma and share the ways our human brain functions to better understand your symptoms and the ways they’ve protected you. Combined with the neurobiological trauma processing modalities I use to release body-stored trauma, my hope is that our collaborative journey together offers you a path to healing.