Jillian Nesbitt

More about me

Services available:

• Mediation services 

• Individual Conflict Resolution Consults: a preventative service to provide you with skills to work through conflict in a healthy manor and build communication skills.

• Child Centred Mediation Consults: working with parents and gaurdians individually or together (who are in a relationship or apart) to build healthy communication and resolution skills focused on the needs of their child/children.

• Mental health and wellness support groups and debriefs; monthly relatable topics and guest speakers to support and provide education in areas that are common and at the request of our community such as mental health, body image issues, healthy conflict, family dynamics, parenting overstimulation, healthy communication, wellness practices, and so much more!

• Community Supports Liaison: I know it can feel overwhelming to find the supports you need and then even more so to actually reach out or physically go to an appointment. I can help point you in the right direction and support you in reaching out to local services in our community that are suitable for you.

My beliefs and values:

Conflict is natural and normal, and if communicated in a heathy manor, is very important. Disagreement is how we grow and learn, it’s essential to evolve. The intention of these services are to support you as an individual or your family to communicate in a healthy way wherever you are in the conflict resolution process – from preventative to high conflict – and work on emotional regulation along the way. The goal is not necessarily to keep a relationship going if that’s not what’s right for you, it is to encourage and support healthy communication and peaceful interactions regardless of your relationship status or situation. I offer services from casual consults to mediation services, and soon play therapy. 

A little about me:

Working with families and in the social services field for over 10 years between Winnipeg and Brandon, I found so many of the services available are often once a situation has reached a dire state. I believe it's important to be a safe space that encourages and supports the individual or family before it gets there, as well as once it has. I am looking forward to working with families and individuals in this capacity again and also to be bringing some new services to this community. 

I received my BA majoring in Conflict Resolution Studies with a focus on family dynamics from the University of Winnipeg and completed my practicum at the Children’s Advocate. I worked through various positions at the Winnipeg Children’s Access Agency, supervising visits and exchanges for families in high conflict situations and eventually ending in the Program Coordinator role where I supervised the staff and volunteers and managed client care and legal documents for court. I loved the work I did there. Life (my husband) took me to Brandon where I became a registered social worker and worked frontline both rurally and in Brandon, and then took on the role as a Community Liaison Worker and HUB representative, which allowed me to connect first hand with not only a diverse range of families in our community through providing casual supports, parenting education and protection services, but also to collaborate with various organizations, small business, and resources. It allowed me to really get to know this community that I now call home. I also worked as the Brandon representative for EVA Manitoba organizing the Silent Witness Event in town. 

Once I become pregnant with my daughter and the pandemic hit, I needed to work from home while caring for her and I also craved a creative outlet which lead to my husband and I opening an online clothing boutique. This direction was very different from social work I know, but is important to share as I feel we all have various passions and we should follow them, regardless of how alike or similar they may appear …which we may see some overlap of fashion and mental health here in the near future! 

Since opening the store, living through covid and having a baby (who is now 5) I realized just how passionate I felt about family dynamics and mental health and how much I missed doing this work. Fortunately for me I met Lu one day and she and Jenny inspired and encouraged me to do the work that I felt passionate about and I couldn’t be more excited to work with this group of humans, or more grateful for the opportunity at Lighthouse Wellness.