About Val Lougheed

Val Lougheed is Founder and President of Northern Lights Canada. When Val started Northern Lights in 1985, she had a vision of an organization that would reflect her own personal philosophy about people - all people:

  • people deserve to be listened to
  • people deserve respect
  • people deserve honesty
  • people deserve the right to order their own lives

 

Guided by her unwavering positive regard for others, Northern Lights has grown into an organization that serves over 250,000 people each year, and has been recognized in various regions for its excellent work:

  • Chamber of Commerce Bell Canada Award
  • Durham Regional Employment Network - Three-time winner of the EmployABILITY Award
  • CTV coverage of the Northern Lights Employment Resource Centre in Ottawa

 

Research, Writing, and Training

Val is a widely-respected trainer in the fields of vocational services and organizational development. Her impressive list of credentials, training programs, and publications reflects her long-standing commitment to research, innovation, and leading by example.

Trauma, Rehabilitation and Recovery

Val's current talks, Trauma, Rehabilitation and Recovery, chronicle an event that changed her life forever. In 2003, at the prime of her career, Val almost died in a head-on collision. She sustained catastrophic orthopaedic injuries and a brain injury. She spent the next five months in hospitals, and will be in active rehabilitation for the rest of her life. Val now speaks of her experiences, combining her unique perspective as a patient/client and a practitioner.

Be Still

In 2008, Val's book, Be Still - a narrative account of her recovery - was published. In her introduction, Dr. Nancy Marlett, Professor - CRDS, University of Calgary, writes:
"This powerful account stands on its own as literature. As one of the first narratives to explore the critical first two years after a catastrophic injury, it is an important addition to a growing body of narratives on health, disability and resilience that provides a bridge between disciplines, professions and persons who live with changed realities because of trauma. Perhaps, most importantly, it declares hope for those who struggle with life changing events, along with their family and friends"