Val Lougheed, MEd, RSW, CCRC, MCVP, CVE, RRP, 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:
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:
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.
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.
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"
Credentials
Master of Education (M.Ed)
Registered Social Worker (R.S.W.)
Canadian Certified Rehabilitation Counsellor (C.C.R.C.)
Certified Vocational Evaluator (C.V.E.)
Registered Rehabilitation Professional (R.R.P.)
Certified Life Skills Coach
Honours and Awards
Martin Award of Excellence in the field of Sleddog Racing
Highlander of the Year, Haliburton Chamber of Commerce
Rotary Club Citizen of the Year, Minden, ON
Education and Related Professional Training
Masters of Education (2006)
Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
Bachelor of Social Work (1978) Ryerson University, Toronto, ON
Common Assessment Training (H.R.D.C.)
Facilitation Skills (Institute of Cultural Affairs)
Building Trust Relationships
Theory of Adult Education
Physical Demands Analysis Training
Social Role Valorization
Time and Stress Management Training
Management Skills Training
Life Skills Coaches' Training
Creative Job Search Techniques
Professional Memberships
Alberta and Ontario Colleges of Social Workers
Vocational Rehabilitation Association of Canada
Canadian Assessment, Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Society
Research, Writing and Training Participants say:
“The positive feedback was overwhelming. Your willingness to be involved not only provides our member and peers with valuable information but raises the overall awareness of career and or employment-related issues in our community.”
Peter Phelan & Barbara Elam, Network of Employment Services
“Our Board members agreed that the presentation was a great way to network see people and issues in a different light and revive our imaginations; a wonderful way to recharge for another busy year.”
Patti-Lynn Cheesman, Durham Regional Employment Network
Selected comments from participants:
Background
On September 9, 2003, Val Lougheed 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. Ironically, at the time of the accident, Val – Social Worker, trainer and author – had been working in the field of rehabilitation herself for 25 years, and was in her 18th year as President and CEO of Northern Lights Canada, one of the largest vocational rehabilitation companies in the country.
Val now speaks of her experiences, combining her unique perspective as a patient/client and a practitioner.
Objective
Val’s moving and inspiring story of recovery provides participants with an “insider’s” view of the experience of trauma, rehabilitation, recovery, and adjustment to a new life with physical and cognitive injuries.
Methods
Val tells her story in the narrative tradition of staying true to the events as she experienced them throughout her recovery. She presents an honest, open, and informing story about what it was really like to come back to “life” after near-death, considering aspects of pain, trauma, methods of helping, and narcotic pain killers.
This talk is based on the grounded qualitative research Val conducted on the narrative manuscript she wrote of her experiences, under the guidance of her Master’s advisor, Dr. Nancy Marlett, at the University of Calgary. Relevant theory is integrated into her story, to provide participants with a variety of perspectives into the meaning of her experiences.
Results
Participants will be filled with motivation to continue their important work as they consider:
Conclusions
Insight, inspiration, and hope. Val’s session offers profound yet practical insights, along with hope for the future, for anyone involved in the process of rehabilitation – patients/clients and practitioners.
Objective
This session, which continues on from Part One, is Val’s story of her return to work. Starting at the point of ‘discharge’ from the acute care system, participants are provided with an “insider’s view” of the experience of shifting from the position of client to practitioner, and coming to terms with permanent physical and cognitive impairments.
Methods
Once again, Val tells her story in the narrative tradition of staying true to the events as she experienced them. She traces a journey that begins with identity disintegration, drug withdrawal, pain, and physical and cognitive therapy.
Val speaks of her experiences as a client in…
This talk is based on the continuing research Val is conducting with her advisor at the University of Calgary. As with Part One, relevant theory is integrated into her story, in order to provide participants with a variety of perspectives into the meaning of her experiences.
Results
Participants will gain insights into the experience of returning to work after injury, particularly after a brain injury, as they consider:
Conclusions
Participants will be provided with a variety of different perspectives concerning the experience of returning to work, and the impact of their involvement – as a client or as a practitioner -- in such a process.
Objective
Val chronicles the first month of her recovery in order to provide participants with an “insider’s” view of the experience of trauma, rehabilitation, and recovery.
Methods
Val tells her story in the narrative tradition of staying true to the events as she experienced them. She includes some of the life lessons she has learned along the way concerning:
Results
Participants will be encouraged to think about the profound impact they can have on the process of recovery – whether it be their client’s, their colleague’s, their family member’s or friend’s, or their own.
Conclusions
Participants will be motivated to consider how the experience of recovery provides new meaning to the development of supports and services designed to help people recuperate and return to work.
"Val is not only able to "speak our language" as professionals in the field of rehabilitation, but her message is unique in that it gives the listener a perspective of what it is like to be on the receiving end of our services. Her knowledge, insights and wisdom have give me new clarity of understanding in my profession and hopefully, helped me to provide better service to my clients."
Dr. Garry Corbett, Past National President; Canadian Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (CARP/VRAC)
"Still today your name has become icon-ish here at WSIB. Person after person still approach me with kudos and profound thanks to having me/heard from you."
Roger Cecchetto, Developmental Consultant - Organizational Effectiveness Branch; Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), Ontario
"I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation. I really appreciate your open discussion of your trauma and its impact on your life. It was especially informative as I'm currently finishing a PhD in Psychology and my dissertation is focused on the impact of trauma and PTSD on intimacy in couples."
Colin Perrier, MSc, PhD Candidate Employment Research and Evaluation Analyst, Community Research, Planning, and Evaluation Team, Community Support and Research Unit; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Horrific crash inspires writer in tell-all book
It is a narrative account of [Val Lougheed’s] acute recovery from a head-on collision. It is meant to inform and hopefully inspire others -- practitioners, patients themselves, families, and friends of anyone who has sustained catastrophic injuries. (Oshawa Living, November 12, 2008)
Excerpt
The very next thing I remember is waking up in a bed in a hospital, with Caleb and Jesse, my two grown-up sons, looking at me. Everything in my field of vision was white and clean and neat. It felt nice in a very calm sort of a way. It was very, very quiet, which felt soothing, because I was so tired. The ceilings, which were also white, were really high, which gave me a good feeling of space and an airy openness that made it easy to breathe. There were shiny silver railings up on both sides of my bed, which made me feel all warm and cozy and snug. I couldn’t really move, but that didn’t concern me much.
Caleb looked directly into my eyes and, with great caring and clarity, told me that Pam and I had been in car accident and now I was in the hospital. I will never ever, in my whole life, forget the sense of calmness and peace that Caleb instilled in me at that moment...
Everything moved in slow motion for me. I couldn’t really think right, and my mind seemed to be in this dreamy fog. I sort of wanted to know what happened, but I really didn’t want to get out of my fog because it was so comfortable there and I was so tired. I eventually asked if Pam was hurt. Apparently, she was in another room with a crushed foot, some broken ribs and lots of bruises, but she would be OK. It took some time for this to register, and I think I just went back to sleep for a while or drifted into “la-la” land. Then, I asked if it was my fault. The boys said no – the collision took place in our lane – there was nothing I could do. I remember that knowing this made me feel good. Then, after another sleep break, I asked about the person who hit us. “Um…he died” one of the boys reluctantly answered, and I let this sink in for a while too.
I had no great emotion about anything Caleb and Jesse were telling me – it was just random information drifting into my comfortable white-hued fog-world. I found it sort of interesting, but I had no recollection of anything happening to me. I had not been in an accident, I was just hearing about one.
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Be Still is now being used as a text book at the University of Calgary and also at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton with under-graduate and graduate students specializing in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies.
"Thank You again for sharing the story of your accident and recovery with our University of Calgary class on Tuesday. Your honesty, your willigness to share with openness with strangers, your quiet yet powerful presence, have all been a truly valuable, moving, and inspiring learning experience. There were more people who considered your visit a highlight of the course." - Dorota Mosiewicz-Patalas, University of Calgary student
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"Not many individuals on this earth have the inspirational ability to look at the crisis of recovery with an analytical eye. Val Lougheed's analytical perspective and personal account of her journey from rehabilitation professional to patient shines a light on our fragile existence and the need to rise up, honour ourselves and our experiences, and just be still."
Nancy Brownsberger-Petrie, Haliburton, Ontario
"This book is beautifully written and truly captivating. I was not able to put it down. This is why I call "Be Still" a gift for all the people like us who wanted to understand more."
Sharon Poldaas, Calgary, Alberta
"Her powerful writing sheds light on her experiences of trauma, rehabilitation and recovery. Many friends, colleagues and students in the future will be influenced by her insight, hope and passion for living."
Dr. Anne Hughson, Director, Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
"It [is] a phenomenal piece of writing and I think it should be required reading for all rehab professionals."
Tracey Kibble, Edmonton, Alberta
"Be Still is a great book written by a wise person. The book will be an inspiration to those recovering from catastrophic injuries and all health care professionals who serve them."
Dr. Mark Ylvisaker, Professor, Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Saint Rose, Albany, New York