Elders say give back so others can heal

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Lyle Willier says he goes where he's needed. And since he started Four Directions Consulting a year-and-a-half ago, Willier has been needed across Canada.

Four Directions Consulting offers workshops on the medicine wheel teachings, grief and loss, and addictions and wellness, but the workshop Willier has been doing the most of, and the one he is bringing back to Edmonton Oct. 19 to 23, is his Inner Child workshop, which helps people work through their difficulties with childhood abuse, neglect and the trauma of their residential school experiences, problems Willier himself has had to deal with in his lifetime.

Willier believes that Aboriginal people feel more open when they come to his workshops because he's had similar painful experiences.

"A lot of people who come have been to residential school. I'm a byproduct of that. My parents have been there. A lot of people are carrying around a lot of pain, a lot of hurt."

Willier said that people can remain stuck in the past, mentally, because they haven't dealt with past trauma properly. Willier helps to guide them through their trauma in a holistic way, always keeping the teachings of the medicine wheel in mind and working to help people mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.

"It's important for us to heal because we must be on this journey of healing and wellness so we can overcome a lot of stuff that hinders us from our true potential. I don't believe that everyone has reached their true potential."

He also said many people only learn to exist, rather than really live. "I believe that people [only] exist when they stay stuck in the past, with abuse and everything that's happened to them. And this keeps them from living," said Willier. "I believe we have to heal through our own people, because we've been there, we've experienced it. We know what it's about."

Willier started out as an addictions counsellor at Poundmaker's Lodge and then trained at the Nechi Training, Research and Health Promotions Institute where he received his diploma. He started his counseling company himself and every cent he earns through his workshops goes to help him put on more workshops.

"I'm nine years into my recovery, my healing, and I do what I do because it's been given back to me. My Elders taught me that the teachings are gifts that have been given and I also have to give them back, give them back to the people so that they can have the same thing. The people can achieve it and attain it; it's right there in front of you. It's [only a matter of] how bad you want it," said Willier. "Mostly it's the Elders that taught me a lot. You can't get anything more from a book than [from] an Elder. It's all right there. They teach you these things."

Willier hopes to have his own Four Directions healing lodge someday, where people can come and receive counselling year-round. But for now, Willier is happy with what he has and happy that he can continue his own healing journey after a lifetime of alcoholism.

"I do it because I'm giving something back that's been given to me. I've waited 35 years for this, to overcome a past of childhood abuse and neglect and rejection and abandonment."

Willier is grateful that he can contribute in this way.

"In the Creator's eyes, that's who I made a commitment to, to help his people, help his children."