Culturally grounded wellness for Black communities

Danita is currently a Senior Assessor, peer reviewer, and consultant with the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute and the Viola Desmond Justice Institute. She is also a family court assessor with the Nova Scotia provincial courts, a Director with the Nova Scotia School Counsellors Association, a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), a Registered Counselling Therapist (Candidate), an educator, and a speaker. She continues to lead transformative conversations in various capacities on racial trauma, mental health, self-care, and community wellness.

As Founder and Director of Three Wave Wellness and her own private practice, Kaieteur Wellness, Danita is committed to creating accessible spaces where people can feel seen, supported, and empowered to prioritize their mental health and well-being. She brings together clinical knowledge, lived experience, education, and a deep commitment to community to help Three Wave Wellness grow as a space for healing, wellness, and connection.

Courtney has a deep passion for strengthening Black communities and creating opportunities for healing, wellness, connection, and growth. As an African Nova Scotian clinician and descendant of Africville, she understands the importance of mental health and wellness supports that recognize culture, community, identity, and lived experience. Her work is grounded in honouring the strengths and resilience that have always existed within Black communities while addressing the impacts of racism, historical and intergenerational trauma, and systemic inequities.

As Founder, Director and Treasurer of Three Wave Wellness Association and Founder of Sturrup Counselling & Consulting Ltd., Courtney is committed to helping build accessible, culturally grounded spaces where Black individuals, families, and communities can heal, connect, and thrive. She brings clinical experience, community leadership, advocacy, and a strong commitment to strengthening the Black community through collective wellness and meaningful connection.

With professional experience spanning mental health, child and family services, education, and justice, Raytia brings a multidisciplinary and culturally responsive perspective to her work. She is a Senior Impact of Race and Culture Assessment (IRCA) Assessor with specialized experience in forensic assessment and report writing, having provided leadership in the development and implementation of IRCA practice in Nova Scotia. Raytia provides culturally informed clinical consultation and support to community-based programs.

As the owner of Turnleaf Counselling and Consulting Services, Raytia is committed to creating spaces where mental health and wellness are approached through culturally responsive, strengths-based, and community-centred practices. She works collaboratively with community organizations and partners to develop and support initiatives that strengthen mental health, wellness, and family and community connections.

At the heart of Raytia's work are her faith and her recognition that stories matter: creating space for stories to be told, voices to be heard, and people to explore how the stories they carry inform their understanding of themselves and their communities. Her person-centred, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive approach honours identity, culture, spirituality, resilience, and lived experience, while creating opportunities to revisit, reframe, and re-author the stories that influence how we see ourselves and our possibilities.

Raytia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Arts in Human Resource Management, and a Master of Education in Counselling.