Faith Richardson
- About Faith Richardson -
Author Faith Richardson is a confirmed, non-recovering 'bookaholic'. Early favorites were the Enid Blyten 'Adventure' Series, Trixie Beldon and Cherry Ames, the Nesbit stories, and, later, Madeleine L'Engle's and L. M. Montgomery's novels. Today, her bedside reading has returned again and again to the works of authors who have influenced her most profoundly: stories by C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and George Macdonald.
As a young author, she was privileged to be mentored by Madeleine L'Engle (author of Newbery Award winner, A Wrinkle in Time) and to assist her in Writer's Workshops at Regent College, Vancouver School of Theology, and Oxford College.
Along with books, pets have always filled her life: horses and ponies, a donkey, goats, dogs, cats, birds, fish, and guinea pigs . . . a few of those species now make their home at Fox Song Farm.
Faith's doctorate is in nursing practice (DNP). Her doctoral research was in gerontology and Positive Ageing. She is a Registered Nurse, with a practice background as a Family Nurse Practitioner, seeing a wide variety of people of all ages, including those who have been less-than-satisfied with only a prescription focus. As an Ecotherapist, Health & Wellness Counselor/mentor, and Life Coach through Kindle Health, Faith continues to work with people would like to explore natural and creative ways of managing chronic disease and other health and wellness concerns, such as perimenopausal symptoms, situational anxiety, sadness and depression, life, ageing, and career transitions, and professional burn-out, including creative blocks. Faith utilizes a variety of therapeutic modalities, including HeartMath, applied kinesiology, and Equine-facilitated Wellness to help people re-kindle joy, passion, and a purpose-rich life.
Faith's practice and books grow out of a tradition of healing arts: story and medicine and a nature connection.
"Stories reach to the deepest part of us; stories are how we order our lives and the world around us. Is it any wonder that healing can occur through the telling of our story, our life?"
Brief Bio ...
Dr. Faith Richardson, DNP RN, a clinician with an academic and research background, has developed and taught courses in undergraduate and graduate programs (Nursing, Counseling Psychology), including advanced practice (CNS) gerontology. Her doctoral dissertation research involved an Action Research project with the aim of increasing voice in practice with older adults in Assisted Living and Residential Care. Previous research and scholarship focused on promoting positive ageing. Although positive ageing continues to be a grounding focus, current scholarship and writing has encompassed well-being throughout the life span through natural and creative therapeutic activities. Faith also has an MA from Regent College, Vancouver, with a focus on spirituality and an interdisciplinary approach to deep joy, connection with soul and spirit, and authentic well-being.
Dr. Richardson is an Equine-facilitated-Wellness provider practicing as an Ecotherapist and Registered Nurse professional (Family Nurse Practitioner background), a PSYCH-KTM preferred affiliate, and a HeartMathTM and Life Coach, she offers health and wellness counseling, and coaching/mentoring to individuals and groups. Issues of particular focus include:
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Coping and flourishing through life span and life stage transitions (adolescence, change in career or family roles),
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Grief and loss, and caregiver fatigue,
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Perimenopausal wellness,
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Retirement and ageing issues,
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Self-management of life-altering health conditions,
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Stress reduction therapeutic activities
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Collaborative Leadership and Communication-related concerns in organizations.
Interventions include influences by Timeslips, SoulCollage, reflective writing and expressive art, Equine Facilitated Wellness and other nature connections, HeartMathTM, and applied kinesiology (PSYCH-KTM). Faith counsels as an ecotherapist partnering with nature and equines. She embraces both person-centered and narrative (story) perspectives within an appreciative inquiry framework.
Wellbeing and working with animals.
The philosophy of wellbeing that Fox Song and Kindle Health holds is one that acknowledges connection with Creation and fellow-creatures. We learn many lessons about wellness through nature, and in particular through socially-structured groups, such as horse herds. 'Herd' manifests as collaborative mutuality with present-moment living. There is joy in living fully aligned and connected--within our self and among our family, friends and colleagues. We begin to see ourselves mirrored in our herd partners.
Within ourselves, we look to the connected mutuality of body and soul, heart and mind in the four pillars of wellness: purpose, balance, congruence, sustainability (Stinson, 2013).
Connecting to our external herd through collaborative communication, we weave in the threads of appreciation, altruism, and presence-ing. The four wellness pillars (purpose, balance, congruence, sustainability) manifest-in-the-moment, promoting well-being that embodies connection.
Our animals are appreciated as sentient partners. We seek to provide them with an environment that promotes their own well-being and we include them respectfully in our work, striving to move toward mutuality in decision-making.
Faith & Puck!
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