Larissa Kornelsen, Action Therapy

Larissa Kornelsen is a happily married mother to 6 children, foster parent, community volunteer, and Action Therapist. 

She possesses a playful nature in her work with young people that helps guide flourishing childhood development. Her life experience of becoming a young mother while still in high school has helped guide her professional life working with children and youth. Larissa has a strong passion to help youth involved in teenage pregnancy programs navigate through this life change by modelling self-empowerment and healthy parent-child attachment. She has extensive involvement in high school outreach programs such as comprehensive sex education and prenatal programs.

Larissa’s acquisition of knowledge reflects both Western and Indigenous way of knowing through formal education and training, lived experiences and relationships with others. She has been in a variety of helping positions that have evolved over the past 14 years based on her location, family situation, passion, strengths and abilities. Areas of interest include child development, child welfare, and rural and northern access to services. Her vast volunteer and work experiences include: Early Childhood Educator, Child and Family Service Worker, house parent to Northern Non-Resident students, foster parent, facilitator/educator, coach, parent advisory committee, and Action Therapist.

As an Action Therapist, Larissa operates from a strength based, relational approach and incorporates play, expressive arts, community engagement and ceremony into her work with youth. Over the past 15 years Larissa has been exploring her Indigenous/Metis culture and forming a deeper connection with her ancestral roots. She loves to attend powwows and engage in conversation with Elders with traditional teachings. Larissa can be found participating with youth at sweats and promoting wellbeing through spiritual connection. Knowing the benefits of attending ceremony herself, she encourages community members regardless of background/beliefs to participate, even if just as an observer.