Amy Meerdink

Counsellor

Amy is one of the newest members to the Cowichan Family Caregivers support team. Her background is in social work. She graduated in 2003 with her Bachelors in Social Work and is currently completing her Masters in Social Work. While she spent the first few years post graduation working to support families in Child Protection she has worked the last 7 years in the health care system as a hospital social worker and a long term care social worker. Amy entered the field of social work because of her interest in social justice and believes very strongly in every individuals right to resources and equality. She believes in being involved in community and is excited to be a part of the Family Caregivers Society as it aligns with her value of individuals supporting one another within the community context.

In her personal life, Amy is very involved with her family. She is currently raising 4 young children and is involved with the lifestyle that brings, although she still struggles with 6 am hockey games. Her family is very enthusiastic about the outdoors and they spend a lot of time together camping, hiking and even backpacking. She is working hard to raise little people who will appreciate and respect the environment as much as she. To this end, Amy practices a vegetarian lifestyle and supports community initiatives that work to create sustainability at the community level. Amy enjoys practicing Bikram's hot yoga in her own time and catching up with friends over a plate of nachos.

Amy is driven in both her personal and professional life by compassion for people and the importance of relationships. She works hard to invest in her relationships and believes that everyone has a set of strengths. She believes that when these strengths are supported through resources and interconnected relationships, people can realize their potential and reach their various capacities.