Meet Janelle

Book a free meet & greet call for the 7 session Grief Recovery Method program

Serving clients online and in Leduc, AB & area

Intentional Connections Wellness Services

Janelle Pozerniuk, Certified Advanced Grief Recovery Method® Specialist

My Grief Story

I’m a griever, too.

My experiences with grief and loss throughout my life have been incredibly varied.

It actually wasn’t until I went through The Grief Recovery Method® in 2018 that I realized just how much grief and loss had touched my life in different ways.

I have felt the overwhelming heartbreak of pet loss(es).

I have felt the confusion and deep sadness over losing a friend to suicide.

I have felt the shame and fear of career loss.

I have felt the betrayal and hurt from loss of trust in relationships.

I have felt the disbelief and uncertainty from loss of health.

I have felt the shock and numbness of finding out someone close to me has died.

I have felt the excitement and dread of moving to new places.

All of these life events were experiences of grief and I wish I knew at the time that all of these things deserved space for feeling my emotions and not running from them.

I would have been much more gentle with myself, and my wish now is to help others understand grief on a deeper level and learn the tools needed to heal and feel emotionally complete.

Education & Certifications

Bachelor of Child and Youth Care Degree from MacEwan University (2015)
Child and Youth Care Counsellor Certification through Child and Youth Care Association of Alberta (2019)
Trauma-Informed Care modules through Alberta Health Services (2019)
Certified Grief Recovery Specialist® (2022)
Advanced Certified Grief Recovery Specialist® (2022)
Somatic Experiencing Beginning l, ll & III certification (2023)
Somatic Experiencing Intermediate I & II certification (2024)

My Professional Background

Long-time Helper of humans

I have been fortunate enough to work with children, youth, and families in various capacities for the last 12 years.

I've known since I was a little girl that I wanted to help others and be a counsellor. I began babysitting children at the age of 12 and kept going from there by working every summer at camps!

I graduated from MacEwan University in 2015 with my Bachelor of Child and Youth Care.

In that time, I had really insightful and amazing experiences with practicums at The Boys & Girls Club, Yellowhead Youth Centre, and The Family Centre all located in Edmonton.

After graduating, I worked at Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch for a year, and then started working as a Family Wellness Coordinator at a local non-profit agency.

After three and a half years of working with families, I decided to switch paths to focus on youth counselling.

I worked in a private psychologist's office in Edmonton for two and a half years doing youth counselling in the community and I really loved it!

Throughout the pandemic, I couldn't help but notice how grief appeared to be everywhere and that it was something that did not seem to be understood, or even talked about, much.

Even after going through The Grief Recovery Method® years before, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was meant to focus on Grief work and support others with this incredible tool.

I was so very lucky to connect with Ashley Mielke, the Founder of The Grief and Trauma Healing Centre in Edmonton, and receive training from her to become a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®.

Right after that training, I knew I had made the right decision and continued on to complete the Advanced Certification so that I could walk with, and support, grievers online anywhere.

Thank you so much for reading my story!

The Intentional Connections Story

the Name

Intentional Connections was brought to life at the end of 2021, after noticing that due to the pandemic, connections everywhere were lacking for so many people, and it seemed to be much more difficult for those connections to be made in the first place.

I had a deep desire to support those around me and others that were seeking connection and healing.

I started to see that grief and loss had become so much more prevalent in that time as well, so I decided to become certified as a Grief Recovery Specialist.

Intentional: An action performed with awareness; done deliberately, conciously, on purpose.

Connection: The energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship. (Brené Brown)

the vision

My focus is to help individuals grow, heal, and become aware of past conditioning related to loss.

I achieve this by providing a safe, therapeutic space, listening intently to your story, and walking you through the actions of grief recovery.

the Why

Everyone has a story, and everyone’s story is worthy of being shared and listened to.

I don’t believe anyone should have to struggle with grief and loss alone.

Everyone deserves to learn the tools to recover from heartache.