BLOG BIO: Before getting involved in death and dying, Sandra worked as a Consultant Herbalist. She started to study herbs in her early 20s, became certified as a reflexologist, and began practicing meditation by her mid-20s. Sandra helped found a community-centered, non-profit organization called the Healing Exchange, and spear-headed alternative health fairs and an educational speaker series to inspire and educate the general public. She also began her lifelong study and practice of process-oriented psychology, while administering two grant projects at the Art Therapy School in Victoria, B.C.
Sandra met her husband, well-known, Pacific Northwest, herbal teacher and mentor, Don Ollsin, in 1987 and together they were blessed with the great good fortune of being taught and mentored (and married) by one of the last traditional Coast Salish elders, the late, venerable Dr. Ellen White (1922-2018). Ellen's sacred teachings deeply continue to influence both of their healing philosophies and intercultural shamanic teachings and practices.
During her early 30s, Sandra worked as a professional Herbalist specializing in women and children's health. She managed their family-run herbal apothecary and store, Self Heal Herbs, in Victoria, B.C. (which they sold in 1994, and is still in operation), while seeing clients, teaching classes privately and at the college level, and raising a family. She was also the administrator for and teacher in Don's popular Herbal Healing Journey workshops and intensives. Sandra continued her daily practice of writing, while completing two years of formal, distance training through a writing institute in the US., as well as completing two years of Toastmaster training to hone both her writing and public speaking skills.
By her late-30s Sandra entered the field of death and dying. She trained first through Victoria Hospice, serving for five years on the unit doing advanced spiritual and emotional care and in the bereavement department supporting the bereaved. During this time she also became certified by Doug Manning as a Funeral Celebrant and began offering end-of-life ritual and healing work. During the next eight years Sandra performed death midwifery work, assisted others in planning their own funeral services, and researched, wrote and facilitated over 200 end-of-life services for individuals and families in and around Greater Victoria and on Vancouver Island. Sandra worked with funeral homes and directors, and related organizations, earning respect for her high quality services.
In her 40s Sandra completed her BA degree, and by the age of 50 had earned a MA in Intercultural & International Communication (specializing in interfaith communication within the context of dying, death, and bereavement). Her award-winning, multi-modal Master's thesis focuses on communication perspectives of female funeral celebrants in B.C. working with people in grief-induced liminal states of consciousness. Her research confirmed her own experience of performing this sacred work, and complemented her cumulative healing knowledge and experience in helping others.
Sandra has presented her thesis research and various other related talks at a number of academic conferences, has participated as a presenter at one of Victoria Hospice's annual Spiritual Care Conferences, and has taught numerous workshops on death and dying.
In 2014 Sandra and Don began building a small, straw bale home in the Southern Gulf Islands, completing it in 2016. Since then, Sandra continues to research and work on the book she is writing about working as an end-of-life specialist.
Sandra & Don happily live together surrounded by fir, cedar and arbutus trees. Here, they continue their respective healing, mentoring and teaching work, collaborating several times each year during their Intercultural Shamanism & Plant Spirit Medicine series of classes that they teach together.