Survival to Sovereignty: Reclaiming Safety, Agency & Meaning from Chronic Stress, Illness & Medical Trauma

I support individuals and healthcare teams in understanding the lived impact of illness, medical trauma and chronic stress. Through embodied & trauma-informed practices, I support people in rebuilding trust with their bodies and re-engaging with their lives beyond diagnosis

Work with me

Trusted by healthcare organizations, patient groups and care teams:

imgbin_d8f6d9e765bfe753706e6c04bca19398.png
SH-MSH-JWLHC_RGB.png
Horizontal_Tagline.webp
a54957fad23d4ace17ee9ab523e9d834da55ace1_logo.png
images.png
HEALTHeMATTERS_RGB.jpg
gildas-club-greater-toronto-intro-logo.png
mcibd-logo.png

Many people who live with chronic disease experience fear, vigilance, pain and disconnection.

I know this experience personally and professionally.

My work sits at the intersection of lived experience, clinical insight, and embodied practice. I help people understand why their nervous system is responding the way it is and how to gently rebuild safety, trust, and agency in their body. This creates space for new ways of living and relating to take shape over time.

This work may be for you if:

  • You’ve survived illness or medical treatment but don’t feel at ease in your body

  • You live with chronic illness and feel anxious, exhausted, or disconnected

  • You feel defined by the role of “patient” and want to reconnect with who you are beyond diagnosis

  • You feel behind in life, unsure how to approach relationships, work and identity after illness

  • You are a healthcare provider who wants to support yourselves and your patients from an integrative perspective

Your well-being is not something to “fix”. This process is one of integration: understanding how your body adapted to survive, honouring that intelligence and creating new pathways towards safety, choice and meaning.

This work is trauma-informed, evidence-based and deeply human. It complements medical care and recognizes that health is not only shaped by biology, but by experience, identity and relationships.

Ways to Work Together

  • Embodied, trauma-informed programs and one-to-one support for people navigating illness, medical trauma, or life after diagnosis.

  • Education, workshops, and consulting that bring the patient’s lived experience into multidisciplinary, integrative, and patient-centered care.

Explore services

  • "Thank you for your participation speaking at our IBD conference. You set a perfect tone, got everyone back to thinking about patients and they loved it! You kicked the whole day off perfectly."

    —Mary Sanner, Fusion MD Medical Science Network

  • "Montana is a very warm, compassionate wellness coach that truly cares about your wellbeing and provides an affordable and structured format to help you find solutions to any issues negatively impacting your mental and physical health. I believe that working with Montana over 6 weeks to find solutions and break them down into small achievable goals helped increase my self confidence and belief in myself to find a new group of friends where I live that I can go to for support and feel connected to the community. Thank you, Montana, for your help and support during this difficult time of my life to help me find myself and my new tribe!"

    —Nancy Lee

  • "Thank you Montana! I received lots of feedback from the attendees about how much they learned and how great a speaker you were. Looking forward to hearing you present again."

    Dr. Vivian Huang, Mount Sinai Hospital

  • "We loved having you as part of our Oncology Caregiver Day! We appreciate your participation in the event and the warm & restorative dimension you added to the day"

    —Fiona Penny & David Brownstone, SickKids

  • “Montana’s biweekly yoga classes give our team a necessary moment to reflect and wind down from their busy work days. Her classes are welcoming, encouraging, and accessible to all. Thank you Montana for getting us out of our desks and giving us a moment to stretch, strengthen, and practice mindfulness.”

    —Managing Matters Inc.

  • "I just wanted to send a quick note to thank you again for starting off my wedding day with such a wonderful yoga class. I loved your focus on the heart during the flow, and about how the heart needs strength and balance. It was so wonderful looking out into the trees as the sun peeked behind them, and even though it was early, it really helped me get into the right headspace for the day! Thank you for being a part of my most special day. I would tell someone who is considering incorporating a yoga/meditation practice into their celebration or transition that it really helps center the mind, body, and spirit, and helps prepare one for entering this milestone."

    —Amanda Freedman

  • “Montana’s yoga classes are thoughtful, engaging, and truly one-of-a-kind. Her virtual yoga class for myself and 8 friends made my birthday special, fun, and easy to plan. I highly recommended Montana for any of your virtual or in-person yoga needs!”

    —Astrid Marschall

  • "I listened to your podcast interview and it was amazing! The interview really made all my feelings around this experience completely validated so thank you! The podcast made me feel completely understood in my feelings... I am thankful that there are other people who feel exactly the same and can relate to my experience so thank you for much!"

    —S. L.

  • "I recently watched your Youtube video, Healing from Within: Somatic Embodiment in Cancer Care, I responded deeply to your distinction between 'cured' and 'healed', as it was the first time to hear this truth verbalized about cancer care and the treatments involved. I could feel your integrity around your own experience with cancer care and found it most impressive and positive that you have harnessed your situation and are now able to educate and support others."

    —L. M.

  • "Thank you so much for your thought-provoking and valuable contributions, Montana! I’ve seen so far looks outstandingly important. So thrilled with our work together!"

    Dr. Ariel Lefkowitz, Sunnybrook Hospital