Healing through connection, culture, and courage.

land-based, justice-oriented, and ancestral-spiritual healing centering racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, disabled, and neurodivergent communities

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welcome to Astamahstēk

In the Ininímowin (swampy cree, n-dialect) language, astamahstēk, means 'being in the sunshine'. 

As you enter this space, you will be embraced by the sun's rays and encouraged to step into the warmth of your own light.

Meet Janae. Our Founder & Counsellor

I’m Janae Dunlop (they/she) a 2SIQ (Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer), neuroexpansive (audhd, c-ptsd), and disabled counsellor deeply rooted in my mixed nēhinaw (Fisher River Cree Nation), japanese, and Afro- and scottish-jamaican heritages. Through my work with astamahstēk, I bring culturally-informed, trauma-aware, and decolonial practices to healing.

My approach integrates Indigenous ways of knowing, land-based teachings, and somatic awareness to support reconnection to body, spirit, lineage, and community.

This is a journey of remembering: remembering who you are amidst survival, pain, and burdens that were never yours to carry. We honour your resilience while creating space for liberation, enabling you to step into the power you have always held.

Astamahstēk is more than therapy. it’s a return to balance.

Healing requires a holistic approach. At  astamahstēk, we honour the mind, body, heart, and spirit.

We weave Indigenous ways of knowing, and cultural resurgence, with justice-oriented care to create a space where you're invited to bring your whole self.

What Makes Astamahstēk Different

Astamahstēk Counselling and Liberation offers therapy and healing that moves beyond Western frameworks to centre justice, cultural identity, and embodied healing.

Our work is grounded in the belief that healing happens through connection—with self, ancestors, land, and community.

We combine counselling methodologies, spiritual guidance, and body-based practices to support people navigating trauma, identity, burnout, grief, and transformation.

Core Values:

  • Rooting in lineage-based, Indigenous and decolonial teachings.

  • Inclusivity and intersectionality.

  • Cultural-safety, relationality, and collaboration.

  • Empowerment, embodiment, and liberation.

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“You should be able to bring your whole self to your session; your identities, your spirituality, even the parts you don’t yet accept. All of you is welcome here.”


- Janae Dunlop

Offerings

Your whole self belongs  Whether you’re seeking one-on-one counselling, an affirming hormone readiness assessment, or the collective power of group work, my practice is rooted in justice, liberation, and ancestral connection.

Hormone Readiness Assessments

Affirming and justice-oriented support for your gender journey. Our thorough assessments honour your autonomy and lived-experience. Receive the support, clarity, and report you need to take the next step in your process.

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Groups & Workshops

Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. Join sacred spaces where we process grief, reclaim ancestral traditions, and build trust in community through somatic tools and collective wisdom.


Individual Counselling

Move beyond traditional talk therapy. We create sacred space for your body, spirit, and lived-experience, guiding you into deep transformation and reconnection with your intuition and inherent power.

Currently Offering:

The Black Ancestral Healing Collective

Ready for depth?

You've been doing the healing work. You've tried other forms of therapy, but they never truly felt like a fit. You've reached a point of readiness and are seeking a transformation that honours your life experience. With this work, we move past just talking about what you're facing. 

At astamahstēk, we do things differently:

  • We honour your culture, spirit, and complexity.
  • We slow down.
  • We listen deeply.
  • We heal with you.

Stop feeling stuck at the surface and achieve the profound shifts you've been seeking.

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