Charity Fleming is an Indigenous social worker who is passionate about delivering inclusive and culturally-responsive services to Indigenous communities and to people of diverse identities and cultural contexts.
As an intergenerational survivor of residential schools and the Sixties Scoop, Charity has dedicated her life to supporting Indigenous peoples’ recovery from the experiences and impacts of historical trauma.
While working in Six Nations, Charity identified early on the barriers to service that Indigenous people face, and created a place where mental health services are provided directly in the Six Nations community of Ohsweken.
She has developed this dream into a busy office where 20 highly-skilled professionals provide mental health services to 400 clients each year, not only locally, but also to clients in remote communities in northern Ontario, and in Quebec and British Columbia.
Charity believes strongly in the concept of Two-Eyed Seeing, which integrates Western and Indigenous concepts and ways of knowing. As the co-owner of Qualia Counselling Services, she works tirelessly to create spaces, programs, courses, clinical encounters and knowledge that embody this critical concept.
Notably, Charity also developed the course entitled Mikwendaagwad: It is Remembered - Sacred Circle CBT, which is a culturally-responsive approach to CBT. Offered through the Faculty of Social Work’s Professional Development Program at Wilfrid Laurier University, the course has become nationally and internationally recognized.
In her mentorship of frontline professionals, doctors, educators, psychotherapists and social workers, Charity’s energy and vision are infectious. Every day, she inspires her students and colleagues through her imagination, perseverance and dedication.