About Nicolle Nattrass
In all the work I do,
I strive to honor, connect and inspire
This website is a culmination of my professional expertise and skills developed along these distinct career paths:
Professional Counseling
Nicolle’s counseling expertise, began in 2007 when she received her certification as an Addiction Counselor (CAC II) with Canadian Council of Professional Certification. She encourages & guide clients to discover their own creative capacity in her Creative Journaling Courses.
Professional Theatre
Nicolle’s theatre expertise, spans a 30 year career where she worked and continues to work professionally as an Actor (CAEA/UBCP), Playwright (PGC), Director, Dramaturg and Theatre Instructor.
Learn more about my Creative Journaling Courses
THE COMMON DENOMINATORS IN BOTH MY PROFESSIONS:
LISTENING & CONNECTING THROUGH STORY
I am a proud Alumna of the University of Victoria with a BFA in Theatre, Acting Specialization (1991). After completion of my degree, I started my apprenticeship to become a professional actor. I performed across Canada in regional theatres as well as film/tv and radio.
Through those years of performing professionally, I learned the power and technique of sharing stories through a character and their impact on an audience. Bringing other playwrights’ words to life inspired me to write my own work, to explore my voice as a playwright giving voice to stories that I felt compelled to tell. I started to write one woman shows, full length plays and comedy shows.
Along the way as I continued to audition, perform and write, I began to teach Theatre workshops to share what I knew and to step into encouraging others to follow their journey as an artist. To connect within.
In between juggling part-time jobs, auditions and performing I looked around one day and realized a need to expand my world, step out of my comfortability zone and venture outside of the world of the Theatre.
I began volunteering at a Women’s treatment centre (Alcohol/drug addiction) in downtown Toronto. There I was, surrounded by stories of struggle and I listened. After a year of volunteer work, the manager invited me into their clinical supervised training where I was trained to listen to the story of addiction, to locate the pain in the individual and the effects on the family specifically with an ear to hoping to hear these unspoken stories. After over four years of clinical supervised training and courses I received my certification.
While working front line in addictions, I used my writing and creativity to ground me in my own self-care and I could see how this might help others in the helping profession. I created a course Creative Journaling: Self-Care for the Helping Professional (Approved by the Canadian Addictions Counselor Certification Federation) and began to use Journaling with clients in recovery as well, CJ: The Promises of Recovery.
Combining my creative and professional skills has grown into supporting all helping professionals through journaling, new writers, mentoring actors, creating and designing courses, workbooks, mentoring & teaching, providing individual and group facilitation and into co-creating a retreat with Tina Overbury called Live Your Best Story.
“I am fully in my element when I am helping others to Connect to their STORY within, whether it be personally, artistically or professionally.”
To request a Curriculum Vitae/specific resume,
contact Nicolle directly.