What groups are saying.
We engaged Shila's services during a time of difficulty and we could not have made a better decision. Shila was kind and thoughtful with all parties, professional, and resolved the issue skillfully. Even through complex and emotional conversations, her kindness and talent for determining a clear path forward never faltered.
— Board of Directors - Choirs for Change
Shila and Allison are engaging and knowledgeable presenters. The restorative approaches they shared in the training are an important step in transforming the work that we do on campus.
— Chad Johnstone, Director, Residence & Student Life, Acadia University
Shila has helped me put things in perspective after a crisis in my community that involved me as a leader. I was able to share my deepest fears and concerns and felt supported while rebuilding my strength and healing along the way. Shila and Claudia were great communicators and organizers of a debriefing session to help our group of leaders share their most inner thoughts and feelings in order to find meaningful solutions to be able to go forward after the crisis.
— Jeanne, Board Chair - l'Exposition agricole et le Festival acadien
Shila and Claire recently developed and facilitated a virtual Bystander Training for staff of Halifax Regional Municipality. They are both skilled facilitators who truly complemented each other’s strengths and lived experiences. They created an inclusive space and combined great storytelling with the 5Ds of intervention and de-escalation to offer a learning session that was very impactful. We also appreciated that they were able to adapt their content to our organization’s needs and provided participants with a variety of ways to engage with the learning including videos and breakout discussions. We look forward to working with Shila and Claire again soon!
— Caroline Hemstock - Halifax Regional Municipality
Shila is an amazing professional who combines expertise in restorative justice and healing approaches with excellent communication skills. Shila exudes a positive energy along with compassionate understanding to encourage productive dialogue and find meaningful solutions. Shila has been working with the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia (LISNS) for over a year and her impact is invaluable. She contributes to a variety of important projects, using her skills to produce multi-media formats including videos and podcasts that are promoting better understanding between employers and marginalized groups. She has organized trauma-informed healing orientations for compassionate listeners and meaningfully manages and contributes across a variety of areas including LGBTQ+ needs, sexual harassment, domestic violence and youth issues. Shila is absolutely a value-added proposition – she is a delight to work with and impressive with the results that she delivers.
— Heather de Berdt Romilly, Executive Director - Legal Information Society NS August 2021
Shila, and her passion for the restorative approach, brings intentionality and applicability together seamlessly. I appreciate Shila’s professionalism, dependability, and dedication to projects and initiatives.
— Heather MacDonald, Executive Director- MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning
We worked with Shila as a presenter on allyship to the 2SLGBTQ+ community with a specific focus on restorative approaches. She is an absolute pleasure to work with and witness, as her wise, gentle, and compassionate nature shines through with every word. Shila is fantastic at finding and creating the delicate balance and space needed for all conversations, especially the tough ones.
— Katelyn Barker, speakers series for NSCC, event by Ally:HOW
Your services were helpful to our group. I believe without structure and your guidance we may not have been able to listen attentively to one another, some may not even have shared. Thank you for your guidance.
— M.A, a participant in a restorative debrief process
Restorative Approaches 101 is a must for everyone! We all live and work with others - so relationships are important, unavoidable, and worth understanding. Participants are supported to see relationships through a restorative lens that allows us to grow together, instead of apart, and this supports the growth of our businesses. Shila LeBlanc is a thoughtful, wise, and skilled facilitator. This is time well spent!
— Jessic MacKenzie, a participant in our Restorative 101 workshop
When I worked with Shila, I was hesitant about taking the restorative approach, as I didn’t want to interact with the other party in the conflict at all. Shila fully respected that and was clear in discussing my options. She was a compassionate listener and provided thoughtful guidance towards a resolution that worked for me, all while establishing a comfortable space for me to express my concerns.”
— C, a person who experienced sexual harassment
Truly a thought-provoking and informative workshop. I appreciated Shila's facilitation style, ability to jump start discussions, examples drawn from her experiences, and information presented in a simple yet well communicated manner.
— A participant in the Restorative Approach 101 workshop
I initially blamed myself for creating the situation. Working with Shila really helped me move forward and unpack [the situation] in a way that reaffirmed that I shouldn’t blame myself. She is easy to talk to and I could feel her compassion throughout our discussion. Shila takes a lot of care to listen intently and creates a safe space for discussion. She was very professional and created a path forward that I was happy with. I feel fortunate to have had Shila to guide me.
— Anna P, a person who experienced sexual harassment
