CSAC employs an Executive Director, a Community Programs & Intake Manager, a Bookkeeper, and two dedicated Registered Counseling Therapists. Our organization is led by a group of volunteers who sit on the Board of Directors, and advise on the programs and services we provide in our communities.
Alana Weatherbee – Executive Director – director@colchestersac.ca
Alana is the new Executive Director at Colchester Sexual Assault Centre, bringing a strong commitment to social justice, trauma-informed practice, and survivor-centred advocacy. With over a decade of experience in human services and more than eight years working in harm reduction, Alana has dedicated her career to supporting people through some of life’s most difficult moments while challenging stigma and creating more compassionate communities.
Alana has served on executive boards for several local organizations, including the Lotus Centre for Women, Third Place Transition House, and the Truro Pride Society. Through this work, she has strengthened community connections and advocated for equity, inclusion, and the rights to all individuals.
Drawing from both professional experience and lived experience, Alana brings a deep understanding of the importance of listening to and uplifting the voices of those most impacted by sexualized violence. She is passionate about ensuring survivors of gender-based violence, sexualized violence and other marginalized communities have access to support, dignity, and meaningful opportunities for healing.
Known for her warmth and authentic approach, Alana is dedicated to building safer communities where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard.
Outside of her advocacy work, Alana is a passionate artist who loves exploring creativity through many different mediums, including creating one of a kind Lino prints, illustrations, and trying new artistic forms. She finds inspiration in nature, spending time outdoors, and being in or near the water. Much of her free time is spent with her beloved dogs, Wagyu and Shelayleigh, and her cat, Middleman, who keep her company through all of life’s adventures. Her creativity, curiosity, and connection to the world around her are reflections of the same compassion she brings to her work and community.
Lindsey Dryden – Community Programs & Intake Manager– info@colchestersac.ca
Lindsey is the Community Programs and Intake Manager at CSAC. She holds a Diploma in Social Services from Nova Scotia Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Saint Mary’s University. With nearly a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, she has developed extensive expertise in program coordination, client intake, and community-based service delivery.
Throughout her career, Lindsey has worked alongside marginalized and vulnerable populations in a variety of community settings. Her professional experience includes working as a Support Worker in a Small Options Home, where she provided person-centered support to individuals with diverse and complex needs. She also has experience applying harm reduction principles in practice, recognizing the importance of meeting people where they are and supporting their health, safety, and autonomy without judgment.
Lindsey is committed to providing compassionate, person-centred, and trauma-informed support while ensuring individuals can access services in a respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment. She is passionate about strengthening community connections and fostering meaningful relationships built on empathy, dignity, and trust. Through her work, Lindsey strives to create positive outcomes for individuals while contributing to the continued growth and impact of CSAC’s programs and services.
Marilyn Ebsary – Bookkeeper
COUNSELLING THERAPISTS
Theresa Robertson – Counselling Therapist – trobertson@colchestersac.ca
Theresa is a graduate of Acadia University, holding Master’s degrees in Counselling and Education. She is a Registered Counselling Therapist (RCT) with the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists (NSCCT), a Certified Grief Therapist, and a Certified Level 2 Trauma Therapist. She also draws on more than 25 years of experience in providing counselling, education, and advocacy related to sexual violence, gender-based violence, trauma, grief, and other complex life experiences.
Throughout her career, Theresa has supported children, youth, adults, and families navigating the impacts of trauma and violence. She understands that experiences of gender-based violence can affect far more than the moment itself, shaping how we feel in our bodies, how we relate to others, how we see ourselves, and how safe we feel in the world. Theresa’s approach is trauma-informed, client-centered, compassionate, and mindfulness-based.
She believes that therapy should be a place where you feel safe enough to be yourself, without judgment or pressure to share more than you are ready to. She recognizes that many of the thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and protective responses that can feel overwhelming or difficult may have developed as ways of coping with experiences that were, at the time, simply too much to carry. Rather than asking, “What is wrong with you?”, Theresa approaches therapy with curiosity and compassion, asking, “What happened to you, and what do you need now?” Together, you can begin to understand your experiences, strengthen your sense of safety and choice, and develop tools that support healing and emotional regulation.
Theresa uses an integrative approach, drawing from Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (T-CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Parts Work, Play Therapy, Somatic approaches, and Mindfulness-based interventions. These approaches are thoughtfully adapted to your individual needs, goals, and pace. Therapy does not require you to have all the answers, and healing is rarely a straight line. Theresa’s role is to walk alongside you with warmth, curiosity, and genuine respect for your story.
Her goal is not simply to reduce distress, but to help you reconnect with yourself, develop a greater sense of safety and empowerment, and move toward a life that feels meaningful, authentic, and your own.
Nicole Johnston – Counselling Therapist – nwilliams@colchestersac.ca
Nicole is a graduate of Yorkville University, holding a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology. She is a Registered Counselling Therapist (RCT) with certifications in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, as well as Play Therapy.
Nicole began her career working directly with youth in the foster care system, where she developed an interest in supporting those impacted by trauma. She saw first-hand the impacts that trauma and abuse had on children and families, and how experiences can shape the way an individual responds to others, the world at large, and themselves. She also experienced how trauma and abuse can impact an individual’s neuroception (perceived and felt safety), and how difficult it can be for these individuals to recognize and trust cues of safety both internally and externally. She took this foundational experience with her as she pursued her education in the clinical side of trauma treatment and support. Nicole has focused the bulk of her career working with populations impacted by domestic violence, sexual violence, and childhood adverse experiences.
Following completion of her Master’s degree, Nicole went on to gather further education and certification in working with children under the age of 13, utilizing Play Therapy. Nicole also completed her certification in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). Nicole uses an integrative, trauma-informed approach, drawing from these interventions, as well as practices from Polyvagal theory, Parts Work, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Nicole offers clients her knowledge in evidence-based practices as a way to enhance their pre-existing resources, strengths, and self-expertise. She aims to collaborate in a way that’s helpful for you, tailored to your individual needs and degree of readiness.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE:
Chair – Deb Pryor (Town of Truro, Councilor Ward 3 and East End Community Association)
Vice-Chair – David McKillip (Retired, Education and Consulting)
Treasurer – Nancy Brenton (Childcare)
Secretary – Susan Henderson (Canadian Mental Health Association – CEH Branch)
MEMBERS-AT-LARGE:
Jeanine Clague (Retired, Dietician)
Christine Blair (Municipality of Colchester, Mayor)
Jeff Lynds (Royal lepage, Real Estate Agent)
Cathy Hinton (Town of Truro, Mayor)
Karen Wade (Real Estate and Property Management)
