PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH, GENDER & SEXUALITY STUDIES
Specializations: modern & contemporary non-canonical Canadian, American, British, commonwealth, and post-colonial world literature. women’s writing. memoir & life-writing. writing across the disciplines. intersectionality: the writing and social, cultural, and political theories & movements that bridge gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and class. experimental, avant-garde, and outsider/marginal narratives, art, and culture. critical thinking, deconstruction, feminist theory, and queer theory. women’s & gender studies. feminist philosophy, culture, and practice. LGBTQ studies. diversity & inclusion. subcultures. spirituality & interfaith conversations. experiential education. empowerment & transformation.
Research interests in addition to the above: contemporary, intersectional writing, culture, and practice that births new, progressive conversations in the areas of equality, identity, acceptance & understanding, self-expression & freedom. inclusion & belonging. human rights & social justice. women in society; critical intersections of feminist philosophy, theory, and practice. the relationship between culture, individuals, and group identity and behaviours.

WRITING AND EDITING
Writer and wordsmith: all things print & media, personal & professional. Teacher & mentor for students; writing coach for writers.
PROJECT / DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP
I work with universities, companies, and organizations to facilitate the achievement of their visions, projects & mandates. I provide innovative direction, excellent analytical, problem-solving, and research skills, superior listening, communication, and inter-personal skills, a very high level of integrity, laser clarity, collaboratively-based, inclusive partnership & leadership, professionalism & discretion, and the knowledge, skills, and energy to produce new results. My work often includes: vision & mission planning; developing & designing projects, strategic aims, and educational initiatives; building, managing, and/or maintaining diverse & highly effective teams; elevating company culture & engagement both internally & externally; creative direction; meeting project delivery and deadlines; creating & managing department accountability structures; writing & editing; facilitating & leading groups, workshop, meeting, and events; budgeting; confidential executive and diverse stakeholder communications; training, coaching & mentoring staff; company and team growth & awareness; inclusivity & diversity.
INDIVIDUAL, COUPLES, AND BUSINESS COACHING
I facilitate individuals, couples, and groups expanding their knowledge and experiencing growth, empowerment, and lasting breakthroughs. I use best practices, possibility-driven, and solution-based methods to allow for new results to show up in what’s important to you. I combine intuitive and compassionate listening with decades of knowledge, training, and experience to foster your awareness, growth, and fulfillment. I am committed to those I work with to experience themselves and their life newly and powerfully. I offer laser clarity, new tools & practices, accountability structures, and the supportive framework needed for my clients to achieve their personal and professional best.
Specialties include: identifying blindspots & blocks; achieving clarity & resolve in any issue you are “stuck” in; gaining clarity with your goals and what is authentically fulfilling; establishing new beliefs, behaviours, actions, and patterns to produce new results that empower you and transform your life; building the solid foundations of purpose, confidence, integrity and self-esteem; establishing your values and core needs and laying the groundwork to meet and fulfill on them; accountability structures & coaching to enable your goals to become reality; teaching effective, non-violent communication; connection and alignment with your highest self & source.
Specialty topics include: gender & gender identity; sexuality; sex, desires & roles; values & needs; intimacy, trust, and commitment in relationships; effective communication; establishing new beliefs, patterns, habits & behaviours; healing past trauma, pain, and/or neglect/abuse (emotional, physical, or verbal); addiction; betrayal; patterns & systems of dysfunction; confidence & self-esteem; self-care & self-love; acceptance of the self and others; goal setting & accountability structures.
Sessions are in person, via skype, telephone, and/or email. All sessions are confidential.
if you are ready to move to the next level and want new results in your life, please don’t be shy: contact me!
LEAD & FACILITATE WORKSHOPS / SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Engaging people, groups & organizations with writing and ideas that inspire, educate & enliven.
Some popular workshop topics have included:
Adult specific: Gender, Sexuality, and Relationships:
- playing with identity: celebrating gender variancy
- switching: gender, sexuality, desires & roles
- gender & sexual variancy: accepting and celebrating variancy
- understanding LGBTQ gender and sexuality
- effective communication: how to share and meet your needs & wants
- relationship communication skills
- commitment ceremonies & rituals
- the dance of partnership: embracing your masculine / feminine energy
- choosing, committing & communicating: practices for couples in building a life of loving partnership
- the languages of love: how to have you and your partner win at the game of love
- establishing and maintaining boundaries
- in times of breakdown: healing & rebuilding intimacy with your partner
- loving the goddess: how to have your lady/gal see stars
- exploring and embracing roles
- exploring desires: dominance and submission
- safe sex & making safe sex fun
For women:
- the red tent: empowering views & practices on menstruation and our moon cycles
- embracing the divine feminine for modern, awake women
- new mothers and mother blessing ceremonies
- empowered women know their bodies: self-love and discovering yourself newly
- how to be wonder woman and still let your man/partner lead
For young people and teens:
- let’s talk about sex: what you need & want to know
- grrrls get smart: from periods to parents
- empowered teens: how to communicate your needs & powerfully deal with parents & adults
- menarche and coming of age ceremonies & rituals
For parents:
- when your child becomes a teen: embracing teen-hood & how to empower your teen
- work/life balance: rekindling intimacy
- the many roles of motherhood: an empowering workshop for new moms
Writing:
- writing poetry: grade 1 – university level
- research writing
- writing across the disciplines
- notions of identity: (re)creating yourself
- memoir: writing the self, writing your life
- writing as healing: the path to self-love and discovery
- novel & memoir writing: finding your voice
- women’s writing
New Results / Educational:
- from intentions to accomplishing new results: achieving your goals
- creating new accountability structures
- diversity & inclusion: bridging our differences
- effective collaboration & communication
- addiction/recovery: hitting bottom: moving from willingness to action
- Letting go and making way for the new!
Intersectionality:
- building bridges across our differences
- intersecting conversations of gender, race, ethnicity, class, economics, sexuality, ability & religion
- the F word: everything you want to know about feminism and were afraid to ask
- women’s spaces & trans inclusion
- creating the spaces for progressive growth, awareness & mindfulness
TESTIMONIALS
Her approach is gentle, open-hearted, and non-judgemental; while still talking about the serious matters and addressing them head on and asking us the difficult questions. I found it very helpful when my partner and I were in a session together, speaking to each other or explaining our thoughts, she would stop and coach us if we said something in a hurtful manner, and show us how we could explain what was going on for us in a more compassionate and constructive way. She never took sides and was not afraid to stop and realign us when weren’t being supportive. I never realised how helpful it would be to have a mediator in my relationship, that guides me through, and makes me feel both feel empowered and valued. After every session, we would leave feeling open, understood, and happy. I remember saying once “let’s just go see Lesley, she always helps and we feel so great after seeing her.”
Lesley definitely was an essential part of us getting our life, and our love, back on track. The positivity that she brings when you sit down with her flows into your life. You can’t help it. I will be forever grateful to her for the advice, compassion, and positivity that she brought into my life.
Lesley’s best quality, however, is her boundless compassion and generosity. As both a colleague and a friend, I know how deeply committed to the work of social justice and consciousness-raising she is; how constantly willing she is to assume extra work for the good of her co-workers, program, and community. She is simply a hard worker, a fine thinker, and wonderful human being.
If you hire or work with her, you will add a star. I cannot recommend Lesley more highly.
As a colleague, Lesley is first rate. She is energetic, personable, and relates very well with all levels of our organization. It is clear to me that Lesley’s greatest gift, among her many gifts, is that of a true teacher, in every sense of the word. She is a first rate contributor to the success of any organization that she belongs to. Her significant academic achievements, coupled with her truly excellent teaching and interpersonal skills, make her an outstanding contribution.
This has positively impacted many areas of my life: my confidence, my relationships with family and friends, and my experience of myself. I no longer have to hide, I can just be free. I really got that there is nothing wrong with me or who I am. I am embracing my sexuality and who I am.