Our Team

Circles Coach

She/Her

Gillian has been working in Muskoka as a professional facilitator for 12 years, focussing on therapeutic recreation and personal empowerment. Gillian’s focus is to create a safe space where people can overcome their fears, experience personal growth and self-acceptance in community with others. Using music as a tool and deep listening as a method, her participants range across diverse groups: adults with addictions, troubled youth, sexual assault survivors, students in school and seniors with dementia, to name a few. She’s provided independent programming for the YWCA over the years and now joins the team with Circles North.

Gillian trained as a circle facilitator in Toronto before moving to Muskoka. She studied Sociology, Communications and Philosophy and History at U of T and York University. She is a proud member of her local Lion’s Club. In her free time she enjoys camping, hiking and playing music with friends.

Getting Ahead Coordinator

He/Him

Justin joined the YWCA team in 2020, bringing with him experience supporting young people, underserved and marginalized communities in the District of Muskoka, Toronto, and in a remote community in North Western British Columbia. He has been fortunate enough to serve at government agencies, community arts spaces', social purpose enterprises and Band-run charter schools. Justin strives to approach his work and service from a client-first perspective, and is passionate about anti-opressive principles, inclusion and contributing to equitable solutions for service-users, clients, and participants.