18th Annual Compassion Fatigue Conference: Ready to Re-think?
Join us for an enlightening and restorative experience at our 18th Annual Compassion Fatigue Conference: Ready to Re-think? This event is taking place in hybrid format on May 15, 2025, with the in-person session being held at the Four Points by Sheraton in Thorold, ON, followed by a networking event.
Compassion fatigue is a shared challenge for professionals in caregiving, education, healthcare, and legal fields-those who dedicate themselves to the well-being of others. This conference is your chance to pause, reflect, and refresh while gaining practical tools, insights, and support to combat burnout and foster resilience.
What to Expect.
This year's conference features an unforgettable morning with Dr. Lorre Laws, a healer, author, integrative nursing professor, and founder of the Trauma Healing Academy. Known for her groundbreaking book, Nursing Our Healer's Heart (a recent #1 new release), Dr. Laws will deliver wisdom steeped in professional experience and personal empathy to help attendees rethink how they care for themselves while supporting others.
The afternoon sessions bring together nine inspiring experts for dynamic REAL TALKS that tackle timely topics like resiliency, empathy, artificial intelligence, and the legal landscape. These short but impactful presentations promise to ignite new ways of thinking about managing burnout and thriving in your role.
Who Should Attend?
This conference is designed for professionals who dedicate their lives to guiding, healing, and advocating for others, including:
- Healthcare providers
- Social workers
- Educators
- First responders
- Caregivers
- Legal professionals
- Any other professionals committed to supporting individuals in challenging environments
If you've felt the strain of compassion fatigue, this is your space to rethink your approach and recharge.
Why This Conference Matters.
Compassion fatigue is more than exhaustion; it's an emotional and physical toll that can break your connection to the work you once loved. We're here to help you recognize this challenge and empower you with the strategies you need to build resilience and rediscover fulfillment in demanding roles.
Together, we'll create a space for growth, connection, and self-care, fostering a culture of well-being within professional communities. Through shared stories and expert insights, Compassion Fatigue: Ready to Re-think? will leave you feeling supported, inspired, and equipped to take action.
Agenda.
Speakers.
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Dr. Lorre
Laws, PhD, RNDr. Lorre Laws (PhD RN), known as "Dr. Lorre," is an internationally renowned expert in occupational trauma and burnout recovery, bestselling author, and integrative nursing professor. With over 35 years of experience in healthcare and healing arts, she combines scientific expertise with innovative approaches to guide individuals on transformative recovery journeys. Her book, "Nursing Our Healer's Heart," offers a comprehensive path to recovery from trauma and burnout, presenting groundbreaking research and practical strategies. As founder of The Haelan Academy, Dr. Lorre created a space for transformative healing, including her impactful 12-week NeuroSpiritual Healing Academy. Dr. Lorre's integrative approaches have helped thousands in their recovery journeys, addressing all aspects of professional wellbeing. -
Dr. Karyn
TaplayDr. Karyn Taplay is a Registered Nurse, Associate Professor and Chair of the Nursing Department at Brock University. Karyn has an extensive career as a nurse educator, both in Canada and the United States. Karyn is passionate about nursing education and her research focuses primarily on adoption and incorporation of simulation as an educational strategy in undergraduate nursing programs. She has contributed significantly to both national and provincial simulation repositories to aid other health care educators to incorporate simulation into curricula. In her leadership role as the Chair, Karyn oversees the management of the Nursing Program and works extensively to successfully navigate the exponential growth of the undergraduate nursing program. -
Dr. Elizabeth
OrrDr. Elizabeth Orr is a Registered Nurse and Assistant Professor in the Brock University Department of Nursing. Her clinical background includes Pediatric, Maternal-child and Neonatal nursing and she has diverse research interests including promoting and prioritizing emotional wellbeing among graduate students conducting emotionally demanding research, supporting transition to professional nursing practice, and understanding the complex processes of hospital-to-home transitions. She has expertise in qualitative and mixed-methods research including arts-based elicitation, co-design/stakeholder engagement in research, and evidence synthesis. Dr. Orr is a current recipient of a Brock University Chancellor’s Chair for Teaching Excellence with a project focused on Co-designing a Transition to Professional Practice Nursing Course. She is also the co-lead of an international community of practice aimed at supporting researcher wellbeing. -
Dr. Vanessa
SilvaDr. Vanessa Silva is a Registered Nurse and Assistant Professor with clinical expertise in various layers of healthcare, but more deeply in organ donation and transplantation. Her research focus is on improving the quality of organ donation programs and structures worldwide. Research projects and interests include understanding and improving work-life experience of organ donation coordinator nurses, quality improvement of donation processes, organ donation management, organ donation family experiences and public awareness, equity and inclusion in donation and transplantation. She is currently the lead researcher of the BRiC program, a research investigating and intervening in burnout and compassion fatigue among organ donation coordinator nurses and co-leads the EDOT project (Education in donation of organs for transplants) with Dr. Amina Silva. Dr. Silva was a Kidney Research Scientist Core Education Program (KRESCENT) fellow, is the leader of theme 1 “Improve a Culture of Donation” of the Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program (CDTRP), a national organ donation research network, and leads the CDTRP Allied Research in Donation and Transplantation Working Group. -
Dr. Connie
SchumacherDr. Connie Schumacher is faculty in the Nursing Department at Brock University. She is an AMS Fellow in Compassion and Artificial Intelligence and recipient of a New Investigator Alzheimer's Society of Canada Grant. Connie's research encompasses designing and testing interventions to support self-management of chronic conditions. Connie is part of the iCARE international interRAI working group for implementation of the Self-Reported Carer Needs Assessment.
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Colleen
Worsley, MSW, RSWColleen Worsley, MSW RSW, is a registered social worker, (OCSWSSW Reg #829920), with a MSW(Master’s Degree), from Dalhousie University, as well as a BSW (Bachelor of Social Work degree), and an HBA (Honors with specialization in the area of psychology degree), from York University. Colleen has more than 20 years of experience in the rehabilitation healthcare field providing direct care and management support in both clinical and community settings for individuals managing brain injury and trauma recovery. Colleen combines her interest in neuropsychology with her studies in social work, cognitive science, and holistic nutrition, to support clients to overcome challenges in the recovery process through individualized and comprehensive rehabilitation programs. -
Brenda
AgnewView BioBrenda is the proud mother of two boys, Chase and Maclain. Her son, Maclain, has severe Cerebral Palsy and profound hearing loss as a result of a condition known as Kernicterus, a brain injury that results from untreated jaundice. As a former Gluckstein client herself, Brenda acts as our Client Liaison to support and advise our clients and their families throughout their case.
She tirelessly advocates for better systems and programs for children and individuals with cerebral palsy and other childhood onset disabilities and is passionate about accessibility and inclusion. Brenda has been appointed to the Board of Directors for Easter Seals Ontario, is a school board trustee for the Halton Catholic District School Board and is an active member for volunteer organizations such as CP-Net, CHILD-BRIGHT Citizen Engagement Committee, and the Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee among others.
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Charles
GlucksteinView BioCharles is the owner and managing partner of Gluckstein Lawyers and has guided the firm to become the leaders in Personal Injury in Canada. He succeeded his father Bernard who founded the practice in 1962. He has been endorsed by his peers as a leading personal injury lawyer in both Best Lawyers in Canada and Lexpert directories. Charles has been successful at trial in both jury and judge alone cases. In 2001, Charles was recognized as a Specialist in Civil Litigation. He frequently lectures at conferences for legal organizations, both locally as well as outside of Ontario on all topics of personal injury as well as the modernization of the profession using technology.
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Simona
JellinekView BioSimona has also been instrumental in changing important pieces of legislation including the removal of the limitation period in sexual abuse and assault cases. As well, she also assisted the government in amending legislation to allow survivors who are on ODSP to remain on ODSP even after receiving compensation from a judgment or settlement.
Simona’s expertise in the area has been recognized by her peers and she is listed in Best Lawyers and Lexpert. She has been honoured to receive the Distinguished Service Award by the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association and the Zenith Lexpert award. Simona is sought after by media outlets to provide insight and commentary on sexual abuse and assaults in Canada and abroad. As well, she has lectured at universities and presented papers on sexual violence litigation at Canadian and international conferences.
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Richard
HalpernView BioRichard Halpern is a senior lawyer acting exclusively for injured people in medical negligence cases, with a special focus on infants injured at or around the time of birth. Richard is known across Canada for his expertise in birth injury cases. He has more than 30 years of experience representing seriously injured people.
Richard has a detailed understanding of the highly technical medical issues, particularly relating to birth injury cases. His experience allows him to provide meaningful advice and direction to families considering a medical negligence lawsuit following a review of the medical records.
Expertise.
3530 Schmon Parkway,
Thorold, ON, L2V 476
Canada