Meet Sogii Steph
Stephanie Francis is a Wabanaki woman, a traditional knowledge carrier, storyteller, and registered social worker based in Sitansisk (St. Mary’s First Nation) near Fredericton, New Brunswick. She is the heart and spirit behind Spirit First Counselling & Consulting, a practice that blends Indigenous wisdom with Western approaches to support healing, resilience, and wellness.
With over 30 years of experience working on the front lines in Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik communities, Stephanie brings deep cultural knowledge, compassion, and a trauma-informed lens to everything she does. Her work is guided by the Two-Eyed Seeing framework and rooted in the belief that stories, ceremony, and community connection are powerful medicines.
Stephanie is also the author of The Bird in a Cage, a powerful story inspired by her lived experience and years of work supporting Indigenous people through trauma. Originally intended as an oral teaching, the story helps listeners and readers make sense of trauma in a gentle, non-threatening way.
Whether she’s supporting individuals through personal healing, leading community responses to critical incidents, or helping organizations become safer spaces for Indigenous employees, Stephanie meets each moment with warmth, strength, and Spirit First.
Specializing in Culturally Safe Mental Health Support and Trauma Response
Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)
Indigenous Mental Health & Counselling
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Using a culturally adapted Wampum CISM model to support Indigenous teams after traumatic events
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Facilitating group debriefings, emotional processing, and team recovery
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Providing one-on-one and community-based mental health support rooted in the Spirit First approach
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Approved provider through NIHB (Non-Insured Health Benefits)
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Supporting people through grief, trauma, identity loss, and intergenerational impacts
Storytelling as Healing & Teaching
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Sharing and teaching through her story The Bird in a Cage, designed to help make sense of trauma in a non-threatening way
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Honoring oral tradition as a Wabanaki Storyteller and Traditional Knowledge Carrier
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Conferences for Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations.
Culturally Safe Consulting for Indigenous Organizations
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Helping organizations become trauma-informed and emotionally safe for Indigenous staff
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Facilitating workshops, teachings, and capacity-building rooted in Two-Eyed Seeing and Wabanaki frameworks
Mentorship & Capacity Building
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Supporting emerging Indigenous evaluators, leaders, and frontline workers
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Sharing her 26 years of experience in community-based roles across Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik territories
Customized Healing & Wellness Planning
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Working directly with individuals, families, or teams to co-create personalized support plans
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Tailoring approaches based on cultural context, lived experience, and spiritual needs
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Helping people and communities feel seen, supported, and prepared for their next steps