Nourish Breakout Speakers

Carolyn Klassen

“Nourishing our Longing for Belonging”

Carolyn Klassen holds a Master of Arts degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counselling and a degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Manitoba. She believes that, fundamentally, we are all wired for connection—and that meaningful relationships have tremendous healing power, including our connection with The Divine. With many years of experience as a therapist, teacher, speaker, and writer, Carolyn brings a wealth of insight into the human experience. Her own story of losses and joys has deepened her understanding of grief, pain, anxiety, depression, joy, grace, and the things we don’t often talk about in polite company. Carolyn’s presentations are engaging and thought-provoking, weaving together personal stories, scientific research, faith, and a deeply human perspective. She taught for many years at the University of Manitoba, is a regular teacher at The Meeting Place, speaks widely, and writes about connection
and belonging, including Wired for Connection: the Jesus way of Belonging in a Lonely World. She also has a weekly conversation with Hal Anderson on 680 CJOB. Carolyn is married to Jim in a beautifully grafted family and is mom to five sons, five in-laws, and Oma to six grandchildren.

Alyssa Bietz

“When Sleep Becomes a Struggle: Understanding What Keeps You Awake and What Actually Helps“

Meet Alyssa – Adult Sleep Consultant, Kinesiologist, wife, and mom with a passion for helping adults get the sleep they need to be their best selves and have energy for the things they love.
Alyssa has always loved sleep. As a new mom, she experienced severe sleep deprivation and saw firsthand how deeply sleep impacts every part of life. Now trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), Alyssa works with adults who struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake feeling tired. She helps uncover the root causes of chronic sleep issues and guides clients through an evidence-based program to fix their sleep. Her mission is simple: to show adults that ongoing sleep struggles don’t have to be their norm. There is a proven solution—and it works!

Brenda Eastveld

“Supporting the Older Adults in Your Life“

Brenda has been married to Scott for 29 years. They have 3 adult children and a goldendoodle named Mabel. She is a partner in ministry with Scott, who is Lead Pastor at Grace Community Church. She is a social worker at Grace Hospital and supports
patients to navigate difficult things. Brenda strives to recognize every person she encounters as an image-bearer of God, deserving of love and respect. She is passionate about music, iced matcha lattes and deep talks/laughing with friends.