When Dr. Leili Heidema (BA Arts, ’06) graduated from university and went north for her first job in 2010, she didn’t plan on staying long. Fifteen years later, she’s still in the Northwest Territories, loving life in the community of Fort Smith and using her UFV education to make a difference serving remote and isolated Indigenous communities. 

“Neither my husband nor I had ever been to the north before we moved here, and we really had no idea where we were going,” she says. “But we found out that there’s something beautiful here.” 

When Leili arrived, she was on a one-year contract. She quickly encountered many people who started on one- or two-year contracts and chose to stay, some for as long as 30 years. Leili didn’t quite understand how that could happen at first, but now she gets it. 

“We didn’t have any kids when we came here, and now we have two boys,” Leili says. “We really love it here because it’s quiet and it’s such a tight-knit community. It’s a simple life. We literally have no traffic lights– it takes 90 seconds to get from home to work. 

“You can make life whatever you want it to be here and just have fun.” 

Leili, who hails from Abbotsford and is a Yale Secondary alumna, is the only psychologist in Fort Smith (population 2,500). The town’s closest neighbouring community is three hours away. 

“I’ve travelled to some really remote fly-in communities in other parts of the Northwest Territories, which has been nice,” says Leili, who runs a private practice. She has hired other clinical practitioners to address the urgent need for psychological services. 

Her experiences in the north have provided her the opportunity to learn from Elders and Indigenous governments on what is required to provide safe and culturally appropriate mental health services. Leili blends that with her western-based education.  

“Listening to Indigenous people, groups, or governments before we make decisions is very important,” she says. “We don’t want to perpetuate colonization by just coming in and dictating what’s going to happen. There’s a lot we just don’t know, and we can never assume we have all the answers.” 

Leili has extensive experience with the Government of the Northwest Territories, first as a counsellor, then as a clinical supervisor, and finally as Regional Manager of Mental Health. She’s currently Vice-President of the Association of Psychologists of the Northwest Territories, using her strong leadership skills to provide guidance for mental health programs. Leili also has a passion for mentoring new counsellors through practicum placements and providing clinical supervision. 

Leili credits UFV for helping her to discover her passion for psychology. 

“I loved the courses I did, and the faculty I met,” she recalls. “People are really fascinating and understanding one another is a pivotal part of life. Learning about how our brain works, what motivates us, and how we can struggle with mental health and come back to wellness…we all struggle with mental health at some point in our life, and I think it’s incredible to help someone through that.” 

Leili, who completed a MA of Counselling at Vancouver’s Adler University after completing her studies at UFV, and just last year she finished a Doctor of Psychology degree. With a keen interest in ethics, she’s served on the ethics committee for the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.  

Leili has clearly excelled in her field, and her advice for today’s UFV students is to approach university as a time for discovery.  

“I’d always recommend following your passions and pursuing topics you’re interested in,” she says. “Education is super important, and UFV will open doors to future options and opportunities. You won’t have all the answers right away, but it’s a wonderful place to start and you’ll have a lot of support.”