I’m Katrina — coach, caregiver advocate, media producer, and co-founder of Care Nation Society. I never planned to be an advocate. I call myself an accidental one because I had no knowledge or experience with dementia when my mom’s young-onset diagnosis arrived in 2015.

Before that, I was producing commercials in NYC and Vancouver, coaching on the side, and living on the yoga mat. I had cared for my grandparents — helping my grandfather after vision loss, cancer, and emphysema, and supporting my grandmother through her final stretch toward 100 (she really wanted to hit that number!) — but that was a lighter touch, more about presence and simply being useful. I never would have called myself a caregiver.

In fact, it wasn’t until I was deep in the full-time, all-consuming role of caring for my mom that someone used that word on me: caregiver. Then it clicked. And it was overwhelming, even on the good days: the massive gaps in support, the societal stigma, the sheer complexity of the healthcare system — it pushed me straight into another new word: advocate.

Being a trained coach came in handy as I learned on the fly, managing moment-to-moment with mindfulness-based dementia tools, presence practice, and a lot of personal awareness. And thank goodness for the production skills, because I instantly went from producer to full-time navigator — making sense of a tangled system that required constant relationship building, negotiating, and logistics.

That journey turned into everything I do now: co-creating the scripted web series Therapeutic Fibbing and Things Not to Say to a Caregiver (collectively over 3 million views), earning the 2023 Caregiver Advocacy Award, speaking and podcasting, and coaching others through the same mess.

If you’re navigating caregiving and could use someone who truly gets it, reach out. I’d be glad to talk. Let’s connect—book a free intro call today.

  • Care Nation Society
    Non-profit dedicated to connecting caregivers, building community, and advocating for stronger, more compassionate support systems. (Active and ongoing)

    Close to Home
    Program bringing social programming directly into apartment buildings and residences to reduce isolation among seniors and community members. Now being run by Wesn. (Handed off, still active)

    One Day’s Pay
    Funding funnel directing money earned from paid days off on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to Indigenous-led organizations. (Active)

    Chop Swap
    Community zero-waste initiative swapping disposable chopsticks for reusables to eliminate single-use waste. Runs annually and open for volunteers. (Seasonal/active)

    West End Free Kitchen
    Grassroots community meal service providing hot, nourishing food for people living rough in Vancouver’s West End. Paused/ended around COVID. (Past initiative)

  • Institute for Integrative Nutrition (in partnership with Teachers College, Columbia University) — Certified Health Coach
    Comprehensive training in holistic nutrition, wellness coaching, and integrative health.

    IKYTA (International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association) — Level 1 Certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher
    Foundational certification in Kundalini Yoga teaching and practice.

    Eckhart Tolle School of Awakening — Graduate
    Advanced immersion in presence, consciousness, and spiritual awakening.

    Inner MBA (Sounds True) — Graduate
    9-month program blending mindful leadership, emotional intelligence, and conscious business practices.

    INELDA (International End-of-Life Doula Association) — Death Doula Training
    Training in end-of-life companionship, grief support, and doula care for the dying and their loved ones.

  • Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Client Family Advisory Committee

    BRAIN Program (Building Resources and Accessibility In Neurology) – UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Patient Educator

    Centre for Healthy Aging – Advisory for Patients and Caregivers (new St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care)

    Simon Fraser University (SFU) – Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities of Navigating Community and Healthcare Systems Among Informal Caregivers of Older Adults: Towards Communication-Oriented Care – Lived Experience Contributor / Advisor

    Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre – Board Member

    Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence – Former Co-Chair Caregivers CAN; Champions Table; 2023 Caregiver Advocacy Award Winner

    Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS) – Work Loss Productivity Study

    Canadian Dementia Learning and Resource Network (CDLRN, part of Research Institute on Aging)

    UBC Gateway Evaluation and Research Working Group – Advisor

    BC Office of the Seniors Advocate – Lived Experience Expert

    Dr. Matthias Hoben Research Advisory Group on Quality of Life & Care (York University / University of Alberta)

    Providence Health Care – Coordinating Care: Shared Care and Virtual Health

    BC Centre for Palliative Care

    British Columbia Law Institute & Canadian Centre for Elder Law

    Dementia Connections Magazine

    St. Paul’s Hospital – Carers Program – Participant

    St. Paul’s Hospital – Dementia Resiliency Clinic & Mindfulness-Based Dementia – Participant

    UBC Caregiving Study – Lived Experience Educator

    UBC Patient Centered Care Activity (Pharmacy) – Lived Experience Educator

    Patient and Community Partnership for Education (UBC Health) – Health Mentor

    West End Seniors Network – Close to Home program - Founder

    Westside Seniors Hub – Volunteer Advisor

    Family Caregivers of BC – Volunteer (pre-COVID)

    Alzheimer Society of BC – Leadership Group of Caregivers (dissolved)