Meet Lois
Hello!
I’m Lois Thiessen Derksen, the heart and therapist behind Wholly Living Therapy.
For over twenty years, my compass has pointed toward the caring professions, and I’m so glad our paths have crossed. I’m a resident of Manitoba’s Pembina Valley, where you’ll often find me chasing the light through sun-dappled forests, strolling along dusty gravel roads, or exploring hidden ravines. From the first thaw of spring to the golden hush of autumn, my faithful furry companion and I set out for our daily walk—even when braving a -30°C snowstorm, we venture on regardless of the weather. These are my prayer-infused walks of meditation, deeply rooted in faith as I journey through the wonder of God’s creation.
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When the day fades, I find equal wonder in nighttime strolls beneath velvet, star-lit skies. As I look up at the work of His fingers—the moon and the stars set in place—I’m struck by the humbled wonder of Psalm 8: that among such vastness, He is mindful of us and cares for us deeply. In the quiet mystery of the dark, I embrace that same sense of being known.
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When I’m not tending to the shared stories in my counselling space, I’m usually found tending to my garden's bounty (and weeds), dabbling in bits and pieces of homesteading, savouring a lavender matcha tea, or clearing my head on my daily walk. I find deep peace in leaning into seasonal rhythms, whether that's the hushed dormancy of frost or the unfolding abundance of the sun-warmed earth. Woven through it all is the heart-stretching joy of motherhood, a journey that keeps me grounded in both wonder and challenge—and adds its own beautiful melody to the song of my life.
My Mission
My mission is to help you weave your unique story, your deepest pains, and your faith into a beautiful tapestry of wellness. This calling is rooted in my own journey; like many others, I have walked through valleys of pain— and by grace, continue to emerge with a profound, lived understanding of healing.
My Journey
My journey has taken me from the front of a high school classroom to the heart of pastoral ministry, and now into the world of mental health support. I have a particular soft spot for psychoeducation—helping you understand the 'why' behind the 'how' of your healing.
With a background spanning Psychotherapy, Theology, and Education, I’m here to offer a grounded, holistic space for you to grow.
To support this work, I bring a diverse toolkit of learning: I hold two Master of Arts degrees in Psychotherapy and Theology, a Bachelor of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts. My journey is further rounded out by a Business Diploma and an Applied Counselling Certificate, ensuring a grounded, holistic space for you to grow.
PACCP Member #797MB23
Wholly Living Therapy
About
Honouring Personhood
By attuning the mind, body, and spirit, our approach integrates conventional methods to honour the complete person. This model explores the deep connection between your physical sensations, emotional states, and spiritual personhood to foster a deep sense of completeness.
Cultivating Whole Person Healing
The heart of our work is to move beyond merely treating symptoms and instead nurture the entire self. Therapy provides a safe space to address every facet of your life, helping you feel whole, complete, and integrated as you navigate your journey toward sustainable wellness.
Purposeful Wholly Living
By aiming for a state of wholly living, therapy helps you transition from mere survival to a state of thriving. We work toward cultivating a rich, meaningful rhythm of life that allows you to engage with the world from a place of integrated strength and purpose.
Biblical Anchoring for Wholeness
For those who desire a faith-based foundation, Lois offers a way to anchor your healing in the Word. This process supports your journey toward spiritual wholeness, providing the tools to steward your body and soul in alignment with biblical principles.
The Meaning Behind Our Logo
Embroidery Hoop
An embroidery hoop provides the structure needed to establish healthy boundaries, holding the fabric taut to show the importance of holding life's tensions. Within this framework, the rhythmic pace of stitching mirrors the patience required for recovery—one stitch at a time.
Blueberry
The wild blueberry symbolizes emotional wellness, persistently growing where little else can provide sustenance. As an antioxidant-rich superfood powerhouse, it reflects the essential nourishment required to actively cultivate a healthy, protected sense of self.
Bearberry
The bearberry symbolizes inner strength through its resilience, flourishing in harsh, rocky soils where others fail. Its evergreen nature represents enduring hope and emotional fortitude through life’s "winters," while its role as a dependable food source for bears reinforces steady survival.
Bee
The bee symbolizes wellness through an intentional balance of focused labor and deep rest. Just as they gather sweet nectar, we glean wisdom from life and community. The hive stands as a living testament to connection—a reminder that we thrive beautifully together, never meant to exist truly alone.
Wood Lily
The Wood Lily symbolizes a resilient spirit through its upward-facing blooms, representing a hopeful determination to seek light even in "muddy" conditions. Its years-long journey from seed to flower mirrors the patience and persistent care required for long-term emotional recovery.
Prairie Wheat
Prairie wheat serves as a powerful symbol of resilience. Standing tall against the vast prairie horizon, it represents the strength found in community and the necessity of swaying with life’s inevitable winds rather than breaking. Its deep roots stabilize the soil, mirroring the grounding practices needed to maintain mental stability.
Wild Prairie Rose
The Wild Prairie Rose symbolizes mental health through its duality of beauty and defence. Blooming in adversity while maintaining healthy boundaries via its thorns, its vibrant petals and winter-hardy hips serve as powerful emblems of hope, survival, and healing.
Manitoba Crocus
The Manitoba crocus is a powerful symbol of resilience and hope, serving as the first wildflower to push through snow and announce spring’s arrival. By emerging while the landscape is still bleak, it represents rebirth and the courageous transition from a period of darkness or dormancy into a fresh chapter of life.
Embroidery Stitch
The embroidery stitch mirrors prairie resilience—a slow, steady unfolding, like the crocus pushing through the snow. Each stitch represents progress, a rhythmic choice to stay present—while the surface shows a finished story, the chaotic, tangled "messy back" honours our hidden strength and struggles.
Just as the prairie bloom finds its dance in the warmth after the silent ache of the frost, we stitch our own healing with the play of the wild and the grace of a slow, steady unfolding.
Rooted in belonging.
Resilient through life’s winter.
Restored in the rhythm of rest.
How Do We Do It?
Individual counselling informed by Relational Life Therapy (RLT) that break destructive patterns, heal trauma, and re-parent your inner child to build lasting intimacy.