Elk Valley Chapter

At Mountain Muskox, our Chapters create spaces for community healing through monthly professionally facilitated peer support circles. Each Chapter offers a welcoming environment where individuals impacted by loss or trauma in mountain communities can connect, share, and grow together.

Through consistent gatherings, we foster resilience, belonging, hope, and contribution—building circles of care where no one has to navigate their journey alone.

Elk Valley circles are held in Fernie, BC

What to expect

Mountain Muskox circles offer a supportive space to connect with others impacted by trauma and loss. Meetings run about three hours once a month and include a group check-in, a learning topic, and optional discussions.

There’s no pressure to share—participants engage at their own pace. Circles are not a substitute for therapy but provide a valuable layer of community support, fostering resilience, belonging, and connection over time.

Elk Valley Chapter Team

Natasha Black is a Registered Clinical Counsellor who lives and practices in Fernie, BC, on the traditional lands of the Ktunaxa and Secwépemc peoples. As a lifelong rural resident and active member of the mountain community, she understands both the strengths and challenges of living, working, and recreating in small mountain towns.
Natasha is passionate about increasing access to meaningful, context-specific mental health care for rural communities. Her work is grounded in the belief that wellbeing cannot be separated from the environments, relationships, occupations, and cultures that shape our lives. She takes a collaborative, community-informed approach, inviting people to explore how their connection to the outdoors, mountain town culture, and lived experiences influence their identity, resilience, and mental health.
Whether she is counselling, skiing, biking, paddling, or spending time in the mountains, Natasha is deeply committed to supporting the people who call these places home. She is proud to be part of the Mountain Muskox mission to strengthen connection within mountain communities.

Tyla Mackay is a psychologist based in Fernie, BC. Having grown up immersed in the outdoor education and camp community, she understands the profound ways that mountain culture and shared adventures shape our lives, relationships, and sense of belonging.
When she's not spending time with her two dogs, McConkey and Salix, Tyla can often be found exploring the Elk Valley through hiking, trail running, mountain biking, and skiing.
Tyla believes in the power of authentic human connection. Through Mountain Muskox, she feels honoured to help create a space where people can share their stories, support one another, and find healing in community. Her approach is compassionate, grounded, and informed by her professional experience supporting first responders, her research in ecotherapy, and her lifelong connection to the outdoors.

Jordan has called Fernie home since 2007 and is a passionate skier, skateboarder, and community member. He feels most at home in the mountains with his family and friends, and believes time outdoors builds perspective, resilience, and connection. He also understands the unique grief and trauma that can accompany the places and activities we love most.
As a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Jordan has worked in supportive roles throughout the Elk Valley and has experience supporting youth, adults, and families through anxiety, trauma, grief, and the everyday challenges of being human. He co-founded and continues to facilitate Fellaship, a community-based men’s mental health group that creates space for honest conversation, connection, and mutual support. His approach is collaborative, genuine, and grounded in authentic connection.
As a facilitator with Mountain Muskox, Jordan is excited to create space where people can show up as they are, connect through shared experience, and realize they don’t have to navigate life’s challenges alone. He believes community is a powerful part of healing and values the opportunity to walk alongside others as they move forward.