Testimonials

Amanda recently provided active listening services on a commercial shoot related to our mental health initiative. Their services were important to providing a safe and supportive environment for individuals discussing potentially sensitive and difficult topics. Amanda is extremely professional and asked good questions to ensure they were well-prepared for any scenario. I appreciated their thoughtful approach and clear communication before, during and after the project. I would not hesitate to work with Amanda for any project or event in the future.
-Lauren Brucker, Community Investment Manager, Bell Canada

“We hired Amanda to provide active listening services for a film screening and event planned in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month; as the topic of mental health was a key focus of the film and activities, it was important to have someone on-site to provide support, attention and care to anyone who needed it. Amanda’s calm and approachable demeanor hugely contributed to creating a welcoming environment. In our time working together, it was evident to our team and event attendees that Amanda is extremely dedicated and attentive to their work. We highly recommend Amanda for active listening services and would not hesitate to hire them for these services again in the future.” – Alanna Dickinson and Tara Dorey, TIFF Public Programming

Amanda Lederle was a delight to work with for our virtual summit. The summit went from 12pm- 4pm and consisted of some important topics relating to trauma and lived experiences of poverty, so it was important for us to have an active listener like Amanda who was attentive and on standby in case anyone required active listening services. Booking their service was also very smooth and we would undoubtedly recommend Amanda for anyone needing active listening services. -Mithilen Mathipalan, Coordinator, Social Action, Ontario Coordinator, Campaign 2000 (in 2024)

I was very impressed with Amanda’s commitment to creating spaces that made our audience comfortable and accommodated their needs. Any festival would be lucky to have them.We’re lucky to have (Amanda) consistently building warm and accommodating spaces for our events. – John Debono, Human Rights Film Festival Programming Manager

Amanda exudes compassion, consideration and thoughtfulness in all of the support work they do. Whether it is supporting in-class art training programs for artists with lived mental health or addictions experiences or providing emotional support on the phone or by text to patrons of our public programs, festivals or exhibits, Amanda holds space with gentleness and presence. They have an ideal demeanour for providing peer emotional support – reflexive, attentive, curious, composed, professional, creative and insightful. They connect quickly and easily and immediately convey a sense of reassurance. Their thoroughness, organization and thoughtfulness make them a dream to work with at any level. At Workman Arts, we invite open and honest dialogue in our programs, and that can include heavy or intense moments. I know our participants and audiences are in good hands when Amanda is involved. – Justina Zatzman, Membership & Hospital Programs Manager, Workman Arts

Working with Amanda is truly a pleasure – they bring a lot of expertise in peer support and active listening, and work with you closely to design a process that works best for your needs and the needs of your participants, and tailor their approach to fit your event design. They are organized and detail oriented, while also bringing lots of care to the process to ensure all those involved feel supported. I’d highly recommend Amanda as an active listener for your next event or program!– Athavarn Srikantharajah, Project Coordinator, Localizing Canada’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, Campaign 2000 (in 2022)

Having Amanda provide active listening in our online creative writing programs has let us relax into facilitation, knowing that there’s an extra foundation of safety and “holding” for anyone who needs it. Amanda is warm, super professional, and one of the easiest people to talk to I’ve ever met. I highly and fully recommend them. – Chris Kay Fraser, Firefly Creative Writing, Creative Writing Coach and Founder

Amanda’s work as peer support in our Non-Fictional Poetry class has shifted my understanding of arts education. Their presence and positive energy helped immensely in breaking through administrative and student-instructor hierarchies to foster a mutually empowering community of listeners and learners. By balancing empathy and proactive care with honest participation and expression, Amanda’s approach to peer support promotes self-actualization while working to correct the shortcomings of traditional institutional settings. – John Nyman, Instructor, Non-Fictional Poetry, Workman Arts

Amanda Lederle was essential to the success of my course with Workman Arts. As an online facilitator, it can be hard to check-in on every class participant during a content-heavy session. Knowing that Amanda was there to provide emotional and general peer support gave me peace of mind that all my students were cared for. I would highly recommend Amanda for any organization that needs a peer support who works with empathy, patience and initiative. – Ganesh Thavarajah, Instructor, Creative Entrepreneurship, Workman Arts

I was so grateful to have Amanda in the class with me. Not only did they do a great job of setting out the parameters for the class off the top, they were also active throughout the class in assisting any attendees who needed technical help or emotional support. And prior to the class Amanda gave me clear instructions about next steps and best practices. Highly recommended. – Murray Foster, Instructor, Poetry in Songwriting, Workman Arts

Amanda was always a joy to work with and a huge asset to both myself and the students. Active listening is a delicate art, requiring an individual with the nuanced ability to offer support in a grounded, empathetic and meaningful way that leaves the speaker feeling not only heard, but also deeply understood. Amanda is a master of this art – with the ability to hold space for individuals in a variety of circumstances through their genuine love and care for the people they serve, combined with a deft skill at communicating their support in an authentic and heart-felt way. They were also able to offer a kind of support that is hard to measure in tangible terms. I often found myself grateful for Amanda’s ability to identify both practical and emotional needs before they arose, offering support, ideas and resources we may not have thought of. I have been deeply grateful for the gift Amanda Lederle has offered myself and my students and offer my whole hearted support for their desire to share this gift with a wider variety of agencies and individuals – Andrea Thompson, MFA, Writing Instructor: Workman Arts, CAMH and the University of Toronto

As peer support for my 2019 class, SelfStories Theatre at Workman Arts, Amanda provided administrative and interpersonal support. They participated in the programing while also remaining alert and available to any needs of course participants. Indeed, in the first class, I was grateful for Amanda’s attentiveness to a member-artist who was particularly distressed and needed an opportunity to talk. Throughout the course, their calm, grounded presence and willingness to participate, while ensuring their attention remained on the group, helped me to be able to focus, and remain present to the group as well. Amanda also provided Active Listening support in the production of my play, Broken Branches. Due to the sensitive nature of the play, it was important that the audience was aware that, should they need an opportunity to speak or just be in presence with someone, Amanda was right there, setting the tone for audience members as they came in, ensuring that each knew who they were and what they were doing there. Amanda’s presence was like a deep breath in the theatre. Amanda has a big heart, great capacity for empathy, and an ability to remain deeply present. These, along with good boundaries (so I know they also know and model the importance of self-care!) make Amanda both a fantastic Peer Support and Active Listener. I can’t recommend Amanda highly enough! – Lorene Stanwick, Instructor, Self Stories Theatre, Workman Arts and Playwright and Producer, Broken Branches

Amanda was recently my peer support for a five-week online course, and was reliable, dedicated, professional, and open. Having Amanda around made me feel confident going into each class, despite teaching online being a totally new experience. I would recommend them as a Peer Support to anyone, and have requested to work with them in my future classes.” – Lisa Conway, Instructor, Intro to GarageBand, Workman Art