Bridges Staff

Bridges remains vibrant with the exciting work of staff: Tod, Marilee, Sara, Jane, Amanda, Gillian, Kim , Dawn & Alexander. The staff has been engaged in an exciting process of integrating four fields: domestic violence, narrative therapy, trauma and restorative justice. The staff present and publish their work internationally. The team has been working together over the last twenty years. They are also responsible for initiating and developing many local initiatives to address intimate partner violence in families.

As the Executive Director, Tod Augusta-Scott, MSW, RSW has worked alongside the Bridges Board of Directors build an organization dedicated to the ideal that abuse in relationships can be stopped and repair is possible. As the Lead Clinical Therapist, Tod encourages the counseling team to learn from each other and to share their successes and struggles in this difficult work.
Tod has become known internationally for his work with Bridges and other organizations and government agencies that address gender-based violence. His work integrates narrative therapy, trauma work and restorative justice into the field of domestic violence. Over the last twenty years he has published and presented his work internationally (Asia, Europe, British Isles, America) and presented in every province in Canada. He is the co-founder of the Canadian Domestic Violence Conference. He also works as a civilian therapist with the Canadian Armed Forces. He has taught in the Department of Social Work, Dalhousie University and is a guest speaker in classes on a regular basis.

Tod is the co-editor and a contributor to the critically acclaimed books Narrative Therapy: Making Meaning, Making Lives (Sage Publications, 2007) and Innovations in Interventions to Address Intimate Partner Violence: Research and Practice (Routledge Press, 2017). He has been interviewed by various media organizations including the Huffington Post, International Journal of Narrative Therapy, CBC The World at Six, and the Globe and Mail. Tod is a regular reviewer for numerous academic journals. He has created a group manual for working with men who have abused that has been officially adopted by three government departments in Canada. Tod was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Canadian Association of Social Workers in 2013. His work is featured in the 2017 documentary A Better Man, a film about domestic violence and restorative justice. He received an Award of Excellence for his work on gendered-violence in the Canadian Armed Forces in 2019.

For more information on Tod’s work and his academic and training endeavours, visit his website here.

Marilee Burwash-Brennan, MSW, RSW has worked in the domestic violence movement since 1984. She worked in a women’s shelter for ten years before she became a family therapist addressing issues of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and childhood trauma. She works extensively with women’s groups addressing these issues. Her practice has been influenced by feminism, narrative therapy and restorative justice. Marilee began working at Bridges in 2000 and received the Achievement of Excellence Award from the Nova Scotia Council for the Family in 2013.

Alexander Davis, MA is an emerging scholar with a passion for Intimate Partner Violence Prevention research and education. Trained in program facilitation and mental health first aid, and with over 10+ years working in research and academics in areas surrounding partnered violence, he has devoted his career to improving practice and seeing levels of violence reduced. Having recently completed an MA in Family Studies and Gerontology at Mount Saint Vincent University, his work focused on an environmental scan of IPV prevention programs and the reshaping of masculinity education. Alexander brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm into his work, helping people affected by violence in their lives where he can snd when he can.

Sara Densmore, CTRS is the Outreach Team Coordinator at Bridges. As a Recreation Therapist she uses a person-centred approach to meet clients where they are. Sara has worked with individuals and groups in a range of settings including long term care, community and schools. Sara’s work is influenced by mental health advocacy and creating more equitable access to treatment for all.

Jane Donovan, M.Ed., RCT, CCC has been working as a therapist in the field of domestic violence since 2006, having worked at Bridges Institute in Truro, Nova Scotia and as Clinical Supervisor at New Start Counselling in Halifax. Jane has considerable experience and great interest in counselling those affected by trauma, violence and abuse. Her therapeutic approach has been influenced primarily by Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Feminist Theory and Art Therapy. With a Narrative lens, Jane focuses on abilities rather than dwelling on problems. She views problems as separate from people and through collaborative conversations of people’s stories she brings forth their skills, values and knowledge that can assist them in moving away from abuse and/or violence in order to build the respectful relationships they prefer.

Jane has attended and presented at numerous national and international conferences and workshops on Domestic Violence and Narrative Therapy. In her previous role as Clinical Supervisor at New Start Counselling, Jane helped to bring about a consistent, comprehensive counselling methodology and collaborative workplace environment for both staff and interns. Jane’s conversations are ever evolving and her creative approach has recently led her to facilitate group therapy sessions for men who have perpetrated violence, men who are suffering from the effects of sexual abuse, and a women’s art therapy program0 addressing the effects of domestic abuse and/or violence.

Amanda Dupupet, MA is a Counsellor and Music Therapist. She has counselled individuals and families in the community and in hospital settings across Australia and Canada.

Kim MacDonald is the office manager of daily operations and Conference Coordinator for the Canadian Domestic Violence Conference. Her tireless efforts to support the vision, staff and clients are key to the success of the Centre. Kim began working at Bridges in 2017. Before working at Bridges, Kim worked in the financial industry for over 10 years. Her work was primarily in customer service and sales. Kim has a Human Services diploma from NSCC.

Dawn Maskine (she/her), M.Ed., RCT-C, although newer to the field of counselling, Dawn has been working with individuals and groups in the fields of community-based development, education, health and wellness, and physical rehabilitation for 20 years. Her work has a strong focus on attachment trauma, gender-based violence, whole health, boundaries, and communication.

Dawn has extensive experience working with diverse populations overseas and with Indigenous persons in the Colchester and East Hants areas. She utilizes strengths-based narrative therapy, attachment trauma and solution-focused theories, as well as somatic techniques in her work with clients.

Dawn follows the philosophy that people are not their problems or behaviours. If one can externalize the problems/behaviours and deconstruct them using a value and strength-based lens, then one can rewire their narrative moving forward.