Volunteer Spotlight: Tyler Birse

Meet Tyler, one of Luna’s incredible Court Administration Advocate volunteers. Tyler has been volunteering with Luna since October, 2023, and has been in a few different roles with our organization. She started out volunteering in the child space; greeting children and families when they arrived, playing with children and helping to keep the space clean and organized. At the same time, it was suggested to her that she join Luna’s Youth Advisory Council, lending her voice to Luna’s community and awareness efforts.

With ambitions of becoming a clinical psychologist, Tyler’s time at Luna has equipped her with the ability to work with children and their families, exposed to a trauma-informed environment and enabling her to provide emotional support to clients.

We sat down with Tyler to ask her about her aspirations and her experiences at Luna. Read Tyler’s interview below:

How long have you been volunteering with Luna?

I started volunteering with Luna in October 2023 and have been in a few different roles since then.

What volunteer roles have you undertaken at Luna, and what is your volunteer role right now?

I started out as a Child Space volunteer, and it was suggested to me that I join the Youth Advisory Council. So I did both of those at the same time. Now I am a Court Administration Advocate, so I deal with client referrals and prepare families for court. I also work with referrals for the VAST trauma dogs, check-in with families for supports during trials and conduct follow-ups before sentencings, as well as final check-ins once court has concluded.

Why did you decide to volunteer with Luna?

I work in research, at a lab that deals with child development. I wanted to volunteer at Luna because I love working with children and families. I didn't know much about Luna at first so had to do some research, but I quickly learned about the great work Luna does and thought it was a great fit! Everyone does such amazing work and wanted to be a part of it.

What is your favourite part about volunteering at Luna?

Knowing that I am making a difference is the biggest one. It’s nice to know that I am helping smoothen children and families’ transition through the court process and make it a better experience for them. I work collaboratively with such a great team! I feel very supported in my role here and I don't ever feel alone or feel like I am struggling.

What are your career aspirations? Where do you see yourself?

I want to be a clinical psychologist. I’m starting my Masters in Clinical Psychology in the fall. Right now I am in a gap year, focusing on research, volunteering, etc. My end-goal is to be a Clinician while staying involved in research and using research to inform my practice.

What have you learned, from your time here, that you can apply to your career path?

The population I am most interested in is children and adolescents. Getting experience working with, and communicating with families, has been a great experience I can apply to my career path. Learnng more about trauma-informed practice, and a trauma-informed lens has been beneficial because that's something I would have to use as a clinician, working with clients. It has been eye-opening to learn about that while working with Luna. The Court Admin Advocate role focuses more on emotional support with clients, so that has been a good experience as well.

Outside of your role at Luna, what interests keep you busy?

I currently work two jobs; I work in a research coordinator role at a lab and as an Administrator for a private psychology practice. In the winter you can find me skiing at Sunshine or Lake Louise. I also enjoy going to the gym and hanging out with friends and family. I’m also really getting into being outdoors more and going for hikes when I can.