Sandy

Sandy Balascak is the founder of Whyse Education Services, bringing decades of experience in education, leadership, mental health, and program design to her consulting and counselling work. Her career has been shaped by a consistent focus on understanding people in context and creating systems that support learning, resilience, and meaningful change.

Sandy holds an MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Royal Roads University, with an emphasis on learning and technology, leadership, program design, and research. Her academic and professional path reflects a deep commitment to lifelong learning. In addition to her MA, she has completed extensive graduate-level counselling coursework over many years through multiple institutions and is currently working toward her Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) designation.

Through Whyse Education Services, Sandy works as an educational consultant, presenter, and course developer, supporting schools, districts, universities, and community organizations. Her work is grounded in trauma-informed practice, mental health literacy, behaviour as communication, and strength-based approaches. She is known for translating complex theory into practical, human-centred strategies that educators and leaders can actually use.

Sandy has taught and developed courses at the post-secondary level, including creating and delivering university courses focused on trauma, resilience, and understanding the root causes of behaviour. Technically “pretired,” a term Sandy uses to describe being retired while still fully engaged in meaningful, trauma-informed work, she continues to work as an on-call teacher, maintaining a close connection to today’s classrooms and the lived realities of students and educators. This ongoing work ensures her consulting and counselling are informed by current practice, not just past experience.

Before founding Whyse, Sandy spent many years as a school administrator and program developer in alternate and adult education settings. Her leadership included rebuilding programs for youth and adults, supporting students with mental health challenges and learning differences, and developing innovative community and intergenerational initiatives. These experiences continue to shape her relational and systems-based approach.

Alongside her consulting work, Sandy is expanding her practice into counselling, supported by her formal training, supervised counselling internship, and long-standing experience working with individuals navigating stress, trauma, identity, and change within educational and community environments. More details can be found on the counselling page.

Sandy is a sought-after speaker and facilitator and has presented at conferences, universities, and community events across British Columbia and beyond. She has received awards recognizing her community service and intergenerational work and continues to collaborate with Indigenous partners, health authorities, and educational institutions.

At the heart of Sandy’s work is a simple but powerful belief: when we understand the “why” behind behaviour and experience, particularly in the context of trauma, we create the conditions for healing, learning, and lasting change.