When I met Erin Paterson via Facebook mid-summer of 2012, I had no idea this petite blonde woman:
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To say that I am quite nervous as to whether my “word-smith” skills will do her story justice is an understatement, but alas, this story is not about me. This is a story as incredible as that of Bilbo Baggins, the tiny Hobbit, venturing through treacherous terrain to save all of Middle Earth—but this time our “unlikely hero” is venturing to save something far more precious, and this intangible “ring to rule them all” is literally the hearts, souls and very lives of children—both Erin’s and those of the currently unregulated region of Ontario. “Sauron”, in this particular tale, is played by none other than the Children's Aid Society of Ontario—an organization touted as “more powerful than God” in a heart-wrenching documentary than can be viewed HERE.
Our interview for this piece began mid-October 2014, and was wonderful yet frustrating at the same time because Erin skillfully dodged questions about her story, as she was not yet ready to reveal her secret pain…a pain that has fueled her passion to help others and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge as she attempts to understand trauma and it’s effect on humanity around the world…a quest that has earned her numerous credentials such as: Good Will Ambassador for Canada representing Alliance for Medics PTSD, Independent researcher for: the Global Unification International, the boarding schools of Kanata and Neuroscience as it relates to PTSD, Freelance journalist for International Peace, Activist with focus on political prisoners and reform of the categorization of PTSD in the DSM-5, CEO and Founder of Warriors Landing for men, women and children, Founder of the PTSD Support and Global Awareness Campaign, Equestrian Instructor with International Coach Training, Founder of Harnessing Horse Power Healing Program, NLP Master Practitioner, NLP Coach and NLP Master Coach Practitioner specializing in Mindfulness, Resolving PTSD, NLP Hypnotherapy, releasing PTSD with NLP, Time Line Coach, Eye Movement Integration Practioner and many, many others.
When asked about her formal education, Erin responds by saying, “I do not pride myself on my formal education. Though I grew up in a family line with strong academics, I had to say no to the endless degrees—regardless of family rejection. I do take courses in fields of study that can benefit my research and ability to help others. Einstein wrote a quote and it is one I know to be true…’You cannot fix problems with the same thinking used to create them.’”
**Erin’s previous interview with Eric Stacey is well worth the read HERE.**
Without further delay, here is part one of one of the most incredible interviews you’ll ever read:
#1 What is your story?
Previously, I was very involved with the Children’s Aid Society of Ontario, Canada. I worked in a joint program with Ontario mental Health called Blue Hills. So, I was a parent therapist and specialized foster parent. This role was different as there were few of us and I took the lead role on a clinical team of specialists. I don’t believe Bluehills knew the full extent of what was going on, but they were concerned also. I loved my job and went above and beyond my job description consistently because I just loved helping these families who needed a hand-up in getting their lives back together to ensure they could raise their beautiful children. During my time there, I found out about auctions that were going on with these children. It is something that seems impossible to believe in a country like Canada, but after doing some digging, I found out that not only was child trafficking an issue in the form of these auctions, CAS was actually taking “orders” from wealthy people for the kind of child they wanted. At that point in time, every birth in Ontario had to be reported, and if a child matched an order, sure enough, a reason would be found to take the child away and the parents would never see them again.
I’d arranged for a meeting to sort of “put out fires” during the initial phase of my finding out about this information. I still couldn’t believe it on some levels, but time and time again, I saw healthy, beautiful babies that were clearly not neglected being taken from loving families who just needed help to get through a rough patch. I didn’t realize how much my life would change because of opening my mouth and trying to help.
I was in the process of finalizing the adoption of my children—whom I’d had since their birth, for the most part—we were literally waiting on the judge’s stamps for these adoptions to be finalized when I came home the morning of October 1, 2008 to my home being raided. I can’t even describe the scene adequately because it was so horrific…my children with their arms up in the air screaming, “Mommy! Help me!” And I could do nothing.
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