Andrea Amos-Stoney has long been in helping and healing careers, so it made sense to her to combine her years of expertise and launch her own business called Huupii Spirit Holistic Wellness Services.
Operating out of the Tseshaht Multiplex overlooking the Somass River, Amos-Stoney offers a variety of services including life-coaching and energy medicine.
Before launching her business, Amos-Stoney worked for the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s Quu-asa healing program.
She said she went through Nuu-chah-nulth Economic Development Corporation program for assistance with business courses, and advice to prepare for the launch her business.
Amos-Stoney is the eldest of five siblings. She is married with four children and one grandson.
Her mother, Marlene Baker-Amos, is from Squamish Nation and her father is Andrew Amos, Hesquiaht.
“I’ve always been drawn to healing work,” said Andrea. She trained to be a Licensed Practical Nurse right out of high school and worked as an LPN for seven years until a health issue forced a career change.
“I moved on to CMHC (Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation) working for the government as an office administrator,” Stoney-Amos said.
While there she was able to access government funding for training; she took night classes in business administration. She also facilitated cultural awareness learning sessions to co-workers.
But CMHC downsized and Andrea needed to move on.
“I began life coach training; then came back home to the west coast,” Amos-Stoney said. She did contract work in Ucluelet delivering life skills courses.
She eventually moved to Port Alberni in 1999 where she and her husband bought a home. She trained in alternative medicine at the College of Canada by distance training. She earned her Natural Health Practitioner certificate through the Wind Song School of Healing.
Andrea is now trained and certified to work in what she calls energy medicine; she is a master practitioner of reiki.
She is grateful for her five years working with the people at the Quu-asa program where she worked with Nuu-chah-nulth people, including knowledgeable elders.
“Elders and teachers like Ray Seitcher Sr. taught me the ways of our people,” she said.
“One of the main reasons I went into the healing and wellness field was due to the tragedy and murder of my brother,” Stoney-Amos explained, adding she talked about the incident in her Truth and Reconciliation testimonial, a public statement given March 15, 2012.
Back in March 1985, Andrea’s brother, Richard Amos, then in his 20s, was herring fishing. The crew tied up in Port Hardy and partied at a local hotel. When the young man didn’t return to the boat, he was reported missing to the local RCMP. When the local authorities refused to search, saying that he was probably making his way back home to Port Alberni, family members came to Port Hardy to do their own search.
Their brother was eventually found murdered in the bushes about 20 km outside of town. A 23-year-old Russian man Richard had befriended the night he died was charged and convicted of the murder.
Amos-Stoney said the tragedy made her want to help others with their healing processes. Her years of working with Nuu-chah-nulth people at Quu-asa convinced her she was ready to strike out on her own and ‘fly with her big girl wings’.
“I went on my own with support of my manager at Quu-asa, Vina Robinson,” she said.
The grand opening for Huupii Spirit Holistic Wellness Services was held Aug. 21 with one of Andrea’s successful clients, Lyndon Canute, acting as emcee.
“I offer one-on-one sessions in client-focused life coaching, as well as energy medicine, including brushings…whatever the client needs,” Amos-Stoney said.
She also contracts out to service organizations and educational institutions doing workshops on career development or developing awareness around residential school effects.
