Boosting Resilience For The Digital Age

Topic: Boosting Resilience for the Digital Age.

Special guests: Dr. Salima Versi and Rev. Ingrid Doerschel-Cramer.

About the speakers:

Ingrid Cramer-Doerschel is a clergy minister at Trinity Lutheran Church in Edmonton, Alberta, with a master’s degree in divinity. She decided to begin her theological studies at a theological seminary in Germany, that was connected to a diaconal, psychiatric hospital. There she understood that living and learning together with all people in their diversity as a natural fact of life. Ingrid graduated on feminist theology, focusing on reinterpreting male-dominated imagery and language about God. Living in a middle-sized city in the Northern part of Germany, Ingrid worked as a congregational pastor, as a chaplain at a Catholic hospital and offered emergency pastoral care with and for first responders. Ingrid achieved several degrees in counselling and is a certified live coach. In 2001 Ingrid initiated and supported ongoing interfaith gatherings and projects, identifying social justice, healthy relationships and spiritual growth as prominent themes evident in her living and working.

In 2006 she accepted a call from Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church and moved to Edmonton, Alberta where she is ministering in a bilingual (German/English) congregation. There she prompted several community projects, involving parishioners from different church communities as well as the neighbouring community. Together with the Centre Ronning Centre she hosted a broad range of lectures on Islam and is involved in the work of the Common Word of Alberta. Since January 2020 Ingrid is the president of the Edmonton and District Council of Churches. Currently Ingrid has entered a spiritual direction program offered by the Providence Renewal Centre.

Salima Versi (she/her) is a psychotherapist and a Canadian Certified Counsellor with a master’s degree in Counselling Psychology. She has her own practice, Rahma Counselling & Consulting, where she specializes spiritual care, cross-cultural & interfaith counselling, and feminist work, including postpartum care. She also has a strong background in parenting, and she is a certified Parent Educator in the STEP (Systematic Training in Effective Parenting) Method, which focuses on respectful, positive parenting techniques. Salima also remains actively engaged in community mental health work and activism as a Live Your Life to the Full facilitator and volunteer career-counsellor.

In addition, Salima is a PhD Candidate & Instructor in the University of Alberta's Religious Studies Program. Her general focus is Islamic studies, but her research more specifically examines diversity & pluralism in Islam and contemporary Nizari Isma'ilism in Canada. Salima has been teaching in these and in many other capacities for a number of years, and also holds a certificate in Adult Education from the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development.

Added to these professional qualifications is a commitment social justice and community service. She is actively involved the community at the University of Alberta, her own Ismaili community, the Muslim ummah, and the broader Edmonton community. Within the Ismaili Muslim community, she is an Alwaeza, which is a scholar, preacher, and spiritual care giver. Salima is also a regular guest speaker on Islam and Ismailism at both community and academic institutions. She has been a board member for various interfaith, Muslim, and feminist organizations and speaks on and participates in a variety of projects and discussions related to Islam, religion, feminism, social justice, and mental health.