Dr. Martina Whelshula

Substance Abuse Prevention, Behavioral Health & Policy, Intergenerational Healing

Dr. Martina Whelshula is an educator, trainer, and consultant specializing in education and intergenerational trauma impacting indigenous communities. She has worked extensively with Native American communities nationwide on local and national policy development, education, and behavioral health. Her most recent work is the development of an integrative cultural treatment model to address trauma, mental health, and substance use disorders for tribes.

Dr. Whelshula’s professional experience includes serving as research director for national Indian health policy development for Congressional review, a P-12 tribal language instructor in the public school system, and Head Start director for the Colville Tribe. She was executive director of a Native American inpatient treatment program for drug and alcohol addicted youth, and during her 7 years in that role, she was highly awarded by local and national organizations for revolutionary and innovative behavioral health care, educational leadership, and community empowerment, among other recognitions.

Dr. Whelshula has a doctorate in Traditional Knowledge, a master of arts counseling psychology, and a bachelor of arts in communication studies, with an additional chemical dependency professional certification. She is a citizen of the Arrow Lakes Nation of the Colville Indian Reservation.