About

Who is Nadine Valk?

I’m a dynamic, results-driven leader in healthcare education and change management, passionate about empowering healthcare providers through education, coaching, and system-level transformation. With over 30 years of experience across health, community, and palliative care, I bring a deep commitment to creating patient-centered and integrated systems that enhance care delivery and improve outcomes.

I hold a master’s degree in public administration with a focus on health policy, and bring expertise in strategic and operational planning, program development and implementation science. My work spans regional, provincial and national healthcare initiatives, and I am known for innovative problem-solving, exceptional communication, and a proven ability to drive measurable improvements in patient outcomes and operational efficiency.

As a certified Integral Professional Coach™—with additional training in team coaching, facilitation, and quality improvement—I help individuals and teams achieve meaningful and manageable change. My coaching approach is grounded in adult learning principles, implementation science and an asset-based mindset. I focus on building capacity and sustainability through collaboration, knowledge mobilization, and inclusive co-design processes.

Throughout my career, I’ve served in leadership roles across boards, committees, and volunteer initiatives. I specialize in team building, finding common ground and fostering partnerships that thrive on shared purpose. My approach emphasizes psychological safety and team well-being, recognizing that successful teams don’t just get things done—they thrive together.

I also bring a unique lens as a mindfulness teacher and director of the Mindfulness-Informed End of Life Care Program at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. I integrate compassion and a trauma-informed perspective into all my work, creating safer, more inclusive environments for transformation and healing.

At the heart of everything I do is a deep commitment to inclusion, accessibility, truth and reconciliation, and culturally safer care. Whether facilitating change, coaching leaders, or evaluating programs, I work to ensure the people I support feel seen, supported, and connected—and that the change we create is both practical and purposeful.

Key skills

  • Coaching and facilitation
  • Board, committee and volunteer leadership
  • Implementation science and program evaluation
  • Project and program management
  • Knowledge transfer and mobilization
  • Team building and talent development
  • Strategic and operational planning
  • Public administration and health policy
photo of Nadine Valk

Certifications

Integral Coaching Canada Inc logo with Integral professional coaching badge
International Coaching Federation logo. ICF member
Advanced Practitioner logo with Team Diagnostic Survey badge
Logo of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association
Logo from EQ-i 2.0
Compass icon
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Nadine’s focus on coaching teams and supporting them with change management processes and practices is a testament to her commitment to ensuring the overall wellbeing of her teams. She has a genuine interest in helping people and supporting change management in ways that are both practical and compassionate. Nadine skillfully blends mindfulness, leadership, and empathy into her coaching and implementation practices. A thoughtful listener, Nadine facilitates her programs in a way that connects the dots and sparks ideas and inspiration in her clients. I have seen firsthand how she masterfully fosters collaboration, builds trust, and affects meaningful connections and innovation.  I’m confident in recommending Nadine as a team coach. 

Rick Firth

CEO of Hospice Palliative Care Ontario

My experience with Nadine was truly amazing and something I will be forever grateful for.  Her knowledge and genuine kindness were evident in each session together as we co-created my goals and mindfulness practices.  The tools Nadine has taught me have helped me navigate both personal and professional changes with calm confidence allowing my true self to bloom.  One of my favorite parts of our time together was when we did visualizations that I deeply connected with allowing me to see things in a new and powerful way.  Anyone that works with Nadine will quickly see the gift she has at helping others.

Shannon B

HEC

 "I had an excellent coaching session this morning with Nadine. She has helped me to see things with a much clearer view."

 

Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC)

HEC Coach for the Healthcare Workforce Innovation Challenge and for the Enabling Aging in Place Collaborative

I am so grateful to have connected with Nadine during a time in my life when I was feeling unsure of myself in (and outside of) the work place. Through collaborative effort and regular check-ins, Nadine helped me build a program that was perfect for me to get grounded and find my roots again. Her use of metaphors to help keep the vision of who I wanted to be front of mind, and she was kind, gentle, and encouraging the whole way through. Even when I couldn't manage to work my program "perfectly," I knew Nadine was there to cheer me on. By the end of our coaching sessions, I was more easily able to see my value and contributions, and I feel much more calm, collected, and confident. 

Alyssa N

Nadine has a special ability to put a person at ease and intuitively ask the right questions to help reveal a path to clarity. Each session was thought provoking and left me feeling revitalized and focused. I've gained a new perspective on myself and the way I approach goals/challenges. Nadine's suggested practices and tools improved my confidence. Such a positive experience!

Tina S

For each session Nadine was fully present and provided thoughtful feedback, insight, and guidance.  Nadine is a true professional, authentic and compassionate and very skilled at honing in on what matters.

Laura K

My experience with Nadine was life-changing. I was in a very rough place in my life for almost a year when I met Nadine. I wasn’t sleeping, I was depressed and suffering from major anxiety every day. Nadine helped me get to the root of my issues and provided me with strategies after each session to help me achieve my goals and become the calm, happy, easygoing person I used to be. I looked forward to our sessions because I always felt so much better and more confident in myself and my abilities. Nadine was amazing. I would highly recommend her and her coaching sessions. You will not regret it.

Jessica P

Nadine gave me strategies and techniques to better navigate my professional and personal life, using metaphors to better apply these to my day. During our meetings, Nadine actively listened, shared practices and offered resources to compliment our discussions. She is empathetic, patient and kind, and has an ability to connect with people and identify how she can support them. 

I could feel my progress and others could see it too. I have had positive feedback from friends, family and colleagues, and made professional gains during our work together. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to work with Nadine.

Scott R

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