I suppose the first thing I’d like people to know about me is that I am driven to partner with people in their individual processes of healing. I am passionate about accepting, collaborating with, and supporting people as they explore, move through, and heal from difficulties in their lives. 

Through a number of different experiences, both personal and professional, I’ve come to believe that people often get stuck and overwhelmed in their lives to the extent that they’ve been hurt by others, difficult events and experiences, and the world around them, in the past or present. I’ve certainty found this to be true in the context of my own story and the stories of the many people with whom I’ve worked. It seems that people are hurt in the context of their relationships, and as a result, heal best in relationship. With this in mind, I see counselling as a relationship that provides people with a way of getting ‘unstuck’ – an opportunity for people to make sense of where they’ve come from, determine what keeps them stuck and/or in pain, find new ways of approaching difficulties, and begin a journey of healing, through collaborative and supportive relationship and their own innate tendencies towards wholeness, health, and goodness. 

As a counsellor, I maintain an integrative approach. This means that I draw on a number of psychotherapeutic theories and practices to help connect with, and uniquely support, each individual with whom I work. Although I aim to remain sensitive to my clients’ needs, my approach to therapy is primarily impacted by theories of trauma, attachment, and family/community systems.

I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor (C.C.C.) registered with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In my training and work experiences, I have developed expertise in the area of trauma therapy and addictions with adolescents, adults, and families.  Additionally, I am trained in Observed and Experiential Integration (OEI) and Lifespan Integration (LI)—both of which are body-based trauma processing therapies based on the neuroscience of attachment and the body’s stress response system. These therapies address the physical, mental and emotional impacts of trauma through the power of neuroplasticity.

In particular, I have experience in working with ADOLESCENTS, adults, and families in the following areas:

-       Current and historical relational trauma (physical, emotional, mental and sexual abuse)

-       Neglect and abandonment

-       Sexual assault

-       Witnessed violence

-       Substance and behavioural addictions

-       Depression

-       Anxiety

-       Post-traumatic stress

-       Suicidal ideation and self-harm

-       Grief and loss

-       Life transitions