About Me
Helping others has always been a part of who I am. Before becoming a psychologist I worked in different careers, including 10 years in health care as a respiratory therapist. A lot happens in critical care, and supporting my patients and their loved ones, often through some of the most difficult times of their lives, was deeply meaningful to me. These experiences, and living with neurodivergence, raising children, and navigating my own challenges in life helped me realize how important mental health support is. How I want to help led me back to school later in life to become a psychologist. I’ve provided counselling to clients from the ages of 8 to beyond retirement, from all walks of life, and for many different reasons. I consider it a true privilege to work with my clients toward better mental health, relationships, and resilience.
My primary areas of experience include providing:
- Trauma-informed Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Somatic, body-based practices and Mindfulness
- Solution Focused and Strengths-based approaches
- Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD
What to Expect in Therapy
The details of individual therapy and how it might look depends on many things. My goal is to be responsive and flexible while supporting you through an effective therapeutic process. In general: I work with you, at a pace that’s comfortable for you, to develop a shared understanding of what you are experiencing and your goals for therapy. This shared understanding and direction provides a foundation to explore evidence-based strategies, skills, and tools that are relevant to your experiences, preferences, values, and goals.
My Perspective
I have provided counselling to children, adolescents, adults, couples, and groups from diverse socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds for many different concerns. This experience along with my training has led me to a pluralistic perspective on therapy and mental health: That different people need different types of support at different times in their lives.
My perspective is based on the idea that therapy works best when it’s personalized in a shared decision making process, which leaves a lot of room for you. Together we explore how you think and feel about your challenges and decide on an effective treatment that makes sense and feels right to you.
Holistic Lens
My approach considers a “whole” person. A holistic understanding of mental health: Our mind, body, relationships, culture, experiences, spirituality, and environment all influence each other and our experience of distress and well-being. This lens supports a deeper understanding of what is impacting us, highlights our strengths and resources, and provides more opportunities for change.
Focused, Informed Care
Working together, we focus on what’s important and relevant to you. Grounded in a trauma-informed, scientific understanding of the mind and body, I draw from various modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), as well as somatic and mindfulness practices to support you in achieving meaningful insight and paths to change.