About me

I am a registered clinical counsellor with a background in community social service work. I work holistically from a person-centred, strengths-based perspective using a trauma-informed lens to support and enliven the natural wisdom that is in all of us. I am guided by my education, passion for social justice, and by both my work and lived experience to provide space for people struggling with life transitions, trauma, addictive behaviours, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, burnout/compassion fatigue, self-harm/self-sabotage behaviours, interpersonal challenges, family and parenting challenges, stress and coping, and more. 

I am a mom of two amazing young adults and have lived in the Sea to Sky for 30 + years. I have been an avid skier, runner, paddler, and hiker however, after a few injuries and other life experiences it became clear that I needed to slow down and pay more attention to my physical body and mental wellness. I have been on my own journey learning to be gentle with myself and explore what my body and emotions are trying to tell me while still striving to enage in the activities that I love. Somatic and mindfulness-based therapeutic practices have helped me to shift patterns and explore the emotions and feelings that have kept me stuck in different aspects of my life. Through this process I developed self-compassion, curiosity, and a willingness to sit with uncertainty and discomfort – this has helped shaped who I am as a counsellor. My own struggles with grief and loss, parenthood, interpersonal relationships, and workplace challenges along with working alongside people who have experienced trauma, abuse, violence, adversity, and conflict in their lives inform my work. I am constantly learning, exploring, and growing and will humbily take your lead.

I have a Masters in Counselling Psychology, a BA in Child and Youth Care, and a Social Services Worker Diploma . I have done many years of additional training including Indigenous Cultural Sensitivity, Trauma-Informed Care and Complexity of Trauma Responses, De-escalation, Grief and Loss training, Narrative Therapy appraoches, Motivational Interviewing, Reducing Barriers and Foundations of Violence, Safe Talk and ASIST, and my own personal work in somatic and mindfulness-based practices.

I have over 20 years of experience working in the social service non-profit sector with children, youth, adults and families in a variety of capacities focusing mostly on gender-based violence, life adversity, and trauma and I have expereince working with men and understand and work to destigmatize the unique challenges men face when seeking support. When I am not at work or in the therapy room, I enjoy being in nature (hiking, camping), gardening, being on, in, or near the ocean, collecting ocean treasures, going on road trips, spending time with my partner, daughters, friends, and dogs and getting engrossed in a good novel. 

I will bring warmth, non-judgment, empathy, patience, and humor to our relationship. I am here to be a witness and offer unconditional generous listening and respect so you can feel safer to sit with and share what's true for you, maybe for the first time. 

I believe that when one can begin to feel a sense of inner peace, calm, contentment, and serenity and have harmonious relationships then they are closer to finding balance and harmony in their life.

Playful curiosity guides us as we learn and grow, finding the ‘aha’ moments that make your path unique. We steer away from “should” and “shouldn’t” to explore new possibilities. 

Humour can be a powerful tool in the therapy room, it can chip away at some of the discomfort and shame and the resistance that people bring in with them. Furthermore, research tells us that the single most important factor in the outcome of therapy is the relationship between the client and the therapist. Nothing helps build relationships like a good shared laugh.

Accepting our shadows and grey areas of our selves and our lives can be liberating. Finding love and compassion for all our parts and experiences and changing inner self talk from highly critical to acceptance can open up a whole new world. 

I am dedicated to decolonizing mental health and healing spaces. I understand that for centuries and still today, mental health systems have not been safe and caring for BIPOC and LGBTQ2+ people to seek help. As a cis-heterosexual white female, uninvited descendant of immigrants, I continue to do my own work to decolonize myself and my practice to ensure that I am present in supportive and healing ways.