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Hello and welcome,

 

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (BCACC #19779) with a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology and an undergraduate degree in Child and Youth Care.

 

Originally from the West Kootenay region of B.C., I grew up in a family that faced various adversities, including poverty, addictions, mental health challenges, and homelessness. My family and early life experiences also instilled in me a strong sense of community and values centered around love, compassion and mutual support.

My career journey began with a desire to find meaningful, values-based life’s work and to gain the tools and insights needed to better understand the people, places, and experiences that shaped my early life. Before becoming a Registered Clinical Counsellor, I worked for over a decade as a Youth and Family Outreach Counsellor and Youth Care Worker in both the public health and nonprofit sectors. Today, I focus my clinical practice on supporting individuals, couples, and parents. I feel incredibly honored to be able to do this work and am humbled by the wisdom and insights I gain from hearing my clients' stories and am committed to lifelong learning to provide the best possible support to each and every client.

 

Work with Parents: Becoming a parent is one of the most pivotal and impactful life experiences. It is okay to need support-parenting is hard, especially in an age of information overload, social media comparisons, high living costs, and reduced access to extended family or close-knit communities. Our nervous systems are not designed to be superhuman. Many parents feel on the edge of a breakdown, juggling life stressors. My approach to parent coaching draws from family systems, developmental, and attachment-oriented perspectives, built from years of experience working with youth and families. I also use practical tools from Positive Discipline Parenting (https://www.positivediscipline.com/about-positive-discipline) to help unburden parents by reducing power struggles and support children in becoming responsible, respectful, and resourceful individuals.

Work with Couples: My interest in working with couples comes from both personal and professional experiences. As a Youth Care Worker, I saw firsthand that individuals can undergo extensive therapy, but lasting change is unlikely if the systems around them remain unchanged. Supporting parents and couples became a natural way for me to promote child and youth well-being. Additionally, after experiencing numerous so-called “failed” relationships in my 20s, I took time for self-reflection, asking, “What is my part in this?” and “What does a healthy relationship look like?” This journey of self-discovery, combined with my master’s studies, inspired me to focus my clinical practice in part on couples and parents. My work with couples incorporates Emotion-Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method, offering concrete tools and process-oriented approaches that help couples feel more heard, understood, and connected, while reducing conflict and fostering peaceful, nurturing homes where individuals and families can thrive.

Work with Individuals: My work with individuals centers on meeting clients where they are at, helping them become their most authentic-connected selves, while building emotional resilience. Common areas of focus include anxiety, depression, neurodivergence (including ADHD), addiction issues, interpersonal conflict, attachment issues, life transitions, reparenting, childhood trauma, grief and traumatic loss. I offer in-person, walk-and-talk, and video sessions. My practice is grounded in a biopsychosocial, attachment-based, and trauma-informed approach. I use various modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Solution-Focused Therapy, the Gottman Method, and Structural Family Therapy. I am also trained in Nature-Based Therapy and am a Positive Discipline Parenting coach.

 

Accessibility: I am committed to making mental health care accessible and partner with various counselling assistance funds and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), including Whistler and Sea to Sky Community Services, Pearls Place, CVAP, and the Vail Employee Assistance Program.

Thank you for your interest and I look forward to supporting you on your health and wellness journey.

Education & Training 

Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University

Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care, University of Victoria

Dual Diploma in Child and Youth Care & Social Service Work, Selkirk College

Gottman Method Couples Therapy Clinical Training, The Gottman Institute

Occupational Awareness Training: Fire Fighter Culture and Trauma, Emergency Workers Trauma, First Responders Health  

San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training, First Nations Health Authority 

Positive Discipline Parenting Certificate, Positive Discipline Parenting Institution 

Emotion-Focused Family Therapy Certificate, Foundry BC 

Nature-Based Therapy Certificate, Human-Nature Counselling Society 

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Certificate, Foundry BC

Mental Health Associate Certificate, Selkirk College 

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