Hi, I’m Glad You’re Here
Our capacity for change has always intrigued me.
Change can be uncomfortable. It’s not something that can be forced. It must be tended consistently and with care. I have come to learn that with safety and in connection, lasting change is possible. When we feel safe, heard and deeply understood we soften into something new.
I am committed to empowering parents by recognizing the challenges parenthood presents are opportunities for deep healing, connection and profound growth.
I am dedicated to supporting families because I believe they are the foundation to healthy communities and a thriving, healthy world.
Before becoming a therapist I worked for years with non-profit organizations towards environmental change. Sitting with northern First Nation elders over time it became apparent to me that community health was a missing key element to our goal of sustainability. This was the start of my career shift.
In 2014 I completed a 3-year Transpersonal Counselling Psychology program with Clearmind International. Most profound was the experiential nature of this program. In addition to learning relational theories and approaches, I embodied them. I learnt first hand the immense challenges and deep joy that can be part of creating lasting, positive change.
Becoming a mother transformed me.
My personal struggles with the transition to motherhood fueled my passion for supporting others.
I wasn’t the woman who always wanted to have children. I prided myself on independence, adventure and travel. My life felt exciting and yet something was missing. I yearned for a family of my own.
I toiled with the decision for quite some time. How would it change my life? Would I be a good enough mother? Could the planet sustain another human? There were so many things to consider and despite it feeling nearly impossible to know or feel ready, ultimately I took the plunge.
No one told me it would be like this.
Despite the challenges I faced in my life nothing tested me as much as motherhood. I was met with a reality that was so different from how motherhood is portrayed and as a result I was convinced that I was to blame. I struggled with the highs and the lows. I met ambivalence as I longed for the life I once had while also developing a deep love for our new child. My primary relationship was challenged as we navigated new roles, and I was so incredibly sleep deprived. I knew I needed help, both for the well-being of myself and my family.
Asking for help was not easy for someone who prided themselves on independence. Yet I knew I couldn’t keep doing it alone. I needed to try something different. Counselling was the nurturing place I needed to be honest with my struggles and find resonant, effective ways to help me create a shift.
This, in brief, is where my passion stemmed from and why I completed a masters degree in counselling psychology from Yorkville and became registered with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors.
I am deeply committed to this work.
My approach.
My aim is to meet you exactly where you are at with empathy, respect and deep listening. I believe in working collaboratively to tailor our work to your unique needs, goals and strengths.
My work with individual parents and couples is experiential, therapeutic and educational. With a decade of teaching yoga and practising mindfulness I offer a body-centred approach. Drawing from evidence-based therapies and with a trauma-informed lens I source helpful ways to facilitate new, positive experiences. This includes somatic attachment, solutions-focussed, internal family systems, cognitive behavioural, and emotionally-focussed approaches.
People describe me as kind and gentle and also to the point.
I am passionate about normalizing struggles, yet also clear and able to clinically assess levels of severity.
I am also committed to my personal and professional growth through ongoing supervision and personal counselling.
Credentials and Training
Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy Two-year training (current)
Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional PMH-C – Postpartum Support International
Internal Family Systems Consultation Group – Danielle P Carron
Families, Family Breakdown and the Law Workshop – BCACC
Group Facilitator Training – Pacific Postpartum Support Society
Telebehavioural Health Training – Dr. LoriAnn Stretch
Somatic Experiencing Level 1 Training – Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute
Living in Families Effectively (LIFE) Leader Training – Dr. Allison Rees
Columbia Protocol Suicide Assessment Training – The Columbia Lighthouse
Project
Compassionate Inquiry Professional Training – Dr. Gabor Mate
Education
Bachelor of Science from University of British Columbia
Diploma in Transpersonal Counselling Psychology from Clearmind International
Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University
Parenting is hard. Counselling helps.
I believe in the value of counselling and I know first-hand the benefit of being professionally supported through life’s difficulties. Counselling offers the resources and tools to relate to struggles compassionately and ride the waves of life rather than get swept up and washed out to sea.
It takes courage and bravery to be honest and vulnerable with ourselves and with each other. This is where the gifts await.
Book a complimentary 15-minute consultation to learn more and find out if I’m the right fit for you.