I grew up in the Lower Mainland of BC, Canada, before attending the University of Western Ontario for my undergraduate degree in Psychology. This was the beginning of my journey and fascination with the study of human behaviour. Of particular interest throughout my educational, experiential and professional career, is how the effects of trauma and early attachment and abuse can impact the way we deal with challenges and how we can heal from them. After completing my undergraduate degree, I returned to the Lower Mainland where I attended the University of British Columbia and obtained a Diploma in Education and Counselling Psychology, while simultaneously working as a Children Who Witnesses Abuse Counsellor and as a Women’s Advocate in a transition home for women fleeing violent situations.
I then began working in Burnaby with children and youth who had negative contact with the police, as well as in Youth Corrections, with young people who were involved in the criminal justice system. I worked as a therapist, as well as provided clinical supervision to therapists and other staff working with children and youth on restorative processes. I have experience in developing and facilitating youth groups, training law enforcement, school administration and teaching staff on the Youth Criminal Justice Act and child and youth development. I then pursued and completed my Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology and am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors. I have extensive experience working individually with children, youth and their families in a therapeutic setting, as well as providing professional development and training to professionals in the field.
I am a trained trainer in providing and assessing threats and violence in school settings and provide training to community professionals, school administration and law enforcement. If your child has been involved with any disciplinary action at their school, I can assist in working to discover the underlying causes and to work towards understanding and changing the behaviour(s).
I have also travelled to many parts of the world and have had an opportunity to live in both Europe and the Middle East. In support of my passion in working with people in the area of self-awareness, empowerment and change, I also completed my yoga teacher training in Italy, practicing and acknowledging the powerful connection between mind and body.
The specific therapeutic and counselling approach I use will depend on the unique needs of each individual, family or couple. I primarily use elements of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Mindfulness Based approaches, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy. I am continually extending my professional development and am committed to providing approaches and techniques that work specifically for each client.
