As a registered social worker for over 30 years, I have had the opportunity to offer my counselling services to many individuals, couples and families, who were open to sharing their struggles with me. In our work together, I often hear the early cries of desperation and expressed helplessness. But then, I get to witness their shift. I hear their stories of endurance, strength, and ultimately, hopefulness for their future. Traumatic experiences are subjective, and whether it is a situational incident that has impacted your life, or you have endured years of repeated trauma, I will help you to make the same shift. To notice your times of courage, not shame. Your bravery, not fear. Your resilience, not hopelessness.  

I am a trauma-trained clinician and experienced in many therapies. Some of these include:

• EMDR
• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
• Somatic Therapy
• Art Therapy
• Attachment-Focused Therapy

Specializations:

• I have completed the requirements to treat clients with EMDR protocols and as such, I am registered with EMDR Canada and the EMDR International Association.
• I have worked successfully with individuals diagnosed with full-scale IQ’s below 85 for many years. Therefore, I have extensive experience adjusting treatment approaches to meet the unique strengths and needs of individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities.
• I am certified as a Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and as a New Ways for Families counsellor. 

Since there is not a “one size fits all” treatment approach, I offer the counselling services and supports that are the best fit for you. Often, more than one problem can exist at a time, increasing feelings of overwhelm and confusion. So while I’ve shared some of my therapeutic education and experience, I encourage you to contact me directly to ensure a goodness of fit for your unique situation.

Life’s Ups and Downs:

Counselling is not always for when things are already in a difficult place. Sometimes clients have entered into counselling proactively, for example, couples who want to reduce the likelihood of communication problems escalating, or individuals who want to increase their feelings of self-worth before any possibility of life throwing them a curve ball that leads them into making negative, rather than healthful, life choices.

We will all experience ups and downs in our lives – that is life! If we all experienced a flat way of being, we would not be living. What is important to notice is how difficult times in our lives impact us. Asking yourself, “Is this just a bad day?” Or are the problems you’re experiencing impacting you for a longer period of time? Your lifestyle? Work? Relationships? Stress and anxiety are common problems people want to address in therapy, but it is important to remember a certain amount of stress is a good thing! Otherwise we wouldn’t know to stay away from unsafe situations. But when anxiety and stress levels stay high, the impact to our psychological and physical well-being can be debilitating.

Many of my clients have accessed counselling to help with a variety of issues. If you are experiencing any one or more of the following problems in your life, feel free to contact me to learn more about how I can support you to move from surviving to thriving.