I believe that each person is capable of healing and producing growth and transformation in their life. People continually overcome difficult experiences in life and are able to accomplish more than they can imagine.

I will journey alongside you through the highs and lows as you work through challenges and take steps toward change. You can expect genuineness, compassion, empathy, and laughter throughout this process. My approach to counseling does not involve telling you what to do but is rather about partnering with you to discover and bring about the growth and new direction you long for. 

I have a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of the Fraser Valley and am a Registered Clinical Counsellor and a Registered Social Worker. My approach to therapy includes the use of Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems, EMDR, as well as self-compassion and mindfulness practices."

My areas of practice include: 

• Trauma 
• Anxiety
• Perfectionism
• Grief and Loss
• Life Transitions 
• Body Image and Self Esteem
• Religious/Spiritual Trauma 
 

I work with adults, youth, and couples from a variety of cultural backgrounds and identities. I incorporate a social justice-oriented and trauma-informed lens and my approach is always tailored to your unique needs and intersecting identities. I will collaborate with you to ensure that your needs are met and will continually adjust my approach as needed so that it fits for you and is moving you in the direction that you hope for. 

I also bring an anti-oppressive lens to the work that I do which means I am constantly holding an awareness of the ways that power and oppression impact and cause suffering for the individuals I work with. I strive to provide a safe, accepting, and empowering space where you can share your stories of both pain and joy and move forward in creating new stories that align with your values and hopes in life.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading a good book, baking something delicious that usually includes chocolate, and connecting with friends and family. I am a mother to three young children and am grateful to have the support of my amazing husband.

There are many differing messages of who to be or what to do and it can be easy to lose connection to ourselves, to the truth of who we are. We are continually shaped and impacted by relationships, life experiences, trauma, and our worldviews. As well, our own mental health can rob us from living authentically.

As a therapist, I value the unique identity and experience of each person I work with, welcoming individuals of diverse backgrounds, identities, cultures, and spiritual orientations. It is my desire that you experience a warm, supportive therapeutic relationship with me where you are encouraged to be the truest expression of yourself. 

I will receive you wherever you’re at and support you in pursuing your desired goals. If you don’t know what they are, that’s ok, we can journey into discovery together. It is a gift for me to hold a safe space for clients, to listen and empower you towards discovering more of who you are and finding your own answers to the transitions/challenges you face. It is my desire to work with each client within their own unique needs and values rather than treating you as a one size fits all. My strongest passion is journeying with individuals in coming home to themselves, accepting their own humanness with compassion, and using their own strengths to bring about their desired change.

My therapeutic approach

I am an AEDP trained and Internal Family Systems informed therapist that incorporates a trauma-informed lens while integrating approaches from Person-centred Therapy, self-compassion, mindfulness, Solution-Focused Therapy, EMDR, and Ketamine Assisted Therapy.

My areas of practice

•       Anger

•       Anxiety

•       Coping Skills

•       Depression

•       Grief and loss

•       Life Transitions

•       Relationships

•       Spiritual discovery or deconstruction

•       Stress

•       Trauma

My love for learning

I hold a Certificate in Professional Coaching from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University. My love for learning has led me to additional professional development to enhance my work with clients. This additional training includes:

• Advance Master Program on the Treatment of Trauma (NICABM)
• AEDP Immersion (AEDP Institute)
• Diversity Training – Standing Together & Caring for Each Other: Mobilizing Cultural Safety and Humility in Professional Practice (BCACC)
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)(Envision)
• Individual Ketamine Assisted Therapy (Katalyst Mental Health)
• Internal Family Systems (IFS) & Anxiety, Depression, and Shame
• Internal Family Systems (IFS) Inner Circle: Foundations of the IFS Model
• Queering your Practice (BCACC)
• San'yas Core Indigenous Cultural Safety Mental Health
• Trauma Informed Practice Institute Level 1 (Trauma & The Body)
• Trauma Informed Practice Institute Level 2 (Healing Trauma Experientially)

My life outside the office:

When I’m not working you can typically find me nestled up with a good book, playing games, hiking, or paddle boarding with my husband and two teens.

As a therapist, I believe it is a privilege each and every time a client invites me into their most vulnerable moments. Their hurt and struggles. The parts that they are proud of, and the parts that they hide away from most of the world. 

This work makes me so aware of human resilience and the reality of common humanity i.e. that we are all a work in progress.

My hope is to create a space for you that is comfortable, non-judgemental, openly reflective, and real. It is amazing to me how often new clients disclose their nervousness upon our first session, and by the end of the hour confidently state how thankful they are that they came. This is the power of a safe, well-fitting therapeutic relationship.

As I partner with clients in the work of therapy, I come as a companion. I am not the authority or expert on what is best for you, but play the role as mirror and gentle guide, in order for you to become more of your authentic self. I help you to lean into what has previously been too challenging to look at alone, and by “undoing the aloneness” of the most wounding moments of our lives, we find the ability to heal in new ways. 

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor, and hold a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family therapy. Therefore, I understand that we live our lives within the context of relational systems, and I take these wider contexts into consideration when working with individuals. I see every client as a whole being; body, mind, soul, spirit, and relationships, and by addressing these different areas of the Self, it is my firm belief that growth, healing, and positive change is possible for every person.

I draw from therapy models such as Satir Transformational Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, and attachment theory. I strive to work with clients in such a way as to provide them with a new therapeutic experience of themselves, which they can then take with them into the other contexts of their lives. I also come from a trauma-informed perspective, and often integrate body-based awareness with emotional processing. 

I work with women, men, young adults, teens, couples, and families through a variety of struggles around self-worth, relationships, depression and anxiety, trauma, personal development, life transitions, and spiritual formation.

Before I get into the details of my education and work experience, I want to tell you a bit about why I choose to do this work every day. 

My passion for supporting others is rooted in a deep respect, hope and admiration I have in the strength of the human spirt and its ability to heal, grow, and love. This belief is my true guide in all I do. Or at least, it is when I let it. It’s the force that brings me back home to myself time and time again. It’s the anchor that steadies me and acts as my inner compass. 

I trust in  the belief that each of us has a unique opportunity to contribute to the healing of the world in small ways and it is my heartfelt desire to help others feel safely supported in the ups and downs of their own journey’s.

Ok, on to the nitty gritty: Graduating in 2011 with a degree in Child and Youth Care, I began my career working closely with vulnerable youth and families facing various challenges in the community—ranging from poverty and mental health issues to abuse and addiction. My roles varied, encompassing community development, supervision for probationary youth, and facilitating workshops for parents and youth.

Driven by my experiences, I began studying family systems and attachment, expanding my focus to include addressing complex trauma across all age groups. Continual learning is a value that has led me to explore areas such as developmental psychology, attachment, somatic healing, and various therapeutic modalities. 

Additionally, I’ve received training in coaching modalities, including parent coaching, enneagram typing  & coaching,  and values-based life & leadership coaching.

My approach combines therapy with coaching, leading with compassionate curiosity and prioritizing a trauma informed and values-based perspective. I am passionate about supporting others to create deeper connections and meaningful growth in their lives while embracing vulnerability as a source of strength.

Outside of work, I am a wife, a friend, and a mother to 3 uniquely amazing kids. I find joy in running with my dog Pepper, and embracing fun and creative pursuits like reading, writing, and dancing. But what truly fills my heart is being by the ocean with my family, where I feel the most at peace, inspired, and connected to who I am. 

Individuals & Couples:

Complex & Developmental Trauma

 Family of Origin & Attachment Trauma

Somatic Attachment & Somatic Resourcing

Internal Family Systems

EMDR

Enneagram Personality Profiling

Coaching:

Values & Personal Development

Leadership

Parenting/Co-Parenting

Enneagram Personality Profiling

Certifications & Trainings:

Somatic Attachment Therapy 

Intimacy From the Inside Out ~ IFS Couples Model

Somatic Parts Work

Parent as Coach Approach ~ Parent Coaching

Values-Based Leadership 

Emdr and Emdr ego states 

Internal Family Systems

Enneagram Personality Profiling

My journey towards social work and counselling is largely due to my own life transformations. As someone who has been in the position of a counselling client, I know what has been instrumental for me in helping move through the most challenging times in my own life. Building trust, suspending judgement, and remaining curious has been an important part of my work as a social worker, and I am excited to bring these skills into serving people in a therapeutic capacity.

I have work experience with children and families, grief and loss, addictions, depression and anxiety, body and issues and disordered eating, trauma, and the criminal justice system. I am passionate about social justice, and I practice from a feminist perspective. 

My approach is trauma-informed and client centered. I believe that everyone brings strengths to the table and look forward to helping people discover and nurture those strengths. Attachment theory and internal family systems are instrumental in my work, and I am looking forward to this new journey of building connections and finding solutions with you. 

The life that led me here includes close to 15 years of being a personal trainer. Wellness has evolved for me into something less about fitting into what society tells me I should look like, and more about honouring my body and what it needs. In my down time, I still enjoy the gym, and am an ice cream connoisseur. I practice meditation daily, and like to read, paint, and watch movies. 

I truly believe that each person is of immense value and worth. Each time I sit with a client, I feel honoured to be allowed into the sacred place that is their inner world. The work of healing and growth is complex and difficult. However, when we are met in our struggles while being truly seen and witnessed, we begin to be able to tolerate more and more as we come to know our true Self better. From an attachment based lens and an experiential approach, I seek to understand individuals holistically and approach their stories with compassion, curiosity, and authenticity. I am passionate about the opportunity that individuals have for change and growth when they are provided with compassionate care in a non-judgmental and safe environment.
 

I believe that all people are complex individuals who are part of the emotional and relational systems in which they live. For that reason, I take a systemic, trauma-informed, client-centered and attachment based approach to counselling. Specifically, I draw from theories like Satir Transformational Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, Neufeld Theory, and Internal Family Systems. 

I am currently a student in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Trinity Western University. As a student, I will be interning from May 2024 through December 2024 under the direct supervision of Kara Phelan, Registered Clinical Counsellor. My previous experience in internship has been working with kids and teens, as well as families and individuals in various stages of life and development. I am passionate about helping young people in their vulnerable positions and vital ages of development as well as those in other life stages. I look forward to developing as a therapist and working with teens, young adults, men, and women of diverse backgrounds.
 

I recognize the great honour that it is to be invited into the place of clients’ emotional processes and struggles, and I am excited to be training and working as a professional therapist for this reason.