My Approach
My therapy practice is client-centered and trauma-informed: you are the expert in your own life. We work together at a pace and in a direction that feels right for you. As your capacity grows, I’ll work alongside you as we consider the difficult emotions that are hard to go through on your own.
I don’t believe that you are broken, or that there is anything “wrong” with you. We learn to cope with the world in certain ways because we had to do so early on in (and throughout) our lives to feel safe in the face of threats. Our bodies and minds are brilliant that way! But there comes a time when some unconscious strategies and patterns (like anxiety, numbing, people pleasing, perfectionism, etc.) are no longer working – when they become disruptive or painful - and it’s time to create safety and engage with the world in new ways.
Attachment theory and neuroscience inform the variety of therapeutic approaches I can draw on in response to your unique needs. These include Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems, Emotionally Focused Therapy and mindfulness approaches. We will explore your experience holistically – your thoughts and memories, your feelings, your body sensations and nervous system, your resources, strengths and connections - and use this information to enable healing.
My Background
I have been an avid climber, runner, skier, snowboarder and hiker. I have always loved movement and being in nature, yet shoulder and back injuries forced me to slow down, get gentle with myself, and explore what my body and emotions were trying to tell me. Somatic and mind-body therapeutic approaches have helped me to shift patterns and explore the emotions that kept me stuck in different aspects of my life.
Through this process I developed compassion, curiosity, and a willingness to sit with uncertainty – this has shaped who I am as a practitioner. My own struggles with injury, pain, grief, belonging and shifting identity and careers inform my work. I am constantly learning and exploring, and I love sharing what I learn with clients!
I have a Masters in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University, an MSc from the London School of Economics and a BA from Simon Fraser University. I have done additional training and years of my own personal work in Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems, attachment theory, emotion focused therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Reiki and energy work. I have also completed training in Indigenous Cultural Safety, Indigenous Allyship and Decolonizing Mental Health.
I have over 15 years of experience in social and environmental non-profits in BC and internationally, working as a leader, a facilitator and a community builder. When I'm not in the therapy room, I enjoy dancing, singing, exploring mystical practices, traveling to new places, spending time in the forest and on the water, and getting engrossed in a good novel.
My Values
CONNECTIONI bring warmth, compassion and kindness to our relationship so you can feel safe to share your vulnerability. Safe and healthy connections between individuals and in communities are transformative.
RESTIn a world that values productivity and busyness, rest is an act of rebellion. Healing isn’t just about enduring pain, and we can’t force it to happen on a schedule. We’ll look for moments of ease and fun, time for integration, and capacity for you to set the boundaries that protect your energy.
CURIOSITYPlayful curiosity guides us as we learn and grow, finding the ‘aha’ moments that make your path unique. We steer away from “should” and “shouldn’t” to explore new possibilities.
ACCEPTANCEAccepting our shadows and the grey areas of our lives can be liberating. We find the valuable parts of you that have been deemed ‘unacceptable” and shower them with compassion so they can stop holding you back
RESPECTI am dedicated to decolonizing mental health and healing spaces. I understand that for centuries and still today, mental health systems have not been safe and caring places for BIPOC and LGBTQ2+ people to seek help. As a cis-hetero white/Jewish female, uninvited descendant of immigrants, I continue to do my own work to decolonize myself and my practice to ensure that I am present in supportive and healing ways.
Training
Masters in Counselling Psychology – Yorkville University
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) in-training, Advanced Level 2 complete – Somatic Experiencing International
Stepping Deeper Internal Family Systems Training (Level 2) - IFSCA
Stepping Stone Internal Family Systems Training (Level 1) – IFSCA
Advanced Grief Counselling Certification - PESI
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy Level 1 - Dr. Leanne Campbell and Dr. Sue Johnson
Working with feelings of ‘Not Good Enough’ – NICABM
Transformational Facilitation Training with Gaia Ma
MSc in Environmental Policy – The London School of Economics
BA in Communications and Certificate in Sustainable Community Development - SFU
“We are worthy and we always were. We never have to qualify.”
— Richard Wagamese