Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to read my therapist bio to learn a bit about me!
I am a registered member, in good standing, with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) and the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW).
I have always had a curiosity and interest in learning about human behaviour—why we do the things we do. This curiosity led to an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Trent University. As an introvert, I am by nature a good listener and observer, soft-spoken, and empathic. Because of this, people often told me I should become a therapist. So, I took their advice and enrolled in the University of Windsor’s Bachelor of Social Work program. After completing two undergraduate degrees, I wanted some hands-on experience and worked for a few years before attending graduate school to pursue a Master of Social Work. Most recently I became a Certified Grief Educator via world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler, and a Certified Grief Movement Guide.
At this point in my career, I have 20 years of psychotherapy experience in mental health and addictions. After two decades, I am still passionate about my work and helping people transform their lives!
I am deeply grateful to all my clients (past and present) who teach me about the strong link between trauma, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and drug & alcohol addiction. Grief and loss are typically at the core of these—and there are so many kinds of losses. To name a few (but not all): death of a loved one, pet loss, perinatal, anticipatory grief, health, job loss/change, retirement, separation/divorce, ambiguous loss, break-ups (including the end of a friendship), loss of self/identity, faith, trust, and safety. These losses begin in our youth and continue across the lifespan, giving them an accumulative effect. Because each loss leaves us a little less resilient, we can think of them as chronic, or “Little-t” traumas.
Unfortunately, we live in a grief-illiterate society where changes/lost expectations go unrecognized and unacknowledged. For this reason, people often think they shouldn’t feel as upset as they do—leaving grief and trauma unhealed.
In therapy session(s), I provide a safe, nonjudgmental space for witnessing the full range of losses/traumas, including disappointments and lost dreams/expectations. Your psychological and emotional safety is of utmost importance to me. That is why I strive to be trauma-informed and anti-oppressive in all facets of my practice. I also put a lot of thought into creating a calm, inclusive, and welcoming environment to hold space for anyone who walks into my office.
It has been an honor to help many people figure out ways to manage overwhelming thoughts/emotions and release the unhealthy coping strategies that were used to numb or avoid. I look forward to our work together and being witness to your healing journey!
If you are curious about the types of evidence-based therapies I use, the following is a brief overview. Most modalities are complex, nuanced, and take years to master. For this reason, I dedicated my career to learning three approaches that are trauma/polyvagal-informed and blend superbly together. This gives clients an opportunity to choose the best fit, or we can use them in combination to create interventions that are uniquely suited to you.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy—a transformational and collaborative approach that helps people identify what they really want for themselves and uncovers the strengths, skills, and abilities needed to create a desirable life.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Tapping)—an approach that uses cognitive, somatic, and (non-threatening) exposure components to release trauma symptoms, including: flashbacks, nightmares, sleep problems, hypervigilance, irritability, intrusive thoughts, and overall distress. This is in part achieved through the stimulation of specific acupressure points that are located along the vagus nerve. EFT Tapping is widely used among veterans and active military members.
Clinical Hypnosis—allows people to access all the learning and resources that are stored in the subconscious mind. People with a harsh inner critic can benefit from hypnotherapy because the deep state of relaxation that is achieved helps bypass the inner critic and unlocks the resources and aspects of us that can overcome fears, struggles, and pain/suffering.
