“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”

Relationships are a crucial component of human health and happiness, and my passion involves helping people develop better connections with others as well as with themselves. By offering a setting that is based on trust, empathy, and collaboration, counselling can provide you with a safe and supportive space to explore your thoughts and emotions while creating a deeper, more authentic understanding of who you are, what you need, and the dynamics that you are navigating. 

I have a strong interest in working with adults who are experiencing relationship breakdown of all sorts, including issues related to addiction, the effects of addiction, infidelity, betrayal trauma, difficult childhoods, dysfunctional families of origin, and the impact of past hurts and coping patterns. It is possible to thrive and be well no matter what you have been through, and counselling can help with this.

Whether you attend alone or with a partner, I believe that there can be great value in processing relationships from the past or present as well as exploring the relationship that you're maintaining with yourself. 

As well, I welcome the opportunity to support individuals who are struggling with mental health concerns and other life challenges, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, burnout, and autoimmune disorders. 

Whether you've received therapy before or this is the first time you're considering it, I believe that everyone has the ability to grow, heal, and feel better, and that each person is ultimately responsible for the path they choose along their journey. As such, I honor the uniqueness of each person's experience and offer a safe therapeutic space where every individual, and every couple, can feel seen, heard, and deeply understood. 

My qualifications include a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology. In addition, I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors and a member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.  

I am also an IFS Therapist (Level 2), and am working towards registration as a Discernment Counsellor and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level II (Complex Trauma).

 
My trauma-informed theoretical framework is anchored in Internal Family Systems (IFS), while integrating the attachment principles and relational lens of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Both of these methodologies are evidence-based practices that have been demonstrated to be effective with a variety of situations and symptoms. I recognize that each individual has a unique set of circumstances and perspectives, so with this in mind, I will work collaboratively with you to determine your strengths, needs, areas of growth, and goals for counselling to ensure that you feel heard and supported.  

I am further completing the education and supervision hours needed for registration as a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT-Candidate) and Certified Couples Betrayal Recovery Therapist (CCBRT-Candidate) with the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP). These graduate-level programs have provided me with specialized training, strategies, and tools to support and rebuild relationships that have been shaken by infidelity, problematic sexual behaviors, complex trauma, mistrust, and addiction.

In addition, I'm committed to keeping my practice relevant by receiving regular supervision/consultation and obtaining ongoing education. Some of the professional development programs that I've attended include:

IFS: 

• Level 1, Internal Family Systems Therapy (Fran Booth & Jenny Fiebig)
• Level 2, Multi-Topic (Ralph Cohen & Ann Sinko)
• IFS and Complex Trauma (Mike Elkin)
• Befriending Difficult Protectors in IFS Therapy (Mike Elkin)
• Treating Complex Trauma with Internal Family Systems (Frank Anderson)
• Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO), 6 month course (Toni Herbine-Blank & John Palmer)
• IFS Immersion: Integrating Internal Family Systems Across Clinical Applications (Frank Anderson)
• IFS Online Circle (Dr. Richard Schwartz, Toni Herbine-Blank & Pamela Krause)

IITAP (International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals):

• Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT-Candidate)
• Certified Couple Betrayal Trauma Recovery Therapist (CCBRT-Candidate)
• Best Therapeutic Practices in Treating Adults Enmeshed with a Parent (Dr. Kenneth Adams)
• Codependency vs Enmeshment (Dr. Kenneth Adams)

Relationships:

• Early Recovery Couples Empathy Model Training (ERCEM) (Carol Juergensen Sheets)
• Discernment Counselling (William J. Doherty) (in progress)

Trauma:

• Complex Trauma Certification Training Levels 1 & 2 (CCTP/CCTP-II) (Janina Fisher & Bessel Van Der Kolk) (in progress) 

Emotionally Focused Therapy:

• Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), Level 1 (Sue Johnson)
• Partner Violence & Emotionally Focused Therapy: Fighting for Love (Jef Slootmaeckers & Lieven Migerode)
• Advanced EFT and Violence (Jef Slootmaeckers & Lieven Migerode)
• Working with Affairs (Dr. Ting Liu)
• Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Level 1
• Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) for Attachment Trauma: Transforming Psychological Wounds For Adult Children Traumatized as Children (Leanne Campbell)
• Introduction to Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) (Dr. Adele Lafrance & Natasha Files)
• Advanced Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) (Dr. Adele Lafrance & Natasha Files)

Gottman Couples Therapy: 

• Level 1
• Couples and Addiction Recovery

Real Life Therapy (RLT): 

• Level 1 (Anna Sterk)
• The RLT Approach to Working With Infidelity (Terry Real)

Indigenous Cultural Knowledge: 

• San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program
• Understanding Intergenerational Collective Trauma
• Indigenous Cultural Safety Protocols
• Indigenous Trauma & Equity Informed Practice Training  

Mental Health: 

• Psychological First Aid
• Living Works Suicide Prevention Training

Addiction: 

• SMART Recovery Facilitator Training

I have also met the requirements to become an approved Mental Health Provider for the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), the Metis Nation of BC (MNBC), the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP), and ICBC.  

Overall, I'm committed to facilitating positive therapeutic experiences that promote growth, healing, and wellness for all.