I first worked with trauma and addictions as a social worker on Vancouver's downtown East Side, as I completed my undergraduate degree in International Development from Simon Fraser University. After a number of years working with non-profits, I moved to teaching History and Geography in International Schools in multiple countries. I hold an additional undergraduate degree in Education from the University of British Columbia, as well as numerous education-focused trainings.

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I have always been interested in trauma, but my clinical interest began after I started coaching and training in trauma-informed healing modalities such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Experiencing (SE), Indigenous ways of healing, and others. I went back to school following motherhood to receive my graduate degree in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and my status as a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). The 'qualifying' part means I can practice alone, but I still meet with a supervisor regularly who provides clinical guidance. 

 

Due to my personal life experience and education, I understand mental health in a non-pathologizing way. For example, part of you may feel anxious, overwhelmed, or shut down, while another part tries to stay productive, overthink, plan, or keep everything together. ​From an Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed perspective, these parts develop to protect you. Some carry difficult emotions like fear, shame, or self-doubt, while others work hard to help you cope—by staying busy, avoiding, or trying to stay in control. Even if these patterns feel frustrating now, they often began as intelligent survival strategies.

 

In our work together, we don’t just talk about your experiences—we can also pay attention to how they show up in your body, emotions, and patterns. Using a somatic (body-based) approach, we begin to gently build awareness of sensations, helping you reconnect with your body in a way that feels safe and manageable.

 

Over time, this integrative approach can help you:

• understand your patterns with more clarity and self-compassion

• feel more regulated and grounded in your body

• respond to challenges with more flexibility, rather than feeling stuck or overwhelmed

• reconnect with a deeper sense of yourself beyond anxiety, trauma, or coping strategies

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Lastly, anti-oppressive approaches are a fundamental part of my practice. I am queer- and trans-affirming, neurodivergent-affirming. I am kink- and poly-aware. I support the revival of Indigenous culture and ways of knowing and being. I live with an autoimmune disease in a mostly-abled body and recognize my privilege as a mostly white woman without disregarding my own trauma and oppression. Motherhood is a defining role in my life and the catalyst for my own personal growth. I have been in some form of therapy for the last 8 years. 

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Education, Certifications​, Additional Trainings

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• Somatic Experiencing Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels

• Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certification (Embody Lab)

• Internal Family Systems Level One Certification (Internal Family Systems Institute)

• Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy Training (West Coast Anxiety and OCD Clinic)

• Internal Family Systems Program Assistant (Multiple trainings 2024-2026) 

• Embodied Internal Family Systems Workshops I, II, and III (Ruth Culver)

• IFS and Case Conceptualization Workshop (Jodie Keeso - The Play Clinic)

• IFS and External Constraints Workshop (Michael Fitzgerald)

• Positive Psychology Coaching Certification (ICF-verified)

• Trauma-Informed Registered Yoga Teacher (Yoga Farm Ithaca)

• ASIST Suicide Prevention Course

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• M.A.C.P. Counselling Psychology (Yorkville University)

• B.Ed Intermediate/Senior Education (University of British Columbia)

• B.A. (Hons) International Development (Simon Fraser University)

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• Member, Ontario College of Teachers, 

• Member, Canadian Registered Psychotherapy Association #20454

• Member, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association

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