Hello!
Years ago, I made the decision to change careers and devoted my mind, heart and soul to the field of psychotherapy. As a client myself, I was struck by the magic that talk therapy provided me to help make sense of my experiences and gain clarity in my not-so-clear world.
Prior to psychotherapy, I spent a decade working in the public sector for government-funded social service programs helping some of the provinces’ most marginalized populations. Although I look back on this experience with gratitude and a humbled lens, I always felt I wasn’t able to do the work I was born to do: sit with people, in their pain, patiently, searching for the answers and moments that will ultimately lead to a sense of inner peace.
In my practice, I meet clients where they're at and aim to walk alongside them as a supportive guide in their therapeutic journey. Therapy is different for everyone. For some, it’s about healing past trauma or having a space to confide in someone unrelated to their circumstance; for others, it’s about finding closure, self exploration, personal growth, or trying to ‘hold on’ during an emotionally volatile time. Ultimately, I provide a safe, non-judgmental atmosphere where I welcome my clients to just be while we navigate life’s struggles.
APPROACH
My style of therapy aims to build self awareness, authenticity, presence, flexibility, resilience, and a deeper connection with the self. I work from an integrative approach primarily rooted in the following therapeutic modalities, although I also respect and admire Buddhist psychology, attachment theory, and inner child work.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Emotion Focused Therapy
Psychodynamic Therapy
MBCT is a form of cognitive therapy initially developed to prevent relapse from recurring episodes of depression. Derived from the works of Jon Kabot-Zinn, MBCT incorporates breathing exercises, mindfulness practices, and meditation to help clients adopt a new way of being in relation to their thoughts and feelings. In essence, MBCT aims to endure difficult emotional states, such as sadness, rather than trying to avoid or change them.
Emotion Focused Therapy aims to make sense of and transform one of our most fundamental parts of being: our emotions. EFT prioritizes our acceptance, expression, and regulation of emotion to ultimately achieve a higher emotional intelligence. Through EFT, we will work to listen with compassion, alleviate self judgement, and ask important questions that build a better awareness of self.
Psychodynamic therapy aims to create long lasting benefits through self-discovery and increased awareness. With a focus on psychological roots of emotional suffering, we attune to unconscious processes in session and work to understand the influence of our past on present behaviour. In our early stages of therapy, I complete a family dynamics assessment that helps to create a holistic perspective.
CREDENTIALS
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Registered Psychotherapist, College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (Membership #10172)
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General Member, Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals
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Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MA) degree, Yorkville University
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Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, Sociology, Laurentian University
"Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes."
C. G. Jung