Reaching out and asking for help does not come easily for many people. I respect your willingness to face difficult feelings or circumstances to grow, create change, and find a more positive place in your life. Relationships and life stages come with many challenges, and I welcome the privilege of exploring these alongside you as we discuss your goals for therapy and develop a tailored plan to achieve them.

In my clinical practice, my approach is team oriented, which means that rather than direct you, I work alongside you in a structured way to help you examine and gain awareness of the paths and solutions that will work best for you given your goals and your unique characteristics, relationships, background, and lifestyle. My focus is on providing you a warm, confidential, nonjudgmental, and empathic space where you can feel safe and secure to carry out this work. I work with individuals and couples of diverse races, ethnicities, religions, genders, and sexual orientations.

My approach pulls from various theoretical foundations. Psychodynamic and attachment-based theories provide structure to explore past and current relationships and their impact on one’s current thoughts, emotions, and patterns of behaviour. Humanistic theory informs exploration of deeper meanings and knowledge of self, helping to remove blocks to reaching one’s full potential and uncovering hidden strengths. Post-modernism incorporates consideration of the impact of social and cultural influences on one’s unique set of circumstances and day-to-day experiences. Therapeutically, I use a variety of skills and techniques depending on what is most suited to you. These include techniques based in cognitive-behavioural, narrative, Gestalt, and solution-focused therapies.

I have a special interest in anxiety, depression, life transitions (childbirth, retirement, empty nest, divorce etc.), body image, eating disorders, and couples therapy. I have taken extensive training in emotion-focused family therapy, have supported parents of children and youth with eating disorders to implement family-based therapy, and am trained in cognitive behavioural therapy for eating disorders. I have contributed to Canadian practice and treatment guidelines for children and youth with eating disorders. I am also trained in trauma-informed couple therapy. I typically do longer-term depth work with clients, which is often necessary for healing complex trauma and other multifaceted issues requiring the exploration of the unconscious, core emotional wounds, and ingrained patterns.

During our first session together, I will listen closely to what you are ready to tell me. We will work together to set preliminary goals that may evolve as we move forward. Throughout therapy we will regularly assess and discuss progress and your satisfaction with the direction we are moving in so that we can alter treatment as needed. I regularly work with clients long term over many months, and sometimes years, to achieve their goals of deeper self-awareness, lasting change, and personal growth.

I am a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, and an Associate member of the Canadian Psychological Association. I have completed a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology and provide therapy under the supervision of Dr. Jean Kim, C.Psych. and Dr. Heather MacIntosh, C.Psych.