I believe connection is key for removing barriers and working through problems. I provide a non-judgmental safe space where together we can do just this. My experience includes working with youth and young adults navigating addiction, anxiety, depression, oppression, and trauma. Those I worked with were diverse in culture and experience. I also have personal experience with injury, disability, and some of the barriers specific to this identity. I am currently training as a counsellor through Adler University where I am constantly building on skills that can help you.
Q & A With our Staff
A little bit more about me
Education?
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of the Fraser Valley
- Pursuing a Masters of Counselling Psychology at Adler University.
Top three Specializations:
- Trauma
- Systemic Barriers
- Addiction
Top Three Modalities of Therapy:
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Narrative
- Person-Centered Therapy
What do people say your biggest strength is?
Resilience, often through humor.
What led you to counseling?
While I have always been good at connecting with others, it didn’t become my passion until my life went through it’s own upheaval, setting me on an unexpected journey. I learned that if connecting to others could help me, others may have a similar experience. My new path led me to working with youth on the Downtown East Side of Vancouver. Here I worked with youth dealing with addiction, trauma, anxiety and systemic barriers linked to a myriad of cultural backgrounds. Training as a counsellor is teaching me to connect further as individuals work through their own struggles.
What inspires you?
Compassion for self and others.
Favorite things to do?
Playing board games, travelling, reading, watching tv and spending time with loved ones!
What would you tell a client who is meeting you for the first time?
I am looking forward to getting to know each other.
One thing you’ve learned from working with people?
Problems or barriers are not made by the individual alone. They are byproducts of many factors within a system. As such it is rare that we can solve or overcome these problems or barriers by ourselves.
Favourite book/book series?
Harry Potter. These books deal with themes of depression, oppression, and friendship. However because they are set in a fantasy world, they also feel like a slightly removed way of considering these topics while relating to them. I also learned to read on these books so they are special to me in that way too.
