Therapists in Lake Country, BC

The transitional period of mid-life can be a challenging time for many women. We are forced to confront our own mortality which can leave us considering what needs to change. One of the most common struggles women in mid-life face is the sense of stagnation in their lives. Many women struggle with feeling invisible as they age and as their bodies change. The pressure to conform to societal expectations can be overwhelming, and many women feel trapped in cycles of dysfunction in different areas of their lives, including marriage, friendships, career, family, and society.

I have an eclectic approach to counselling. My approach is highly successful as I tailor the approach, techniques, and therapeutic environment to meet your individual needs. However, I draw primarily from Family Systems Theory, Attachment Theory and neuroscience and use EMDR, talk, play and art based interventions. I work with children, youth, families couples and individual adults. I help to support challenges with depression, anxiety, trauma, anger, loss and addictions.

Anxiety, depression, learning better communication skills, toxic relationships, building self esteem, emotional regulation and processing, trauma, the responsibilities of life... It never seems to end. We all know we could take care of ourselves a little better. How? Together, through a non-judgmental space, we'll discover the stories you are telling yourself about your life and rewrite them to empower you and promote self-compassion in you, as well as sustainability for your future. We will also practice coping skills that help you to manage your everyday stressors and exceptional circumstances. Your wellbeing is my top priority.

I love supporting teens, young adults and adults on their journeys. I have extensive experience as a teacher, school counsellor, and as a mom (I have 4 young adult children). Life can feel exhausting and overwhelming at times, as we balance work-family-home-life, especially when challenges are thrown our way. When our kids struggle we struggle alongside them (and vice versa). Our relationships suffer. You may feel sadness, heartbreak, helplessness, worry and fear. Maybe you are feeling lost and lonely or you are not feeling fulfilled in your life. We all go through times in our lives, when we need to reach out for support.

I work primarily with adult (19+) individuals who want to find freedom from the patterns they can’t seem to understand or can’t seem to change. Perhaps you are burdened with anxiety; perhaps want to become your authentic self; maybe you want to explore troubling relationship patterns; or maybe you find yourself repeating behaviours despite your best intentions to change. Whatever it is that brings you here, welcome! Even in life’s most painful, disorienting moments, I believe reconnecting with the essence of who we are provides us with wisdom that can propel us forward. I'm here to help you do just that.

If you've passed the point of trying to merely alleviate symptoms and want to address the root causes of your struggle, I am a therapist that is ready and able to help you do that. I provide a stable and supportive environment that enables you to “go there” in safety, and I consistently provide opportunities and encouragement for you to do so. My clients find me to be highly insightful, effective in the use of analogies and metaphor to increase self-awareness and self-understanding, empathetic, and easy to be vulnerable with. I am non-judgmental, and possess the ability to both meet people where they’re at and to help them shift.

We all tell ourselves stories about who we are and how we fit into the world. Sometimes, these ways we have of talking to ourselves can become problematic and affect our internal wellbeing, anxiety, relationships, and emotional health. I have a special interest in working with you to explore your internal narratives and identities to help you find ways to create a more positive and cohesive sense of self. I have experience working through these issues within the context of trauma including childhood, sexual, religious, and physical traumas. I also enjoy working with younger folks and identity formation.

Do you find yourself circling around the same issues, or struggling to overcome one particular problem, despite a lot of effort to change? I get how exhausting and sometimes hopeless that place can feel. I work with my clients to drill to the core of what is perpetuating current issues, so that together we create not just coping, but healing. By treating problems at this root level, clients often report having a sense of freedom beyond what they've experienced before. I utilize a combination of therapeutic techniques, however my specialization is in Accelerate Resolution Therapy (ART).