Therapists in Sarnia, ON

Hello, and thank you for visiting my page. I feel honoured to have worked in the field for over a decade, providing counselling and psychotherapy services to many incredible people. I am extremely passionate about mental health, and have a keen interest in serving the population of children, teens, families, and adults who have experienced trauma in their childhood. I have the deepest respect for those who have survived hardships, painful and difficult life experiences, and are on a path of wanting to heal and move forward in their lives.

I view therapy as a collaborative process. My goal is to be emphatic, nonjudgmental, and provide a sanctuary as you explore the choices and relationships that are most important to you. Transformation, growth and healing are realistic, attainable goals for your life.

My background holds 40yr of extensive practice experience and continued learning. Expertise:all relationship concerns; recovery/healing from emotional hurts, losses, trauma. Such events, if in early years, can instill persistent insecurity, fears, loneliness and grief, causing troubled close relationships and inner-life: Restricting our core resilient nature where we keep strong potentials to be more open, creative, confident, realistic/effective persons. Mainly treat “self-regulation” problems: Social anxiety, shame/guilt, anger, depression; Overdependencies; Intimacy-sexuality, Communication; Identity-Personality issues;Selfcare.

As a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Canadian Counsellor, I have worked with individuals, couples, and families since 1993. My work employs cognitive behavioral and mindfulness therapy. I believe that we have an immense power to change our lives, and to overcome life's greatest challenges if we are self aware. Using an integrated model of therapeutic intervention which focuses on your strengths, we work together to increase your self awareness, help you identify options and choices so that you can work differently with the issue you face. Through self understanding and education, you become more resourceful in responding to life's challenges.

As a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), Registered Marriage and Family Therapist & Supervisor (RMFT-S), and Certified Cognitive Behaviour Therapists (CBT cert), I treat individuals, couples and families (including families affected by estrangement), provide supervision and consultation for in-process and independently practicing therapists, and consult with mental health organizations. In addition to Family Systems Therapy, I offer the following models of therapy, ACT, Attachment Focused, CFT, Schema Focused, Beckian CBT & MBCT, DBT, IFST, SFBT, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, VRT, and Life Coaching using the ACT Matrix Model.

I do counselling different! My goal is to teach you logical steps to create change. I’m a big believer in bringing self-awareness to understand yourself and others in a different way. I use a unique framework derived from NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) that provides logical next steps to creating change. I am more about providing tools and tips to manage your life vs. spending the session just listening . I want your counselling experience to be engaging, rich with communication and provide you with concrete tools that you can practice at home. Inspiring you to make change is my one of my main goals!

Virtual (on-line) counselling will be my current mode of therapy. Peace and Balance versus Anxiety and Stress. My passion is helping people empower themselves to cope better in their lives. Sometimes we need to talk about very personal things with an objective, compassionate, nonjudgmental listener. I have worked for over 25 years helping people find themselves and find their 'peace of mind.'

Online or in Office Sessions available - Welcome to a space that is non-judgmental, intelligent and effective! Are you ready to feel better? Ready to learn skills and let go and reprocess messages and incidents that no longer serve you? Is it your turn to feel calmer and empowered instead of stressed, overwhelmed and stuck? If so, let's connect! Our team is proud to serve Alberta, Saskatchewan, NWT & Ontario

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by this new transition, and like you're on an emotional rollercoaster? Are you experiencing anxiety or excessive guilt, and questioning your every decision when it comes to your child(ren)? Are you expecting, and nervous about the upcoming transition to parenthood? Being a parent is a beautiful, challenging journey that can leave us feeling burnt out and unsure of ourselves in the process. It can be difficult to separate our own childhood experiences and how these may inform the ways we show up for ourselves and our kids, for better or for worse. You don’t have to navigate it alone!

Many people have found themselves in the exact place you now find yourself – wondering if they should seek the guidance of a professional counsellor for personal, marital or family problems. Here are some of their uncomfortable self-reflections: “Tensions always hover over my relationship with my partner.” “I want to be a better parent.” “I do not look forward to going to work anymore.” “My partner and I keep getting stuck when we try to talk about our problems.” “I want to enjoy being a parent, but often I do not.” “I want to feel happiness and gratitude for my life and the people in it, but I cannot get there.”

You're a new mom, and when asked by everyone, "are you loving motherhood?" a flood of guilt comes over you because the honest answer is "not really..." Maybe you are expecting a baby and are already experiencing anxiety, depression, or conflict with your partner. The stressors of a new baby and parenting can be incredibly difficult, and in our society it is common to have a difficult birth and an overwhelming postpartum period. It doesn't have to be like that. I am here to help you create birth and postpartum experiences that will leave you feeling triumphant instead of traumatized.

Immediate Appointments are Available. Are you experiencing anxiety, complex PTSD, PTSD symptoms, stress, sexual concerns or relationship issues and feeling overwhelmed? Going through a life transition or a recent loss? You are not alone. I am a Registered Psychotherapist, EMDR Certified Therapist, Brainspotting Therapist, and a Canadian Certified Counsellor. I work collaboratively with individuals and couples (including same-sex couples) supporting them to achieve personal insight, healing, and self-discovery. I offer brief and long term specialized psychotherapy using a client centered approach.

I became passionate about social work after practicing family law for many years and watching the court system fail parents and children experiencing separation and divorce. I have since completed my MSW to focus on therapeutic and collaborative co-parenting work, mediation, and help individuals navigate high-conflict separation and divorce, and healthy parenting post-divorce. I also enjoy helping individuals with anxiety, perfectionism, self-esteem, academic and career issues. Moreover, I have experience in supporting parents with their children’s learning disabilities, school, and issues with peers.

***ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS*** Everyone experiences stress; not everyone's experience of stress is the same. Thoughts swirl and you might find yourself unable to settle the thoughts enough to sleep. You might worry about your kids, your job, or your relationships. You might have trouble communicating what you need from your family and friends, and you might wonder why others seem to handle their anxiety better than you do. Stress and anxiety are powerful. They can stop you from going places, or enjoying a social function or attempting something big, or even getting out of the house at all. It's really common, and you're not alone.

Sometimes, despite the love we have for our family, it seems that we struggle to have peace within our relationships at home. In supporting families to make the changes they are seeking, I utilize Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) which focuses on restructuring parent and child interactions. I always look at every situation through the lens of being trauma-informed and understanding the role of attachment.

Do you experience chronic pain? Have you been diagnosed with a chronic illness? Chronic pain / illness can impact so many areas of your life - your ability to work, maintain your home or garden, and participate in activities with your family and friends. Living with chronic pain / illness can be exhausting, overwhelming and so very frustrating. Many people who experience daily pain begin to struggle with stress, anxiety and /or depression, which increases their pain and makes it even harder to cope.

Our early relationships and experiences play a significant role in shaping who we are, and how we perceive the world, which can sometimes result in problematic ways of thinking and dealing with emotions. Consequently, this can lead to emotional turmoil, unfulfillment and dissatisfaction in life, as well as challenges in relationships, work or school, and unhealthy ways of coping. I strive to guide my patients through exploring and processing their experiences so that they can learn better ways to manage, and ultimately feel more present and fulfilled in their lives.

Have you been feeling overwhelmed in your close relationships? Maybe you are noticing resentment or stress re-surfacing in arguments with your partner or you find yourself feeling guilt or shame after interacting with your parents or other loved ones. Navigating these feelings in our closest relationships can be intimidating and stressful. In every relationship, we crave emotional closeness… and we seek it out even if it harms us in some ways or feels unhealthy. Family, relationships, marriages… they are hard work. I am here to support you to find your own voice, and to find ways to make these relationships have a healthier impact.

When you have experienced trauma, your whole system can feel challenged day to day. You might struggle with persistent anxiety, feelings of shame and hopelessness and have a bleak outlook on the future. You can feel exhausted by your circumstances and truly at a loss for how to change or heal. Trauma impacts your thinking, your happiness, your quality of life and your joy. You can often find yourself engaging in behaviours that don't serve you, trying to numb out or manage the pain. It can feel hard to get close to anyone. It can be so hard to trust yourself, or other people. I completely understand, and I help people change daily.