Therapists in M6C

Hello and welcome! I appreciate the importance of being heard and valued, especially when feeling vulnerable. I am highly compassionate and provide a safe environment for you to express what’s on your mind. In our sessions, we will work together to build a therapeutic relationship and help you find the safety and connection you are looking for. I focus on working with survivors of trauma, people experiencing relationship issues at home or the workplace, those struggling with grief and loss, and individuals dealing with general anxiety, stress, life transitions, and the mental impact of chronic pain.

I work with adults in individual therapy. I can help bring awareness to the specific obstacles that may be preventing you from living a more fulfilling life. Together, we can make shifts in your relationship with yourself, others, and the world around you that will support your goals. I will provide you with both a nurturing environment and the necessary tools for you to explore what's possible and move beyond what's currently holding you back from continued growth. Together, we’ll work through internal and external barriers so that you can develop strong coping mechanisms and skills that you can rely on.

I have always had a passion for holding space for others as they confront pain and distress. I consider it my greatest privilege to emotionally support individuals as they navigate through the challenges of their life. In fact, my aim is to support you by helping you get in touch with what is hijacking you - emotional wounds, fears, blindspots, negative beliefs and thinking patterns. I am equipped to guide you through various concerns including anxiety, emotional distress, grief, trauma and loss and have worked with countless individuals, children and parents over the years.

My belief is that people come to therapy to have an experience that is markedly different from what they encounter in their daily life. My training and experience allow me to have the tools to provide an opportunity for that different experience, whether it is getting relief from anxiety, finding grace and gratitude in the midst of grief, or gaining clarity and calm in a situation of overwhelm and confusion. We work collaboratively and creatively to uncover the root causes of your distress or dissatisfaction, and address them without re-traumatization. Our work together is safe, deep, transformative, and often spontaneously joyous.

I came to Gestalt Psychotherapy after a decade of teaching yoga and meditation workshops in Canada, Greece, Mexico and Nicaragua. I noticed that wisdom practices (such as meditation, yoga, breath-work, and reflection) lead people to face vulnerability and perhaps even pain inside their minds, hearts and bodies. Many people have insights about themselves, but they believe they can mentally figure it out on their own. We are not meant to do all the processing on our own. The therapeutic relationship allows us the support of a compassionate and trained witness so we can explore what is present.

I work with adults and couples to help them move towards a state of continued growth, compassion, and self-awareness in a way that is collaborative, strengths-based, and empowering. I believe in creating a client-therapist relationship that fosters authenticity, support, and space for both acceptance, and for change. This can begin in our very first session. Together, we can begin to tease apart the adaptive approaches to dealing with and moving through life you've grown accustomed to, and begin to decipher which of these patterns are serving you, and which you may be interested in moving beyond.

Perhaps you are experiencing some inner conflicts that are keeping you stuck? Or previous coping strategies are no longer serving you? Or maybe something is off that you can’t seem to name? Through exploring your thoughts, feelings and body sensations we can see what patterns and ways of being you would like to keep, let go of, (re) discover and grow. Using compassion and humour, we’ll work together to understand your reactions and how to work towards chosen responses to help navigate you to a different place.

I believe that clients are the experts in their life and aim to act as a guide in helping them develop a deeper understanding of themselves. I am passionate about working with clients from a holistic perspective that focuses on the interconnectedness of the whole being – the mind, body and soul. My goal is to provide a safe, supportive, healing, integrative counselling approach by combining traditional talk therapy with alternative treatments, such as Breathwork, EFT Tapping/Thought Field Therapy, Mindfulness and Reiki Energy Healing modalities when appropriate.

Customized treatment plans for Individuals/Couples Facing: Sex Addictions. We help help to Heal Affairs, Sexual Trauma, Porn Addiction, Love Addiction and Sex Crimes are my specialties. This includes the person experiencing these challenges, and their partners and families who are confused and hurt. According to Parole Services, I have never had someone sexual re-offend while under my care and have only had 5 couples ever separate under my care. I can help with sexual enhancement, growing in intimacy, and relationship recovery. Imagine the possibilities that good therapy can have in your life!!

Before entering my current program of study, I worked as an advocate and counsellor for survivors of abuse for several years. During this time, I recognized the transformative potential of safe, supportive relationships. I came away from this experience wanting to provide this to others. My therapeutic approach is informed by relational principles. My practice is firmly rooted in the belief that human beings rely on nurturing connections not only to survive but to grow and thrive. Because of this, I emphasize establishing a genuine and safe therapeutic relationship that may serve as a foundation to our future work together.

With over 30 years of clinical experience, I welcome Children, Teens, Adults, Couples & Families into my practice who are facing anxiety, depression, anger, trauma, grief, addiction, chronic pain/illness, or stress from relationship conflicts. I specialize in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Relapse Prevention Therapy, and Self-Care which are personalized to your unique circumstance. I also provide a special Couple's Program and a Deeper Healing Program that addresses pain and utilizes strength to repair.

I bring a gentle, curious and attuned approach to my work with individuals, families and couples. Together, we will examine patterns in your life, identify and expand your capacity to cope with the challenges you experience and deepen your relationship with self and others. I view therapy as taking a course on oneself and an opportunity to evolve. My work is often focused on supporting clients to understand, experience and tolerate emotions and to shift out of behavours, thoughts and coping that are no longer serving them.

I am a registered social worker with 15 years experience in providing individual and family therapy in adult and children mental health settings. I support individuals and families with interpersonal challenges, mental health concerns, coping with childhood trauma, work stress, transitions and emotional concerns. My work is focused on compassionately exploring and transforming deeply rooted, unsettling patterns in relationship with self and others. In therapeutic relationship where my clients feel deeply understood, we integrate relational, emotional, cognitive and body-oriented experiences to facilitate meaningful change.

I often meet people who notice they are repeating relationship patterns and behaviours, and they aren't sure why. Sometimes, you may remember how these strategies were protective and kept you safe in the past, or you may not. I support the people I work with to sense, with compassion, how powerful and ingenious these strategies are. Sometimes when we meet, you've come to a place of knowing that these same protective strategies aren't as effective as they used to be, and you're wondering why or are looking to change. We come to decide in therapy what to hold tight to and what to set aside for now.

I offer Jungian / Psychodynamic Psychotherapy to people with a wide range of backgrounds, mental health issues and concerns. Whether you are looking for support through a difficult time or to embark on a deeper healing journey, my aim is to help you more fully meet, explore, feel, and process the root causes of the issues that get in your way - those blocks, patterns and wounds that keep you from moving towards realizing who you truly are and are longing to become. We work through this together within the context of a genuine, creative and secure therapeutic relationship that develops as we meet for the purposes of your healing.

There are moments in our lives where we feel stuck or moments of crisis where we have done things that we don't feel ok about. We may be living with persistent fears, thoughts, and behaviours that frighten us, or no longer align with who we are. We may experience difficulties in our relationships or trouble managing the world. We may suffer from current experiences of harm and violence, the wounds from our past, or repeating patterns and behaviours that no longer serve us. In these moments, it’s important to have a space to process our fears, pain, and our hopes while building skills, self-compassion, and a vision for ourselves.

Welcome. I’m happy you’re here because it means you believe things can get better, and that means you have hope. Hope is a great starting point. All of us woke up in this place called life, and none of us got a manual, let me help you make the most of it. I strive to create a warm, collaborative, and welcoming atmosphere where your bravery and vulnerability are met with a non-judgmental and curious attitude that allows for new insights and self-awareness to surface. I love walking alongside my client’s on their journey to build resilience, tenacity and self-leadership.

Note: My practice is now re-open for new clients again, daytime and limited evening spots. Are you going through a life transition? Do you want something different for yourself or for your relationships? Find ways to move toward a healthier place in a way that fits for you. Friends and family can be supportive; but, meeting with someone outside of these groups can lead to new insights, perspectives and change. Seeking counselling is a helpful way to get you where you want to be.

I know from personal experience that mental health struggles can have a devastating impact on our ability to live full lives. It's that experience that led me to become a social worker, and to train as both an individual and family therapist. In our work together, we will develop the skills and strategies that you need to find relief from your symptoms. We will also help you to explore the root causes of those symptoms, so that you can achieve long-term change. I have worked in community mental health for 15+ years, so I can also help you navigate the broader mental health system.