When words are both kind and true, they can change our world. — Buddha

In these challenging and disturbing times, it’s easy to feel anxious, depressed and overwhelmed. How do we face the problems in our personal lives and a world in turmoil? How do we keep from feeling depressed, anxious, overwhelmed or powerless in the face of it all?

Counselling is a way to manage your anxiety and depression and move forward. It offers the opportunity to overcome destructive habits, work with your inner demons, process childhood experiences, gain insights, resolve conflicts, summon courage, and learn to love yourself. and experience deep well-being.

Experience Deep Well-being

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb. It will live its whole life, thinking it is stupid.” Einstein

Counselling is a transformative process that helps you discover your genius–your unique talents and gifts. Counselling helps remove self-doubt and anxiety. It develops the clarity and confidence you need to take action to live authentically. Instead of viewing problems as setbacks, they are seen as opportunities for growth and healing. The challenges you face turn into stepping stones, leading you to a resilient, purposeful, and peaceful life

Holistic Approach

If you believe that well-being arises when body, heart, mind and spirit are integrated, you will resonate with my approach.

As a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), my approach to counselling is holistic. My practice is informed by numerous modalities: somatic work, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, transpersonal, and depth psychology. With recent developments in neuroscience and insight into the nervous system, we know that psychology and physiology are intimately connected.

Spirituality

As we heal from the negative beliefs we learned in our childhood, we peel off layers of conditioning. As we keep peeling back those layers, what is left, but our most authentic, original self, free of the distortions of the mind. This unconditoned self is akin to the free human. I believe this is where psychology ends and spirituality begins.

Another portal into spirituality is through our yearnings. On some level, we are all yearning to have a deeper, richer experience of who we are and our lives. Yearning is the portal into spirituality.

Here are the key aspects of my clinical practice:

Trauma and Nervous System

Fascinated by the body and its inherent wisdom, I’ve studied somatic work since 2018. I am certified in Somatic Experiencing, Somatic Transformation and Bringing the Body into Practice. Somatic practices use body awareness of sensations and feelings to access realms of deep knowing.

Attending to the body releases stagnant energy, metabolizes it and turns it into vital life energy. This process regulates the nervous system and reduces trauma symptoms.

Trauma affects both the mind and body. It makes a healthy nervous system react by going into stress responses like fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.

Behaviours associated with a FIGHT RESPONSE include: sarcasm, active & passive aggression, blaming, criticism, Judging, and Ignoring physical and emotional boundaries.

Behaviors associated with FLIGHT RESPONSE include: walking/running away, canceling appointments, ghosting, escaping into fantasy, lying, avoiding, hiding, and deceiving.

Behaviours associated with FREEZE RESPONSE include: ignoring, Dissociating, Immobilization, appearing to act normally while emotionally vacant, leaving the body self-numbing(alcohol, drugs, work, sex, games, books etc)

Behaviours associated with FAWNING include: people pleasing, apologizing excessively, putting others’ needs first, masking personal feelings or opinions.

Couples Counselling

As a couples counsellor, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is the most effective approach for addressing a couple’s distress and fostering intimacy.

EFT is grounded in f attachment theory, somatic principles and emotional regulation. EFT was developed by Dr. Sue Johnson. I have personally trained with her. Additionally, I have collaborated closely with her close colleague, Gail Palmer, further enhancing my expertise in this transformative therapy.

EFT focuses on attachment and bonding in relationships. EFT helps clients understand and make sense of their emotions. By organizing and distilling emotions, EFT uses the present time to create a new positive experience in the here and now.

EFT takes steps to create a more secure bond and develop more trust to move the relationship in a healthier, more positive direction. It’s very inspiring to work with couples as they let down their defences, and their words of love become an experience of love. As safety and understanding deepen, the couples move closer to an intimate and satisfying connection.

Gender transitioning

I provide hormone readiness assessments for individuals wishing to transition gender.

Mindfulness

It’s exciting that the research on mindfulness and neuroscience is burgeoning. Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself, indicates that change is possible on any level, at any age, under any conditions.

Please see meditation page for more information,

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a natural complement to mindfulness. While mindfulness cultivates a non-reactive awareness of thoughts and emotions, cognitive behavioural therapy addresses the content of our thoughts. It is our distorted thinking that creates suffering. When we can change our thinking pattern, we change our perception of ourselves, our lives and the world.