My Approach

I am first and foremost a mother of three wonderful children who teach me more about my strengths and growing edges than I ever imagined. I am continuously challenged in my role as a parent/counsellor to practice what I preach, and although I fall short some days, I am reminded that no parent is perfect and that I can replace self-criticism with grace and kindness for myself as I journey along this wild and wonderful path of parenthood. My goal is to help other parents learn and grow alongside their children; to play, get messy, have fun and maintain love as their relational anchor. My hope is that parents can accept their mistakes with honesty and self-compassion and learn how to repair and recover from them; and to develop new tools and strategies to show up for their children with an empowered spirit.

My formal training in Counselling Psychology, Educational Counselling and Child Psychotherapy Play Therapy has given me the titles of Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Counselling Association, Certified Play Therapist with the Canadian Association of Play Therapy, as well as Educational Counsellor and Consultant with BC Ministry of Education.

I work from a client-centred, attachment-oriented, neurodiversity-affirming perspective perspective to support clients with various challenges, which may include:

behaviour issues
stress/anxiety
depression
executive functioning challenges
emotion regulation
parenting issues
trauma
developmental issues
sleep disturbances
separation/divorce
grief/loss
family violence
anger/aggression
self-esteem
adoption/foster care
school/work adjustment
social skills development

My core counselling modalities include: Play Therapy, Expressive Arts (Sandtray, Art Therapy), Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TI-CBT), Attachment-Based approaches, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT).

Parent support and coaching are an important part of my practice especially when working with children and teens who need the guidance and encouragement from all loving adults in their circle of support. I am trained in a number of attachment-based modalities that will provide tools and strategies for parents to support the parent-child relationship, empower you to lead and nurture your child, and develop the confidence to manage future challenges.

I am also committed to supporting new mothers who have suffered the loss of a child, have experienced a traumatic birth, or who are overwhelmed in their new role as mother. My hope is to create a trauma-informed space where mothers can find safety to feel, process, grieve and grow in their new identity. I have supported a number of counselling collectives in BC specializing in perinatal mental health and provide consulting for allied health professionals regarding maternal mental health.

And finally, I am a certified postpartum doula with DONA International, supporting new moms in the early days of motherhood, when mood and mental health can be most fragile. As the great-granddaughter of a well respected Polish midwife/doula, I feel honoured to carry on the tradition of being a ‘mother’s helper’ and support women in their most valuable, vulnerable and precious roles– motherhood.

The most rewarding part of my all my jobs is to witness resilient and committed individuals and families rediscover joy and laughter, grow together, and find the strength to carry forward on their life's journey. My continued hope is that each child, adolescent, mother, parent or couple who accesses counselling with me will have the opportunity to playfully and honestly express themselves, face their challenges, gain perspective and learn new ways to cope and thrive. I hope that our time together can give you an opportunity to grow from the inside out.

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