Services

Areas of Specialization

Trauma
I work frequently with clients who have experienced childhood abuse, emotional neglect, sexual assault, relational abuse, and traumatic incidents. Early trauma affects our brain’s development and manifests throughout life as a lack of a sense of self, problems in relationships, critical self-talk, and chronic anxiety/depression. This can happen even when people are successful in their lives and have done a lot of talk therapy. By using Tift (Trauma Integrating Flow Therapy), my clients often experience healing and growth they have not been able to with other types of therapy.

Neurodivergent Families
I work with neurodivergent families who have children with complex needs, in particular twice-exceptional children (2e is contrasting areas of giftedness and disability). Through my research, funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), I listened to the stories of self-compassionate parents of twice-exceptional children. Additionally, I have lived experience with my own neurodivergent children. I know what it is like to feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and stuck, while also experiencing the beauty and excitement of living in a household of creative minds. I desire to help parents experience deep, personal growth and flourish amid the chaos and challenges of their lives.

One subgroup of this that has shown up a surprising amount in my office, is adult third culture kids (TCKs) who have neurodivergent kids. Third culture kids spend some of their childhood in a country other than their parents’ passport country and then repatriate to the passport country at some point, often with confusing emotions and overlapping identities that never got addressed. I suspect that their parents were often unrecognized neurodivergents whose unique skills made them an asset for organizations doing specialized work in different areas of the world (e.g., translators, engineers, pilots, teachers, medical professionals, etc.).

Perimenopause
Women often find from as early as mid-30s to late-40s that life suddenly becomes more difficult as they struggle with symptoms such as: increased anxiety, sleep disturbances, mood shifts, tiredness, lethargy, depression, body pain, hot flushes, irregular cycles, sexual changes, brain fog, and so much more! I have lived experience with this and also provide mental health support to many women who are experiencing these hormonal fluctuations that often bring what feels like a second adolescence of growth and healing that was unable to be completed earlier in life.

Creativity
I am passionate about using creativity as a way of connecting to our true being. Artistic exploration and expression can be a beautiful way to bring out the things that have existed inside of us but have never been able to materialize. I have had professional experience as a musician and photographer, and enjoy learning new art mediums in my spare time (crochet, felting, weaving, gel plate printing, eco-dying, embroidery, writing, dance). I am not a master of any art form and am drawn to joy that can be found in the process of creating.  I am interested in working with clients who want to explore their own creativity.