Individual Therapy
Individuals come to counselling for many reasons – work stress, relationship troubles, a significant life transition, or simply “feeling stuck.” These challenges often come with an indecision about what to do next. Next steps become obvious when we're rooted on solid ground rather than operating in fight or flight. Therapy can be a space where the ground starts to feel more solid.
My practice is trauma informed.
Couples Therapy
I meet with couples at many turning points in their relationships: interpersonal conflict, early parenting, infidelity, gender transitioning, shifts in sexuality and separation.
I provide a neutral, supportive space in which I encourage couples to take risks with one another and practice new skills for communicating truthfully and respectfully.
WORKPLACE CONSULTING
As the Vice President of The Neutral Zone Coaching & Consulting, I work with clients who want to effectively lead lead their teams while maintaining a positive culture.
At The Neutral Zone, we offer individual coaching, mediation, training, presentations and investigations. Visit us at www.theneutralzone.ca
My Background
Welcome. I was born and raised here in Vancouver, B.C. My decision to pursue counselling, conflict coaching and eventually, training arose from a profound desire to close the gap between what I felt and what I could express outwardly. I decided to pursue a career that would teach me how to have difficult conversations with people with whom I didn’t always agree and take interpersonal risks that required confronting discomfort and listening to my gut. After spending a lifetime trying to shoehorn myself into versions of me that didn’t quite fit, I decided to examine in earnest what stood in my way. This relentless look inward informs my work, and it’s what I encourage in my clients the moment they step into the room.
I have a masters in counselling psychology and am certified in third party mediation. I serve as vice-president at The Neutral Zone Coaching and Consulting in downtown Vancouver and am a faculty member at the Justice Institute of British Columbia in the program for Conflict Resolution. I am in training to become a certified AEDP therapist (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy). AEDP is an emotion-based therapy that borrows from attachment theory and emphasizes the importance of the client-therapist relationship (visit the AEDP website for more info).
Each person I work with comes into the room with their unique history and way of making sense of the world. My first goal is to listen deeply and join my clients where they are at. This work relies on a willingness to assume certain risks. It is a risk to come therapy; it is a risk to talk frankly about our unfiltered thoughts and feelings; it is a risk to surface old wounds that stubbornly limit our freedom of movement. In short, it takes courage to take an unsparing look at how we are standing in our own way.
I have benefitted immensely from the therapy throughout my life and it is a tremendous privilege to accompany others towards authentic self-expression and meaningful engagement with the world.
About MY Work
This work is a gift to me. I join individuals, couples, and groups to explore a number of issues ranging from childhood trauma, infidelity, depression and anxiety, abuse, workplace conflict, suicidality, and explorations of identity.
My first goal is to cultivate a trusting relationship where clients can feel safe to explore challenging questions, take risks, and get more comfortable with uncomfortable emotions.
Our emotions largely determine how we experience ourselves and the world around us; they offer vitality, joy, resilience and discernment. Acknowledging and harnessing them for good takes practice. The payoff is a life that feels more authentic and relaxed.
Sometimes experiences of trauma, neglect or serious loss can overwhelm our capacity to cope, leaving our authentic emotions buried under protective defences. Over time this leaves us feeling cut off from others, frustrated, and stuck. Having spent much of my life defended against real and perceived threats, I appreciate how challenging it can be to open up.
While you set the agenda in each session, my role is to hold the space and get curious with you. Such exploration might leave you feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable, perhaps even angry. All of this is normal.
Often, clients find me in a major life transition (break-up and divorce, career change, gender transition, workplace conflict, or loss). Such transitions often trigger stress, anxiety and depression. They can also lead to burnout. With the right supports in place, such transitions can also open the door to new possibilities and personal growth. These changes can come to feel manageable through human connection, and you will see yourself come out the other side with greater clarity and ease.
Professional Qualifications
- Registered Clinical Counsellor (BC)
- Conflict Coach and Mediator
- Instructor and Coach at the Centre for Conflict Resolution, JIBC
- Vice President, The Neutral Zone Coaching & Consulting
Education
- Master Degree in Counselling Psychology, Adler School of Counselling Psychology
- Certificate in Third Party Mediation, Justice Institute of British Columbia
- Certificate in Arbitration, ADR Institute of BC
- Bachelor Degrees, Environmental Studies and English Literature at the University of Victoria
Additional Training
- Essential Skills in AEDP, AEDP Institute
- Accelerated Healing Based on Attachment Style, AEDP Institute
- Clinical Hypnosis Training, Canadian Society of Clinical Hypnosis
- LGBTQ Mental Heath, Adler School of Counselling Psychology
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