About

About me

I have always had a desire to help people with their mental health, which is why I became a Clinical Counsellor in 2014, focussing on Anxiety and Depression. Having two extended family members who were both very sensitive having nervous breakdowns. Anxiety has been party of my genealogy affecting my own mental health, especially after getting bullied for buying a dog license while living in an RV Park and suffering a fall. Working with a team of medical professionals in my recovery, one referred to it as assault. It affected my job, my financial flow of income and my housing. Almost becoming homeless while couch surfing.

It was in my own determination to get better and overcome the anxiety, plus those overwhelming feelings of panic from triggering events that kept occurring through associations with various people and surroundings that led back to the perpetrator. I was able to overcome and reduce the symptoms I was having allowing my nervous system to return back to normal other than the fibromyalgia I developed that still flares and less than it did.

By focussing on what I could control made a big difference in my life. Assessing where I thought I was helping and evaluating whether I was, helped me to focus on what I could. I restored my physical, mental, emotional and nutritional health through mindful eating, kundalini yoga and meditation (I didn’t have a chronic headache in 45 days). Eventually my life shifted allowing me less pain and more joy.

Expertise

What You Do

I am a Registered Professional Counsellor with the Canadian Professional Counsellor’s Association in good standing, #3517. We are competency based and a member of FACTBC. I received my Diploma in Applied Psychology and Counselling from Kelowna College of Professional Counselling in 2011. I completed a two year internship with a Worldtree Community in Nanaimo. I finished my career in 2022 as a Continuing Care Assistant after 26 years working primarily with seniors.

I am known as a person who never give’s up on a person, is very patient, kind, empathic, uses integrity, is a great listener and known for her advocacy work in the area of mental health, primarily ptsd and women who are using substances while pregnant.

Having conducted a successful symposium with the help of a core team, and leading a panel of experts to legislature, where the BC Liberals and former MLA Jane Thornthwaite accepted our motion for best practices through Love From The Inside Wellness Society and then adding Uniting Hands for PTSD Foundation to coincide with our motion.

I received a letter on behalf of our Minister of Health Adrian Dix acknowledging my advocacy work for women who are pregnant and using substances, and broadening the scope of doctors treating these patients under the College of Physician’s and Surgeon’s. (I have a copy of that letter if anyone is interested which includes links to a pilot project they were implementing at that time).

What You Do

I use Dialetical Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Trauma Informed Approach, Emotional Freedom Technique, Therapeutic Art and continually learn so I stay relative and advanced, providing my client’s with what approach works best for them and their individual needs both in the short and long term. Breath is a simple and powerful technique most forget to use and something we work with ongoing. I help many people through anxiety, depression and addictions/recovery through OAT. I also work with abuse, domestic violence, grief, couples, families, youth.