My Approach
I work from a person-centred approach that is trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, sex-positive, and holistic, with an emphasis on a strong bio-psycho-social/cultural assessment. I take time and care to fully understand your problems and what might be causing or contributing to them. I seek to learn about you as an individual or couple, your experiences, your strengths, and your goals for therapy. I strongly believe that the process of assessment is therapeutic itself, and it also provides us with guidance in how to best address your problems and meet your goals.
The relationship between client and counsellor is one of the most important parts of therapy. I bring warmth, authenticity, and professionalism to our work together, and clients often note how easy it is to talk to me. I strive to create a non-judgemental and safe space to discuss anything and everything.
I value collaboration in therapy and encourage feedback throughout our sessions, to ensure we are working towards your specific goals, in ways that are effective for you.
I use a number of different therapeutic theories and techniques designed to address thoughts, emotions, behaviours, mind-body connection, and relationships. Therapy is a blend of art and science, and I am constantly reading, learning, and expanding both my knowledge and skills. I work regularly with a clinical supervisor, someone more advanced in their career who provides guidance on my work, to ensure my work is competent, best-practice, and ethical.
Professional Background
I completed my Bachelor of Arts Honours at Queen's University in Ontario. I graduated with distinction and majored in history, with a focus on gender and sexuality. For the entirety of my four years there, I volunteered at the Sexual Health Resource Centre, providing peer counselling, campus wide sex education, and spearheading education campaigns and summits on consent, and gender-based violence. In my final year, I was the Executive Director, overseeing the operations and governance of the non-profit.
My work in sexual health ultimately led me to pursue graduate education in social work. I enrolled in a two-year program at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, that specifically focused on clinical social work practice, which is the assessment, diagnosis*, and therapeutic treatment of mental health conditions. I received education and training working with individuals, couples, families, and groups, in various modalities, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Psychodynamic therapy, narrative therapy, and somatic focused trauma therapy. My advanced practicum was in Forensic Psychiatric Services, providing counselling and support to community members who had encounters with the legal system, and were either on probation, parole, or community discharge after being found not criminally responsible on behalf of mental disorder.
In 2016, I graduated with my Master of Social Work from the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, passed the Masters Level ASWB competency exam, and have been a registered social worker (RSW) in good standing ever since. Throughout my two degrees, I was awarded numerous scholarships, awards, and recognition for academic excellence.
Much of my post-graduate career was spent as a medical social worker. In British Columbia, I worked in hospital and acute care settings, long-term care, and community palliative care and chronic disease management. In Saskatchewan, I worked at the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, Saskatoon Centre, as a Clinical Oncology Social Worker. While I worked with individuals and families impacted by many types of cancer, most of my work was specifically within gynecological oncology.
I also spent some time providing educational lessons to nursing students, nursing instructors and clinical leaders, and older adult groups. These lessons included relational care, trauma-informed practice, advanced care planning, and sexuality and aging. I also served on the Board of a AIDS Service and harm reduction organization in Kelowna, BC, including a term as President.
I have post-graduate training and education in death, dying, grief and bereavement, adult protection assessment, intimate partner violence, divorce and separation, infertility counselling, Brain Story Certification, Solution Focused Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy with couples and individuals, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with menopause, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I hold a Certificate in Couple and Family Counselling through Wilfred Laurier University.
I moved to private practice in 2023, to focus more specifically on counselling. I quickly shifted from more generalist work to specializing with 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and couples, couples and relational therapy, and sex therapy.
As I work to advance my sex therapy training, I am part way through a year-long, intensive Sex Therapy and Sex Education certificate program through the University of Michigan and set to complete in March 2026. I also work under the supervision of an AASECT Certified Sex Therapy Supervisor and doctoral Psychologist to enhance my skillset and ensure I am using best practices as a clinician.
*I do not have Authorized Practice Endorsement and do not have the authority to diagnose mental health conditions in Saskatchewan.
Social Location
Social location is how someone’s different identities impact their place and experience in society, and how those identities may influence their power, privilege, or biases. I include this because it might be important for prospective clients to know how my identities are similar or different to their own. It is also important for me in my own practice to continuously check my own un/conscious biases and reflect on how my social location may impact my view of, or interactions with the world.
My identities:
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White settler of European descent.
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Raised on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan people. I have also lived and studied on the ancestral homelands of the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe, and Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Currently, I reside and work on Treaty 6 Territory encompassing the lands of the Cree, Dakota, Nakota, Saulteaux and the homeland of the Métis Nation.
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Queer, bisexual, cisgender genderqueer woman in cishetero monogamous presenting marriage
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Parent of two children with developmental disabilities, with relatively low support needs
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Did not struggle with infertility, perinatal loss, or use Assisted Reproductive Technologies
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Middle-class upbringing with access to higher education, currently middle-class
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Secular and relatively sex-positive upbringing
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Straight sized, able-bodied
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Diagnosed with Autism and ADHD as an adult
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Lived experience with mood disorders
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Millenial
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English is my first language
