Counselling
I have been counselling and facilitating groups for over 20 years. My work primarily focuses on issues related to:
Trauma
Emotional, physical & sexualized abuse
Loss & grief
Chronic illness
Spirituality
I work with people from a variety of spiritual, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and with those in LGBT2SQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Two-Spirit, queer) communities. (for more information click here.)
Trauma
Emotional, physical & sexualized abuse
Loss & grief
Chronic illness
Spirituality
I work with people from a variety of spiritual, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and with those in LGBT2SQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Two-Spirit, queer) communities. (for more information click here.)
My counselling approach
I believe counselling is one of the many paths people choose to get support and make change in our lives. I see it as a journey of connection in which we learn how to build and strengthen respectful and caring relationships with ourselves, our loved ones, and community.
My role as a counsellor is to create a safe and respectful space for you to discover your own truths and decide who you want to be in your life. I see you as the expert of your experience and who you are becoming. My job is to walk alongside you, ask good questions, facilitate helpful counselling activities, and share any information and tools I have that can help you along the way.
I use an integrative approach that engages the mind, body, heart, and spirit, and can help you become more aware of:
what you think – what thoughts help or don’t help with making change and how to work with these.
what you feel – naming and understanding feelings, and figuring out what to do with them.
what your body tells you – getting connected to your body and using the information it holds to understand your pain and help your healing.
how cultural and social norms and injustices influence your life and problems.
(for more detail click here)
My role as a counsellor is to create a safe and respectful space for you to discover your own truths and decide who you want to be in your life. I see you as the expert of your experience and who you are becoming. My job is to walk alongside you, ask good questions, facilitate helpful counselling activities, and share any information and tools I have that can help you along the way.
I use an integrative approach that engages the mind, body, heart, and spirit, and can help you become more aware of:
what you think – what thoughts help or don’t help with making change and how to work with these.
what you feel – naming and understanding feelings, and figuring out what to do with them.
what your body tells you – getting connected to your body and using the information it holds to understand your pain and help your healing.
how cultural and social norms and injustices influence your life and problems.
(for more detail click here)
What does this look like in a session?
I ask respectful questions to help you and me better understand your situation, experiences, responses, beliefs, and values.
I invite you to notice what you feel and when possible to stay with the emotions that come up to really get to know them, identify them, notice how they change, and manage them when necessary.
I invite you to notice body sensations, and use your senses to get more and more present in the here and now so that you can make good decisions and better take care of yourself.
I listen attentively, and help you connect with your own wisdom and what is right for you. I explore coping strategies that you already use in your life and teach new ones for you to experiment with. I also help you identify and embrace your strengths, and help you find your own solutions to the problems you face.
I invite you to notice what you feel and when possible to stay with the emotions that come up to really get to know them, identify them, notice how they change, and manage them when necessary.
I invite you to notice body sensations, and use your senses to get more and more present in the here and now so that you can make good decisions and better take care of yourself.
I listen attentively, and help you connect with your own wisdom and what is right for you. I explore coping strategies that you already use in your life and teach new ones for you to experiment with. I also help you identify and embrace your strengths, and help you find your own solutions to the problems you face.
