Counselling and Supportive Services

Counselling, Coaching & Consulting - Adults, Youth, Couples and Families

I am able to meet a wide variety of individual and family needs; whether it be related to anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions, identity, parenting or relationship challenges and more.  As well, I have a special affinity for Adoption and related family or personal concerns.  Those with difficult personal, childhood or relationship experiences, whether current or historical, including child welfare involvement, will find a sense of safety with me.  How have your experiences and coping mechanisms impacted you and your relationships?  Your health and well-being?  How you interact with your family and loved ones?  If you are a parent how does your child understand their own history and circumstances?  Where are they in their own identity development or healing journey?  Where are you in yours? Why not start with a review and consultation about where you are. Perhaps some learning and then see if you need anything more.

PTSD - I provide Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for those who have experienced traumatic event(s) which impact their lives and daily functioning. 

Therapy from an Indigenous and/or Cultural Context Lens -  Where you are from and how you perceive the world matters.  For all clients, but more specifically, those who come from Westernized or Colonized Experiences (today or historically) examining their personal experience and impact is important.  It is  crucial to healing  to identify and challenge the barriers in their lives (from trauma, systems, racism, etc) so that growing, healing and connecting can take place.   

Grief, Loss and Identity Issues - These are often explored as a part of ongoing healing and personal development. They are each processes that people "go through", but sometimes get "stuck in".  We can explore and discover ways to confront, feel and release aspects of these in your life. 

Stress, Anxiety and Depression - What are the root causes of these issues in your life?   How do your experiences and emotions impact your thoughts?  What are your triggers or vulnerabilities? What tools do you have to manage them?  Are they helping or hindering? What other strategies and supports might you need?  Life changes and transitions can often be great stressors; even when positive in nature.  

Life Story Work or Adoption Integration - As adult we can all work to understand or re-write or own Life Story and understand it's impact on who we are and our connections to others.  Using "Life Lines" and other creative tools we can explore the importance of people, places, events and relationships and how they help or hinder who you strive to become. For younger clients, this can be done individually or within a current, past or future family. Together we can explore your child's history, identity and healing.  This can open the doors for improved relationships, understanding, compassion or self-compassion, identity development and more.   

Diverse Family Navigation - Counselling, Consultation, Education and Resources - For all families: adoptive, foster, kinship, blended or birth/first families.  Themes include: Who is family to my child (ren)?  How do I talk about difficult topics with my children, such as adoption,  abuse, addictions, divorce, etc.?  How do I manage my own parental insecurities?  How do I become more inclusive and diverse within my family and address issues of race, culture, and religion?  How do I resolve expectations vs. realities in my child(ren) or family?  Questions re: Nature and Nurture or "Is it an Adoption thing"? Is this a blended family pattern? How do I help my child's school and teachers understand his/her needs?  

Other Themes -  Importance of Trauma and Loss Experiences, Attachment Styles and Patterns, Brain Development, Adoption Openness,  Fertility challenges,  Integrating Adoption into the Family, Search & Re-connection, Identity Evolution and MORE.