I work from offices in the Burnaby/Boundary area and Fairview neighborhood in Vancouver, BC.

Burnaby/ Boundary office:

Being and Becoming Counselling and Wellness
Address: 405-3701 Hastings St, Burnaby, BC
T: (778) 658-0582

Fairview office:

West Coast Resiliency Centre (PTSD)
Address: Unit #401-1195 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC
T: (778) 654-5384

My clinical expertise is working with adults suffering from a range of mental health challenges including relationship issues, trauma, burn out, and chronic stress. These broad-based labels are really starting points that most often lead to exploring underlying shame, grief, and isolation. Collectively, these problems get in the way of normal emotional and relational development, resulting in painful and challenging relationships.

My work is about helping you see the big picture, and understand how symptoms, underlying core issues, and problematic relationships are all interconnected. This then provides a foundation for working developmentally to not just treat one issue, but instead intervene on the whole of your life struggles in a way that optimizes your abilities to deal successfully with the messiness of life.

Seeing any counsellor takes courage because it means opening yourself to the process of self-exploration, to uncovering the unknown. Why might this be scary? Because as Robert Bly so eloquently put it, “We spend our life until we’re twenty deciding what parts of ourselves to put into the bag, and we spend the rest of our lives trying to get them out again.”

What goes into the bag is different for everyone, but it tends to be the stuff we want to disown, forget, or that taps into our shame. And going into a dark bag can be scary when you are not exactly sure what you are going to find. But we all carry a bag, and the more that goes in it, the heavier our load in life. Part of therapy is about lightening the load, and doing it in a safe, slow and productive way. It is a courageous journey and not for everyone.

Therapists and therapies are very different. There is no one perfect therapist or particular type of therapy that is better than all others. What we know about outcomes is that the best predictor of success in counselling comes from the strength of the therapeutic relationship. This really comes down to how well we connect, share, engage, trust, and feel when we are together.

Usually I work individually with clients, seeing most for one session every other week unless there is a need for more contact. I often find it beneficial to work individually with clients, and refer couples to colleagues. At times I run groups, so if this is something you are interested in, contact me.

Our work begins by understanding your challenges within the wider context of your life. This means we take time to understand the various pieces of your life puzzle, how these pieces dynamically interact, and which ones are key to helping you move in a positive direction. We call these key pieces leverage points, because when we identify and intervene upon them, they have the power to influence many other aspects of your life. This is helpful because it means we use your time and resources wisely.

I am a firm believer in the idea that knowledge is power. So one component of my counselling approach is to help you better understand your life struggles so you are empowered to take steps to improve your situation. While we are taught many things in school, sadly some of the most important things about life, relationships, emotions, and creativity are ignored.

Even more, when we find ourselves struggling with challenges like trauma, depression, addiction, grief, or shame, it can feel overwhelming knowing where to start. So I spend time helping you learn how to navigate information overload, and connect with resources that are current, evidence-based, and most importantly help you understand what change strategies may work best for you.

While a bit of a catch-phrase, the counselling I do is always individualized. There are no one-size-fits-all approaches to addressing the complexities of your life. In general, my style is a mix of talk therapy with interventions that focus on helping you better connect with your body and emotions. Talking facilitates understanding, insights, and important Ah-hah moments that motivate change. Yet many of the most challenging issues like trauma and addiction require a more somatic, or body-based approach to healing.

If you are unfamiliar with these types of interventions, you are not alone. Many believe counselling is all about talking, but approaches like Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Prolonged Exposure are evidence-based therapies that also produce insights and Ah-hah moments using the wisdom from our body, mind and emotions. I blend these approaches with talking to help you achieve the outcomes you seek.