About Me

I am a Registered Clinical Social Worker having completed my Masters of Social Work degree at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec in 1994.  For over 25 years I’ve practiced individual, couple, and family therapy as well as worked in community mental health with various populations including those with special needs, the mentally ill, the elderly, and the dying.  I have taught at the School of Social Work at the University of the Fraser Valley.  I am licensed to practice in both Ontario and British Columbia.

I am a member in good standing of the BC College of Social Workers (BCCSW - #09395), the Ontrio College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW - #222057), and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA - #4972).

About My Approach

I believe, as research supports, that the most important factor in a successful therapeutic experience is the relationship between therapist and client.  Recognizing each client is unique, I tailor my approach in order to provide the most effective method that allows the client to feel heard, understood and safe in order to begin the process of personal transformation and well being.  

After training in various treatment approaches, I have adopted a theoretical framework which is relational, experiential, and emotionally focused.  As a Certified AEDP Therapist and Supervisor, my practice draws largely from Accelerative Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP). In addition to expertise in AEDP, I have training in Integrative Psychotherapy, EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing, and Solution-Focused therapy. I strive to keep abreast of current, evidence based approaches in order to provide effective psychotherapy to my clients.

WHAT IS AEDP?

We are wired to heal. Despite the painful or traumatic experiences that lead us to hide or banish our true selves, we have a fundamental capacity for self-righting and resuming impeded growth. AEDP is an evidence-supported psychotherapy model that aims to give clients new emotional and relational experiences that bring about healing and transformation. With the help and support of a sensitive and skillfully attuned AEDP therapist, clients are able to face and process previously overwhelming or avoided experiences, in the service of positive transformation. AEDP’s affirming, emotionally engaged, affect regulating, and security-engendering therapeutic stance helps clients move through this process and emerge from the experience with a felt sense of relief, clarity, calm, hope, resourcefulness, and resilience. The client learns to make use of the strengths and resources that they already possess and move toward life feeling more connected to themselves, others, and the world around them. You can learn more about AEDP by clicking here:  www.aedpinstitute.org

What is INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY?

Integrative Psychotherapy focuses on the inherent value of each individual.  It takes into consideration the interdependence between the person’s physical, psychological, emotional, behavioural, social and spiritual aspects that shape the person. The therapist attunes to the person’s developmental and relationship needs and develops an understanding of the defences that were formed in childhood and through one's development in an attempt to cope with unmet needs.  Integrative Psychotherapy also refers to the process of integrating the personality, bringing together those parts of ourselves that we may be unaware of, ashamed of, or we have pushed away, and brings them together to make us whole again.  Through integration, it becomes possible for us to remove these defences, become spontaneous, flexible, engaging and reconnect with the world and to those important to us.  In the process, we become free to face each moment openly, without fear of self-judgment or criticism.  Integrative Psychotherapy also means the bringing together of different therapeutic approaches so that the therapist has a variety of resources to develop a deeper understanding of one's thinking, feeling and behaviour.  Some of these include other therapy approaches (link to psychcentral.com) include psychodynamic, client-centered, cognitive, and systemic therapies.  I also include mindfulness and acceptance techniques and guided relaxation.  To learn more about Integrative Psychotherapy, click here:  www.integrativetherapy.com