My Background
Hello! I am a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario Collage of Social Workers and Social Service workers along with the British Columbia Collage of Social Workers. My education includes a Bachelor of Arts with Specialties in Fine Arts (Studio and Visual Culture) and Social Development Studies from the University of Waterloo, an Honours Bachelor of Social Work from Lakehead University and a Master of Social Work from University of British Columbia Okanagan.
I work with Youth and young adults aged approximately 14-30 on topics of substance misuse and recovery, relationships, family challenges, life changes/transitions, stress, ADHD, and anxiety.
Approach and Philosophy
My goal is to reach each client where they are to best support them in their therapeutic needs and goals. I believe that all of our life experiences and environmental exposures influence not only how we approach the world but how we can best find support in our recovery and treatment. I use a strengths-based, client-centered focus to incorporate behavioural modalities such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) into my practice. I believe that every client is different and so I work to create a treatment plan and incorporate modalities that best fit individual client needs. I believe that every client has the skills and abilities to work towards their goals and I strive to help clients to identify these for themselves.
I specialize in working with Youth and Young Adults, LGBTQIA+ clients and Substance Abuse and Recovery for ages approximately 14-30. I can assist in discussions regarding life changes, relationships, identity and understanding emotions such as anger, stress and anxiety. I incorporate themes from Art and Music Therapy as I believe creative expression can be critical for those who struggle with expressing emotions and thoughts with words. I incorporate activities such as painting, drawing, playing music, writing songs or poetry and using forms of art to identify thoughts and feelings. Some other areas of specialization are ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and Self-esteem.
What Sets me apart
- I have lived experience with anxiety, depression, and ADHD allowing me to touch on personal experiences when working with clients navigating through their symptoms
- I am part of the LGBTQIA+ community myself and use lived experience and the struggles I have faced to connect with client experience and better address the impacts of being who we are
- I am registered in Ontario, allowing me to practice virtually with clients who are Ontario residents.
- I have a degree in fine arts and have spent many years working to understand the impact of art on mental health. I am also a musician myself who uses music to connect with people and express emotions and stories that may otherwise be difficult to express. This allows me to draw on my own creativity and musical experience to assist in client exploration with art and music therapy inspired techniques.
- Evening and weekend appointments available
- Counselling in-person in Kelowna and online across Ontario and BC to increase accessibility to services
- Certification in MBCT and CBT