Thank you for taking the time to get to know me a little more.
Let me begin my story here: I am a mother, and steward of the earth.
I was raised in the interior of this province that we currently call British Columbia, in the rural region of the Slocan Valley (Slocan is the anglicized version of the Sinixt word slhu7kíń). I have vivid memories of the deeply nurturing scent of my beloved Ponderosa Pine tree friends, eating peas and raspberries fresh from our garden, and experiencing the power of the place where the creek and the river meet near our home in the woods.
I have gratitude for my continual deepening into a sense of belonging to ancestral places like the Scottish Gaelic Highlands, Hebrides Isles, along with the French, Scandinavian and English ancestry, and the continued rekindling of the ancestral gifts in my lineage.
Professionally, I am a Master Therapeutic Counsellor, Certified Emotionally-Focused (EFT) Therapist, Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant, Certified Community Herbalist & Group Facilitator.
While I work with a range of clients, I have particular expertise and interest in perinatal support, parenting support and working with folks who are space-holders or leaders, whether that be leaders in their own home as parents, leaders in their communities, or leaders in their profession.
I live and work in so-called Victoria, BC (the unceded territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) speaking people, the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations, and W̱SÁNEĆ nations, near the sea with my partner, daughter, two cats, several chickens, and a menagerie of winged, furred and feathered beings that allow us to share this land.
I am a white, able-bodied woman. I recognize my privilege and I am committed to recognizing and examining my blind spots, aligning with right relationship, and continuing to explore genuine reciprocity.
I count my blessings every day that I get to make my living doing what I LOVE.
Therapeutic Support
Although I draw upon a variety of therapeutic approaches in my practice, I essentially work with a Somatic, Heart- Centred, Holistic approach that is respectful, consent-based and collaborative. I operate from a belief in the potential for the human spirit, and I hold a strong trust in your body’s innate wisdom. Your inner landscape deserves to be seen, and befriended. My approach gently meets you right where you are, holding a compassionate container to explore all that may be alive in you ~ whatever is present. Through experiential inquiry and exploration, there is usually a process that unfolds of cultivating and growing trust with yourself and your body, freeing you up to connect more consistently with your authentic, intuitive self.
What Brought Me Here
The seeds of my early offering path were sown in my early 20’s as a theatre artist. Fuelled by a fascination with people and stories, I collaborated with gifted artists, wove narratives, and put on shows. I taught a lot of yoga between rehearsals, and fell in love with the intersection of the body, emotions and connection to the sacred.
I discovered a deep intrigue with relationships and honest inquiry into the human soul. I loved talking with students before and after class about their internal landscapes. About their lives. I felt called to study the human mind and heart in a different way…so I stepped into the field of counselling therapy.
I trained at Clearmind International, a program on the leading edge of Somatic, Systems and Transpersonal Psychology. I then deepened my training in attachment & neuroscience, as a Certified EFT (Emotionally Focused) Therapist.
The radical optimist and compassionist in me fuels my work. As does a deep respect of the sacred rights of all beings.
I feel strongly that we each deserve a safe and supportive space to explore the unique landscape within each of us, and I am grateful for the life experiences that have afforded me the skills to become a specialist in this field.
There have been times when the circumstances of life, or internal feelings have been so intense, I have wanted to crawl out of my skin. I feel grateful to know now in my bones that each time I meet a new road block (or loss), I have an opportunity to be with it…befriend it, with full faith that something important is emerging.
My historic challenges with being highly sensitive for example, have shifted significantly from seeing my sensitivity as a burden, to these days opening to the beauty and deep gift that this quality brings to my life and to the lives of others.
When I experienced the gut-wrenching pain of pregnancy loss, I feared I would never find a way out of the grief. With compassion, and allowing the process to unfold as it needed to, I opened a door to a dynamic, kind, and ongoing relationship to loss, and self-compassion that I never imagined possible. I am grateful for the relationship I have to walking with grief and with death, in a way that has me experience a deep reverence and quiet gratitude for ALL life. A deep bow of respect to you, if loss has touched your life, too.
And then, there was the initiation of motherhood. Despite coming into the gig of 
mom-hood feeling I had a pretty solid handle on how to navigate through the territory of emotions, I was really not prepared for the anxiety that on some days felt like it enveloped my body from head to toe. My perfectionist demons reared their heads, as did a fear that I was going to screw up this beautiful, innocent child.
The process of loss, finally growing & birthing a child, then the experience of stewarding that child…has brought me to my knees. In the sweetest of ways.
I am grateful for finding a way to develop a relationship with the inner nurturing part of myself. For being able to tap into guidance I had no idea was there. I am grateful that I have finally relinquished the perfectionist, and now have an ongoing practice of trusting and forgiving myself.
I am grateful too that the process of befriending the hard stuff, and allowing self-compassion in, naturally has enhanced my knowledge and refined my skills as a therapeutic practitioner.
I love my job. I love that every day I get to open my heart to the beautiful, magnificent mystery of our shared humanity.
Education, Training & Professional Background
Master Therapeutic Counsellor (MTC) with the ACCT (Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada)
Applied Transpersonal Psychology Program: Clearmind International Institute
Certified EFT Therapist (Emotionally Focused Therapy) for couples & individuals
Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® Program: Celebrant Foundation & Institute
Certified Community Herbalist: Pacific Rim College
Mindfulness Educator Essentials: Mindful Schools
Trauma Informed Work, Ritual, Ancestor & Grief Tending with Shauna Janz
Revillaging for Mothers, Wild & Wise Midlife Mentorship with Beth Berry
Emotionally Focused Therapy Externships with Dr. Sue Johnson. PhD., Dr. Leanne Campbell & Dr. David Fairweather (empirically validated therapeutic model by American Psych. Assoc.)
Creating Connections Conference on Attachment & Neuroscience in Washington, DC
Bachelor’s Degree in Fine and Performing Arts (BFA) from Simon Fraser University
For more information, please contact me here.