Education & Affiliations
Master of Arts Counselling Psychology Yorkville University, 2023 Received with Distinction >I completed my practicum at Dig a Little Deeper Psychotherapy and Counselling under the supervision of Christina Crowe, RP
Bachelor of Arts Honors Psychology Carleton University, 2020 >Received with High Distinction >Received Senate Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement
Master of Science Neuroscience Carleton University, 2018 Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre >For my thesis, I conducted a research project on the interaction between early life trauma, depression, and the gut microbiome > Interacting with the wonderful people who volunteered their time & biological data for my study helped me recognize I felt more called towards a clinical career rather than a career in research.
Bachelor of Science Honors Neuroscience and Mental Health Carleton University, 2016 >Received with High Distinction >Undergraduate thesis investigating anxiolytic botanicals impact on fear extinction in rodents
Member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
Member of the Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals (OAHMP)
Other Courses & Trainings: Ethical and Neuro-affirmative Approaches to Trauma Therapy, Neurodiversity Training Dr. Gabriela "Gaby" Hurtado Alvarado, Ph.D. Introduction to ADHD for Healthcare Professionals, Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance DBT Skills Workshop, Envision Counseling & Consulting Inc., Jeff Riggenbach, PhD. The Risk Mitigation: Duty to Report Workshop, Lisa Hamilton Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) LivingWorks Education Inc. Canadian Indigenous Culture Training – Truth and Reconciliation Edition, Indigenous Leadership Development Institute Inc. Eating Disorders Comorbid with ADHD: What You Need to Know About ARFID, Anorexia, and Others, ADDitude Webinar
Areas of Focus & Experience
ADHD, Autism, AuDHD
The main population I work with are people who either:
1. Received an ADHD and/or Autism Diagnosis in adulthood
2. Are curious about, relating to, or self-identifying with ADHD and/or Autism
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Recognizing ADHD and/or Autism later in life can bring relief, but it can also come with grief, confusion, and other complicated emotions. Recognizing your brain is wired differently can help you build a life that works more with your brain, rather than against it. I work with clients to process this new understanding of themself. I find that often, for those who are identified later in life, we have been sent the message or directly told repeatedly throughout our lives that our needs are wrong. This often leaves us without the ability to identify or meet our needs as adults. Much of the work I do with clients is with re-connecting to the self, discovering needs, and learning how to meet them ourselves or communicate them to our loved ones.
The areas I often support these clients with include: Executive functioning related challenges Managing sensory needs and sensitivities Emotional regulation Relationship with the self, identity Masking, people-pleasing, boundaries Interpersonal relationships and communication Navigating accommodations and self advocacy Understanding and managing medication Processing relational trauma & childhood experiences Avoidance, Dissociation, Substance Use, Self Harm Understanding and managing the impact of hormonal cycles & changes on symptoms & medication
LGBTQIA2S+ Clients
As a queer therapist myself, I am comfortable helping clients explore gender identity, sexuality, and other facets of their identity. Themes of self compassion, self acceptance, and authenticity, as well as safety, grief, and sustainable activism are common areas that can come up in sessions.
And also: Queer therapy doesn't have to be just about being queer.
Sometimes you need a therapist to talk about general life stuff, stress, anxiety, trouble sleeping, relationships, etc. and you just don't want to have to pause every few minutes to explain what you mean if you use a word like "ace","uhauling" or "twink". Many of my clients do not come to me with LGBTQIA2S+ specific issues, but simply feel more comfortable talking with a therapist who has some overlap in this area of identity.
Other Areas:
I also have experience in the following areas:
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Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
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Surviving post-secondary education
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Identity exploration
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Life transitions & navigating change
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Boundaries, People-Pleasing, Codependency
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Borderline Personality Disorder
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Ethical non-monogamy
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Supporting other therapists/helping professionals
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Dissociation, depersonalization, derealization
Through continued education, community involvement, and self-work,
I strive to provide therapy that is:
Trauma informed
Socially and culturally just
Neurodivergent affirming
Approach to Therapy
My therapy follows what is called an
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Integrative and Individualized Approach
This means I do not follow a specific "type" of therapy (aka "modality"), but instead, I draw concepts and techniques from various kinds of therapy.
This also means each session is unique, depending on the person in front of me and what is important to them each session.
Hover over the images below to learn about the types of therapy I draw from, and the guiding themes and values I follow
Person-Centered​
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My sessions are generally person-centered. This means I believe my clients are the experts of their own lives. I am not the expert or the authority.
Therapy is like walking down a nature path together. I may point out different branches of the path, or shine a light on different flowers, animals and plants around us, but ultimately it is your choice whether we pause to examine something closer and you choose which path we walk down.
Some neurodivergent clients find some directiveness helpful (e.g. clear instructions/tasks/activities) I may at times lean a bit more directive, but client autonomy and consent always remains my priority.​
Biopsychosocial
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The biopsychosocial model of mental health acknowledges that multiple factors impact a persons wellbeing.
Biological (physical health, genetic predispositions, age, hormones, etc.), psychological (behavior, personality, cognition, beliefs, values, self-esteem, emotions etc.) and social (peer and family relationships, education, systemic impacts, oppression, socioeconomic status etc.) factors can all influence a persons mental health and impact whether a certain therapeutic approach may or may not be appropriate.
I make efforts to understand how these different domains may be impacting my clients, and help them build their own understanding of these various factors as well.
Relational​
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The relationship we cultivate throughout our sessions is referred to as a "Therapeutic Relationship".
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This relationship can serve as a model, or way to practice noticing patterns that may show up in other relationships in your life and impact your wellbeing.
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This can be a place to practice boundaries, vulnerability, authenticity, compromise and other aspects of relationships.
My sessions often include direct communication about how you feel about therapy, what its like for you, and how I am coming across to you.
Dialectics
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The main part of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) that I find myself integrating into sessions is the "D" - dialectics.
This refers to two seemingly opposite things being true at the same time.
For example:
Holding acceptance of who you are, and the desire to change at the same time.
Practicing dialectics can be helpful for those who struggle with black-and-white/all-or-nothing thinking.
Self Compassion​
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Many of us, especially if we are different in some way, have learned to be self-critical as a way to motivate ourselves or protect ourselves from the criticism of others. Sometimes we get to a point where this does more harm than help.
My clients often find benefit from learning about the myths of self compassion, and cultivating a more compassionate relationship with themself.
Parts Work
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I sometimes draw from a type of therapy called "Internal Family Systems". This is another way of building a healthier relationship with your self, by learning to communicate with different "parts" of yourself.
Mindfulness​
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Mindfulness is something I find myself integrating into many sessions. It can be thought of as a non-judgmental awareness of the present moment.
Often anxiety can keep our brains stuck worrying about the future or ruminating over the past. ​Practicing mindfulness can help us become more skilled at noticing this, and returning to the now.
Building awareness of our current emotions and bodily signals can help us attune to our needs. This can be especially helpful for anyone who was told their needs are dramatic, weird, or otherwise wrong throughout their life.
Mindfulness can be especially challenging for an ADHD brain, but with the right adaptations, mindfulness can be accessible.
Identity, Personality & Hobbies
For some people, it becomes easier to open up if you know a little bit about your therapist. Some clients may be looking for a therapist with shared lived experience in certain areas. If you are curious how I approach discussing personal details in session, check out the FAQ page. For now, I will share that I am Neurodivergent, Queer and Genderqueer, use they/them pronouns, and I love:
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Nature, camping, outdoor activities
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Live music (lately dubstep, melodic bass and K-pop)
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Singing, karaoke, dancing, flow arts
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Cats!!
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Space, stars, northern lights
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Neon lights, things that glow
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Board games, Magic the Gathering, Role-playing games, video games​
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Science facts, general geeky-ness
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Arts & crafts, photography, any sort of creativity