My favourite forms of self-care are mindfulness practices such as yoga and meditation, singing—especially as part of a choir—and staying active outdoors through walking, cycling, hiking, and kayaking. Together, these help me feel grounded, connected, and restored.

I have always been interested in people’s stories and in what helps someone feel understood, less alone, and more able to move through difficult experiences. As a young educator, I became increasingly drawn to the relational and emotional side of my work. I saw how meaningful it could be when a young person had one steady adult who was willing to listen carefully, remain curious, and look beyond the behaviour or problem presented on the surface.

That interest eventually led me to counselling psychology and to a career that has continued to deepen over many years. I still feel honoured when someone allows me to sit alongside them as they make sense of their life and begin to see themselves with greater compassion and clarity.

I am proud of having the courage to begin a new professional chapter after a long and meaningful career in the school system. Moving into private practice required me to tolerate uncertainty, continue learning, and trust that the experience I had built over many years could take a new form.

It has reminded me that growth does not stop at a certain age or stage of life. We can continue to change direction, take thoughtful risks, and become more fully ourselves.

I often imagined becoming someone who cared for and helped others—a nurse, a mother, or a teacher. I also wanted to be a musician and later spent two years studying music at UBC. In the end, both interests remained part of my life through motherhood, music, and a career supporting young people, first as a special educator and later as a counsellor.

You will often find me spending time with my husband and adult sons, connecting with friends, or enjoying the outdoors through walking, cycling, skiing, hiking, and kayaking. I also enjoy yoga, singing in a choir, reading, writing poetry, and travelling—with a particular love of Italy.

You do not need to be in crisis or know exactly what you want from counselling before you begin. Sometimes something specific has happened; other times, life simply feels unsettled or familiar patterns keep repeating. Counselling can offer a supportive place to slow down, feel heard, and make sense of what you are experiencing at your own pace.

Witnessing the moment when someone begins to relate to themselves differently. Sometimes this happens through a major realization, but often it appears in small changes: less self-judgment, greater awareness of what they need, a new boundary, a moment of self-compassion, or the recognition that an old response once made sense. 

I value being able to accompany clients through the different seasons of their lives and to see how the work continues to unfold over time.

Real, warm, and easy to talk to—“like a regular person.” Clients have shared that they appreciate my genuine, down-to-earth manner and my ability to create a space where they can speak openly and feel at ease. They have also valued that I listen closely, notice connections, gently challenge them when helpful, and make room for both seriousness and humour.

“Sometimes what changes isn’t the struggle itself - it’s the way we come to understand and relate to it”

I value this idea because counselling does not always remove a difficult reality. Sometimes change begins when we gain a new perspective, understand ourselves with greater compassion, and discover more choice in how we respond and move forward.