Specializations
From Surviving to Thriving
I understand trauma as any wounding of the Spirit. I use a trauma informed, integrative approach in working with people to make sense of painful or challenging experiences. This approach can involve anti-colonial, anti-oppression, strengths-based, narrative, and cognitive-behavioural therapies, as well as mindfulness, holistic, and land-based healing approaches, depending on what fits for you. My work with survivors often involves enhancing skills to address the results of interpersonal, intergenerational, institutional, or systemic violence and oppression in early life and adulthood. Areas of focus can include self-acceptance, grief and loss, flashbacks, nightmares, dissociation, difficulty with coping and trust, fear, anxiety, panic, shame, and other challenging emotions. Together, we create goals that make sense to you and work at your pace.
Relationships and Sexuality
Our life experiences and social realities can have a significant impact on how we experience our body and sexuality. Yet, there is very little space to reflect on these processes, clarify our wants, and actively construct our desires. I work with people to navigate challenging aspects in life, by gently building awareness of personal and interpersonal cycles that can keep us feeling stuck. I aim to offer a compassionate space to hold the layers that can surface in reclaiming our bodies, sexualities, and relationships. This work can enhance emotional bonds in monogamous, open, and poly relationships. I have extensive experience therapeutically supporting people (and their friends and family) who are engaged in sex work, kink, dealing with coming out, opening up, asexuality, have LGBTQ experience, or who embrace and embody gender variance. I am also skilled in and comfortable with nurturing sexuality in connection to surviving violence.
Mindfulness
We can use mindfulness approaches to bring awareness and compassion to emotions and life experiences. This process can also help enhance the ability to respond instead of react. Guided mindfulness practice may be integrated throughout, or used at the beginning or end of sessions to transition and ground.
Substance Use
I use a harm reduction approach when a person is actively drinking or using drugs – focusing on support, information and practical strategies to increase physical and emotional wellbeing, and to manage day to day life. Harm reduction psychotherapy can include a range of intersecting areas, defined by your goals and priorities. For people who are interested in reducing or abstaining from drugs or alcohol, I am able to support and guide you through various stages of change, using a gentle approach to develop effective, solution-focused strategies and foster resiliency. All substance use work can involve a fluid integration of harm reduction and abstinence or reduction approaches, depending your needs and circumstances. This work can also be done alongside mindfulness practice or trauma focused work.