Social Worker, Psychotherapist

Level 1 Trained Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist

 

As a Registered Social Worker (RSW) and Psychotherapist, with training in Couple and Family Therapy, I work with:

Individuals, couples, and families to manage and transform:

Relationship challenges, strong emotions, self-doubt, life changes, cultural pressures, identity stressors, depression, anxiety, and more.

We sometimes come to therapy or counselling seeking to create a space to connect with ourselves, and to deepen our capacity to connect with others. We sometimes want to shore up the resources that stabilize us on our journey, or, at other times, we may choose to shift towards transformation and invite healing into the process. Some wish to work through stress or conflict in ways that honour our values and our sense of self. Some of us hope to rediscover a sense of empathy and understanding in our relationships.

This may sound like you - or you may have a different story. In either case, you are welcome to consult with me. We can review your needs and have an open discussion about working together.

Your courage in reaching out deserves recognition.

Counselling and therapy services offered:

Across Ontario through virtual platform

Downtown Kitchener for in-person sessions

Availability:

Currently accepting new individual therapy clients

At capacity for couple and family therapy; no waiting list available.

Background and Approach:

Therapeutic Approaches:

I am a level one trained Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist. In internal family systems therapy, human beings are understood as being made up of different parts. In internal family systems work, a person can come to recognize and accompany different parts of their experience, which can bring transformative effects to their wider life.

My work with attachment is focused on your efforts to find belonging and a safe and meaningful relationship with those who are important to you. Attachment-based therapies can enhance a person’s level of presence in their relationships, increase their sense of security, and help them to overcome fears that might make them feel separate, isolated, and frustrated in relationships. Attachment-based therapies can also be used to support a person’s self understanding, their ease in expressing themselves, and their ability to work through conflict in a variety of relationships and social situations.

I work with mentalization (in individual/couple/family therapy) which helps us to understand in-the-moment thoughts, feelings, wishes, perspectives, and contributions of each person, or family member. This helps us to explore issues more calmly, and with more awareness of what is going on inside and outside of each person—all of which can lead to conflict resolution and growth.

Working with narrative therapy, I observe the principle that we can help each other by finding opportunities to build on important parts of our experience that have not been recognized or understood in the past. The stories we tell about ourselves and each other matter. We can often discover a deep empathy in our relationships by paying attention to these hidden and undeveloped stories.

Education & Key Trainings:

I have a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Couple and Family Therapy from McGill University. I am a registered Social Worker practicing Psychotherapy in Ontario.

I am a level 1 trained Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, and have completed a workshop in the Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO) couple therapy model. I consult with experts in the IFS and IFIO models for individual and couple therapy.

I have studied Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), trained in Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), trained in Mentalization-Based Treatment (through the Mclean Hospital at Harvard University), and Mentalization-Based Treatment for Families. I also have a longstanding interest in narrative therapy. In 2019, I completed a research project on its origins and its impact as a non-pathologizing and empowering way of understanding ourselves and the people around us.

Values, Practices and Client Identities:

In therapy, I will work to acknowledge the importance of life experience and identity, as they shape how you feel in everyday situations and during our conversations together. My work is based on the principle of cultural humility and informed by research in both transcultural psychiatry and narrative therapy: These approaches respect and explore cultural difference and work with all dimensions of your identity that are important to you (e.g. gender, race, relational, sexual, health status, ability/disability, age, and more). My affirmative work with 2SLGBTQIA+ persons is informed by specialized training: I have completed the Rainbow Health Network LGBT2SQ Foundations Course and attended the Conference of the Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health (in 2019). As a therapist, I work hard to better understand your experience using our discussions together. I also do research and training that support my competency.

Please feel welcome to ask about any of my approaches during a free consultation!

Who do I work with?