My career has been spent in public health care primarily in the field of mental health and addiction crossing the lifespan. In my recent clinical role I engaged with parents and caregivers whose presenting challenges correlated to stressors caring for children with chronic health designations, neurodevelopmental diagnoses, palliative care as well as developmental challenges. Further, following the expansion of the program to include infant mental health referrals, my work supported the healing of early years developmental trauma, attachment issues, intergenerational trauma as well as grief and loss.

During my tenure I have come to understand the link between trauma, attachment, and grief each one having capacity to affect the other. During my Masters in Counselling I focused on these areas through curriculum , engaging in research, as well as having experiential opportunities particularly with trauma and grief. I had the good fortune of having supervision and consultation with a renowned grief specialist and professor, a Somatic Experiencing Faculty member and professor as well as a Masters in Social Work whose focus was Family Therapy. I was well supported in my two year internship were I offered psychotherapy groups for parents and caregivers’ experiencing nonfinite and finite loss.

My continuing education has incorporated trainings in traditional modalities such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Emotion Focused Family Therapy. However, the area were I have delved the most time in training is in Attachment work. This has included a training in attachment and regulation, attachment and caregiver behaviours associated with insecure attachment as well as the Circle of Security Parent Group Facilitator course.

I am currently working part time in an Infant Mental Health Program where I co-facilitate relational based parenting groups. In addition, I offer individual and couples counselling employing Somatic Experiencing as the preferred treatment modality. I am in private practice, part time, were I offer an integrated approach to presenting challenges. Goals are mutually agreed upon with the overarching themes being enhancing family wellness, facilitating a deeper relationship with self, and creating more capacity for joy.