I believe that growth and change are natural, inevitable and inborn. Just as our bodily cells restore themselves, so do our minds and souls. We are hard-wired for healing.

HOW I WORK

I have a gift for seeing the best in people, even when they are struggling and feeling at their worst. Again and again I have learned that life's challenges are invitations to grow even though these events are painful and unwelcome. It is when we are off-kilter and at the edge of our tolerance that we can grow and develop compassion.

The healing and the help to be gained in therapy occurs because of the therapeutic relationship. When mutual trust, honesty and stability are developed and nurtured, really great things can happen. My style is interactive and warm. I focus on the here and now with an interest in the past only as it relates to the present.

Our first job is to create safety in the midst of your crisis and identify your concerns and hurts. This is done by first attending to your bodily sensations and discomforts, and helping you find new ways of self-soothing and relaxing when anxious, uncomfortable or numbed-out.

Secondly, we work with the pain, slowly developing your capacity to feel your emotions without undue avoidance.

Finally, we work toward the understanding and healing of emotional/relational hurts, wounds and losses through self-compassion and the nourishment of healthy relationships, values and dreams.

My training and practice include the following therapeutic modalities: Spiritual Care Counselling, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) among others. The psychology of James Hillman is one of the foundational pillars of my work, lending a deeply soulful dimension to my clinical endeavours.

I have a home office in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia where I see clients in person. I also offer online video sessions for those looking for a more convenient and accessible therapy option.

ONE-ON-ONE & FAMILY THERAPY

Is your life feeling out of control? Are you becoming increasingly anxious or depressed? Are you feeling stuck and dissatisfied or isolated?  Are your relationships characterized by too much conflict, lack of understanding, or not enough intimacy and communication? I can help.

Therapy is a conversation about change. It grows out of our mutual respect and curiosity. I will assist you in tuning into your body, beliefs, and self-defeating patterns in order to increase your ability to stay present and move more ably through difficult life circumstances. We will help you identify your core fears, gifts and needs and to make choices about them with more awareness and self-concern. 

Therapy should help you draw nearer to those you love and care about. We don’t aim to mold you into an untouchable heroic super-person who never doubts, fears or messes up, but rather to animate your love, kindness and boundary setting with self, family, friends and world.

Therapy can aid with depression, anxiety, trauma, spiritual crisis, self-esteem and self-sabotage, life transitions, addictions issues and communication in relationships.

I work with adults, teens, families, small groups and couples.

GRIEF THERAPY

If you’re grieving, you’ve come to the right place. It’s hard sometimes to find the help you need. When you’re hurting and exhausted, finding help can seem like an impossible task. I’m glad we found each other.

Grief is my specialty. Grief is hard, it’s socially taboo and can take us to our emotional breaking point. I have several decades of practice, study and training in the art and science of bereavement counselling. If you have lost a spouse, mother, father, child, had a miscarriage or stillbirth, lost a grandparent, friend or pet, I can help. If you’ve lost someone by illness, disease, are recovering from an abortion, a sudden loss, a suicide, murder, traffic fatality, disappearance or disaster, I can help.

During grief we can end up feeling TOO MUCH and become overwhelmed or TOO LITTLE and wind up frozen and chronically numb. If we don’t learn how to tenderly and intentionally release and make room for our hurt, to actually feel our own heart-break, this suffering can prolong indefinitely.

Grief can awaken old wounds. When we lose someone, it’s common for ungrieved losses to burble up from inside.  Many times, childhood and other relational traumas can be reactivated by a grief, leaving us anxious, fearful and overwhelmed. I specialize in helping people work with intense grief while remaining ever mindful of the old traumas that can arise out of fresh grief.

You may wish to seek out help if you’re experiencing substantial guilt, suicidal or dark thoughts of non-being, extreme hopelessness, prolonged anxiety or depression, unrelenting physical symptoms like gastrointestinal troubles, headaches or autoimmune issues, uncontrollable rage, persistent functional impairment or a growing dependence on substances.

I work with adults, couples, children, teens and families.

ONLINE THERAPY

Online sessions allow you to speak with me in locations other than my office, offering you convenience and flexibility.

Online sessions are ideal for clients who wish to eliminate commute time, have limited availability, find comfort in their own space or want to pet their furry friends while in session : )

I typically use Zoom video conferencing which requires a simple download onto your cell or laptop. I am happy to walk you through this process.

NOTE: Trauma work is not available by video session.

THERAPY PRICING

My fee is $150 CA per hour (includes HST)

Accepted forms of payment —
In-person: Cash, Cheque, Debit, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover
Online: E-transfer, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover

Cancellation Policy: More than 24 hours notice is required to cancel or reschedule an appointment, otherwise you will be charged an administrative fee equivalent to the cost of the missed session.

PLEASE NOTE: All payments are non-refundable, non-transferable, no-exceptions.