About Me

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I am a proud Canadian and I love all things hockey. Family is the cornerstone of my life. Besides spending time with family and friends, I enjoy fly fishing, sports, and travel. 

Taking responsibility is a strong theme in my life, and I believe people do best when they take ownership of their life and circumstances. I have a positive growth and problem solving mindset, and I bring these values and themes into my counselling work. 

I have been involved with the BC family law system in professional and personal contexts for several years. My personal experience, research, and professional involvement has contributed to my belief that the family law system is not the best setting to resolve family issues relating to children. I am passionate about helping parents be the best they can be for their children, and finding it in themselves to put their children first. 

In individual counselling, I believe that the relationship between counsellor and client is the most important component to a positive counselling experience.  This relationship based on honesty, authenticity and collaboration allows us to work towards your goals in a meaningful way. Although I am trained as a professional, it is the individual client and their unique situation that forms the basis for the counselling work. Once we develop the counselling relationship and identify your goals, I will use a collaborative approach that fits with your learning style so you can get the most out of counselling.

When working with more than one person, such as a family or couples counselling, it is the relationship that is my focus. This means it is not an alliance with one person, but rather that I work towards the goals of the relationship rather than the goals of one individual. It is not necessary to begin counselling with each person having the same goals, but it is important that through our work we find common goals so that counselling can be meaningful and beneficial. I have experience and training in various approaches to couples counselling and through our work together, I apply what works best for the couple depending on their unique needs.

Coparent counselling and parent education are geared towards the best interests of the child(ren). The backbone for this type of work is based in the research on children’s development and outcomes, and often focuses on parent-child relationship building or repair, connection, discipline strategies, communication strategies, and creative ways for parents to regain or maintain their parenting authority while being in healthy relationship with their children.

I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC). I have an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences from Thompson Rivers University, and a Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Trinity Western University.

I have focused my additional training on separation and divorce, have a certificate in Child and Family Forensics from William James College and have completed a course titled "High Conflict Coparenting: Interventions for Children’s Alignment and Resistance" through Overcoming Barriers in collaboration with William James College. I regularly exceed all continuing education requirements and pursue current education in the field of family conflict resolution.

My theoretical orientation is based in family systems and attachment theory. This forms the basis for how I conceptualize the challenges faced by clients. In the counselling relationship, I take a humanistic and strength-based approach and believe that authenticity and honesty are the cornerstones to successful therapy. I work collaboratively with the client and draw on my training and tools to help them achieve their goals.

My research focused on high conflict separation and divorce, and how BC professionals (parenting coordinators) involved in family law cases work for the best interests of the child. Having completed this extensive research, I gained insights into the best interests doctrine and best practices for ensuring children interests are put first during times of family conflict.

I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), member #10003996 with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.

I am a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). I regularly attend conferences and seminars to gain further education and stay up to date on developments in the field of conflict resolution for families. Being a member of the AFCC, I have regular opportunities to learn from experts throughout the world who specialize in this field.