Meet the Team

I’ve been a psychotherapist for over 20 years working primarily with individuals and couples, adolescents and spouses who have been impacted by PTSD that has entered their life through serving the community. Whether you are a veteran, first responder, working in corrections, the courts, an emergency room or one of the many other frontline careers that services our community, you are exposed to traumatic content regularly. This exposure over time, wears on people and can lead to an operational stress injury. These injuries often not only impact individuals in service, but their family members as well.

If you're managing symptoms including anxiety, depression, reexperiencing trauma, avoidance, sensitivity to sensory stimuli, addictive behaviours and mood disturbances (amongst other things), know that you don’t have to just white knuckle it through these symptoms. I work extensively with first responders and frontline community workers.  I have experience working with the LGBTQQIP2SAA community, people in poly-amorous relationships as well as individuals from a variety of religious backgrounds (I have an interest in world religions).

Clients often come to me feeling alone, stuck, frustrated and as if it's “all in their heads”... Well, your head isn't detached from your body and your body isn't detached from your head. I encourage clients to understand the emotional, physiological and cognitive symptoms that they are experiencing as a result of their difficulties. With this understanding, they are able to focus on the underlying issues and use an integrated approach to change their situation. Therapeutically, I use a number of approaches including CBT, DBT, EMFT, BSFT, Systems approach, mindfulness and also tend to use psycho-education.

My Story

I have been a practicing psychotherapist for over 20 years and tend to have a somewhat different perspective and approach that I attribute to a combination of loving research and being a self-proclaimed brain geek!

I attended York University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. I have a natural love of research and science. So, early in my career I chose a number of research related positions. I had the pleasure of working with Sunnybrook on a study of Quality of Life in individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Then, I went on to Baycrest Centre where I was offered a position at the world-class Rotman Research Institute. There, everything around me had to do with brain function and understanding.

I began my Master’s in Counselling Psychology at the Adler School, in Chicago where my research focus was on the Quality of Life in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis. Towards the end of my Masters, I accepted a position at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, where I oversaw a national study examining the quality of life of both patients with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. I finished my Masters and opened my private practice. I then decided to return to school several years later to work towards a PhD in Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Sciences at York University while having young children at home! I did end up completing all of my course work with the exception of my dissertation. Why you might ask? At the time, the clinic was becoming extremely busy. Having young kids, they also needed my attention. I think many of us have felt over-stretched and I decided to focus on the things that were most important to me - my children and the people in the community that I felt I could help.

I am currently a Registered Psychotherapist (Registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario), a Certified First Responder Counsellor (CFRC) and a member of The Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals (OAMHP). I also work as an Associate under the supervision of Licensed Psychologist Scott Gosse.