Registered Clinical Counsellor #4009

Canadian Certified Counsellor #1828

Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology

My clinical specialties include relationships, intimacy, and sexual issues, as well as heartbreak, grief/loss and separation. I have experience working with both monogamous and non-monogamous relationships, and I have specialized training in the Gottman Couples Therapy Method, Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples and Sex Therapy. The focus of my graduate research explored the impact that sexual frequency has on sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction and self-esteem, and I am the Co-Founder of The Westland Academy of Clinical Sex Therapy.

I also have a strong background in addictions treatment having worked in a residential treatment centre. I provide counselling and consulting for both those struggling with addiction and/or compulsive behaviours, and those trying to support them. In addition, I have expertise in working with adult children of alcoholics/substance users and the impact that parental addiction has on adult children.

Other issues I work with include anxiety and depression, as well as trauma and PTSD. Also, I work with individuals looking to improve their self-esteem, those focusing on personal growth / life balance, and those looking to build their communication skills such as boundary setting and assertiveness.

In addition to my clinical practice, I also have been an Adjunct Faculty Instructor at Adler University, Vancouver Campus providing clinical supervision for graduate students in the Pre-Practicum Skills Lab since 2011, and co-facilitating Masters Clinical Qualifying Exams (MCQE) since 2013.

Additional Clinical Training:

• HeartMath Clinical Certification for Stress, Anxiety and Self Regulation – Timothy P. Culbert, MD
• EMDR and Performance: Removing Blocks and Raising the Bar Clinical Strategies for Athletes and Creatives – Sara Gilan, PhD
• Intermediate LENS Neurofeedback Practitioner Certification – Oches Lab
• Digital Ethics for Clinicians– Dr. Kelly Kolmes
• Trauma of Money Method Facilitator Certification – Chantel Chapman and Hiroko Demichelis, PhD
• Whiteness at Work – Desiree Adaway
• Developmental Trauma: LENS, EMDR and Somatic Psychotherapy – Ulrich Lanius, PhD
• EMDR Intensives – Kelly Smyth-Dent, PhD
• Foundations of LENS Neurofeedback – Basic Practitioner Certification – Ochs Labs
• Treating Dissociative Disorders with EMDR Therapy – Dolores Mosquera, PhD
• Defense and Affect Restructuring with EMDR Therapy – Andrew Leeds, PhD
• EMDR Therapy Protocols for Early Intervention and Ongoing Traumatic Stress – Nacho Jarero, PhD
• Mechanisms of action in EMDR therapy: Multiplex effects of bilateral stimulation – Andrew Leeds, PhD
• Using MBTI Type to Optimize Leadership – Psychometrics Canada 
• Comprehensive EMDR Basic Training – EMDR Centre of Canada – Jasmine Alexander, MA
• Dare to Lead™ Facilitator Certification – Brené Brown, PhD
• New Approaches in Trauma Therapy / Clinical Case Notes – Maureen McEvoy, MA
• Current Approaches to Trauma Treatment for Clinical Supervisors – Leslie Ellis, PhD
• Daring Way™ Facilitator Certification – Brené Brown, PhD
• Supervising Students Counselling Gender Variant Clients – Wallace Wong, PhD
• Minimizing Hetero-normativity in a Clinical Setting – Kevin Osten, PhD
• Advanced BodyTalk Mindscape – International BodyTalk Association – Angela Adkins, LMT, CBP
• BodyTalk Mindscape – International BodyTalk Association – Heidi Reid, BEd, CBP
• BodyTalk Access – International BodyTalk Association – Heidi Reid, BEd, CBP
• Teaching and Supervising Students working with LGBTQ Clients – Kevin Osten, PhD
• Gottman Couples Therapy Level II: Assessment, Interventions and Co-morbidities – Lawrence Stoyanowski, M.Sc, MFT & Darren Wilk MA
• Sex Therapy Intensive Certification Program – University of Guelph
• Gottman Couples Therapy Level I: Bridging the Couples Chasm – Lawrence Stoyanowski, M.Sc, MFT & Darren Wilk MA
• Sexual Attitudes Reassessment (SAR) – Options for Sexual Health
• Emotion Focused Couples Therapy Externship, Veronica Kallos-Lilly PhD & Yolanda Von Hockauf PhD
• Dating the Ethnic Man: Issues in Multicultural Relationships, Faizal Sahukan, PhD
• Emotion Focused Couples Therapy Core Skills, Veronica Kallos-Lilly PhD & Yolanda Von Hockauf PhD
• The Clinical Sexual Interview: Taking a Sex History, David Hersh, EdD
• Dreams & Dream Interpretation in Counselling & Psychotherapy, Chris A. Shelley, PhD
• Suicide Assessment & Treatment, Dammy Albach, MSW
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Joti Samra, PhD.

Clinical Groups Facilitated:

Owning Your Sexuality – Shanti Counselling Centre – 7 week process group for women exploring the various societal, cultural, familial, relational, and biological influences that impact sexuality and sexual expression.

Rediscovering Relationships – Shanti Counselling Centre – 6 week process group exploring the various roles we play in relationship, and how we can better establish and communicate our needs in a healthy, respectful way.

Seeking Safety – Pacifica Treatment Centre – 20 week standardized group for women dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance addiction recovery. Focused on life skills, symptom management and emotional containment.

Level I Safety & Stabilization and Level II Intensive Treatment – Pacifica Treatment Centre – Co-ed group treatment for substance abuse in a residential treatment centre