My Approach
After more than a decade as a helping professional, I understand the pain of distressing, unresolved emotions, especially those feelings and sensations that seem to highjack you and just won't leave you alone. And I understand the exhaustion that comes with battling the not-so-little inner voice that makes you doubt and devalue yourself or scares you into a fearful way of living. The stuckness that comes from not knowing the right choice to make, especially when you’re considering a really huge life decision. And the loneliness of a relationship in which the connection has been lost and the future looks very uncertain.
Many of the people I work with could write a book about healthier ways of living. "Don't think negative thoughts." "Focus on the positive." "Be nice to yourself and others." If only it were that easy. We know we're more complex than that, and our lives are more complex than that. We’re all human, and we all experience challenges, suffer in our own unique ways, and need help at various points in our lives.
Real, sustainable change is often challenging work, but it's some of the most important and rewarding work you'll ever do.
Because change is difficult, many of us move through life held captive by human yet unhealthy ways of seeing, feeling and being. In the grips of depression or anxiety, or the clutches of the past, we sometimes get so lost that we don't really know what our true self is or how to get back to it. I help people go beyond a mere understanding of the concept of change and move to experienced, lived change.
And, change-producing work is not always about struggle. It's also about strength, resilience, courage, joy, and the healthy things that you're already doing to manage through the hard times and celebrate life’s high points.
Regardless of what you’re going through, it is possible to connect with your best self. It is possible to move toward a more hopeful future filled with contentment, possibility, and joy. In my practice, I am driven and inspired by that moment when clients begin to connect with the possibility, often for the first time, that they could actually change. To heal. To see they have value and are deserving of love. To let go. To truly move on. To not just temporarily stop, but actually resolve the pain that has been with them for too long.
In sessions, I don’t just sit back, smile, and nod. My job is not to fix you or instruct you on how to live your life as if I know better what is best for you. I trust that you already have more wisdom than you may be aware of in this moment. Oftentimes, clients I work with know what they "should" do, but their heart or gut has a different idea, and then they get stuck, or down, or anxious. Deep down, you know what is best for you, and I can help you clear away the clutter and connect to those wise parts of you that may be blocked, whether you need to gain clarity of thought, go through your heart, or listen to the answers in your gut.
As we work together, I fully engage with you and your experience to help you feel seen, heard, and understood. I emphasize the importance of connection, mutual respect, and emotional safety in my life and work. I draw on my personal experiences as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and colleague and integrate these with my expertise in working with relationships and emotional change. Clients often tell me that I'm very warm and personable, and they also appreciate that I'm direct. Their experience with me, from the first meeting, helps them to feel comfortable opening up about very personal issues throughout their journeys, as well as confident in my ability to help them achieve their desired growth and change.
As a highly trained and experienced guide, I can help you feel, think, and do differently so that you can discover and truly become your best self. And your best self is likely already within you, but we may need to remove barriers and blocks so that you can access and rediscover the core value of who you already are. No matter what you’re going through, you are not alone. I believe and have seen over years of practice and living that connecting and healing can help you thrive. I know that there is hope and change is possible.
I understand the courage it takes to reach out. Your courage is strength right now. It is the part of you that is saying no more to the stuckness, struggle, and pain. I encourage you to start by offering yourself just a bit of kindness in this moment. You're here. You want to do things differently.
There is hope, possibility, and power when we work together to bring about change. You don't have to go it alone.
I believe that therapy is an important decision and investment of time and money. You want to be sure you're making the right choice, and finding a good "fit" between you and your therapist is an essential step in the process. That's why I offer a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to talk about what's going on for you, answer any questions you may have about my services, and help you get a sense of whether we'd be a good fit.
I invite you to call me at (416) 931-0690 for a free 15-minute phone consultation. We can discuss any questions you have about counselling and my practice in Oakville, ON.