art therapy collage

About me

I am a Registered Social Worker with the BC College of Social Workers and a member of the BC Association of Social Workers. I received a Master of Social Work degree from the University of British Columbia School of Social Work in 2013.

Prior to entering private practice, I worked with a range of people going through difficult circumstances, including refugees, internally displaced people, and women fleeing abuse.

I am a single mom of two young boys and have lived experience navigating the challenges of the family court and parallel parenting.

When I am not working with clients, you might find me playing my harp, making art of one kind or another, exploring nature with my sons, or officiating weddings. (Yes, you read that right, I’m also a wedding officiant. I love supporting and celebrating healthy relationships.)

People who know me say I am warm, grounded, supportive, non-judgemental, resourceful, creative, and hopeful.

I speak Spanish fluently.

My Approach & Values

  • Flexible, Client-Paced & Creative

    I will work with you gently, letting you set the pace for what you are comfortable sharing or talking about. I may draw on narrative and creative modalities, including art and therapeutic music if appropriate. I will share relevant resources that I am aware of and point you in the direction of supports that may be helpful when I can.

  • Woman Centred

    My focus is on supporting, listening to, believing and cheering on women in their journeys out of abuse and into healing and hope. I see women as the experts in their lives and circumstances. Your hopes, needs, challenges and intentions will guide our work together. My hope is to walk along side you and offer support as you find your path forward.

  • Social Justice Oriented

    Women who experience abuse and separation face many injustices in society, including in the family court and mental health system. Factors such as immigration status, language ability, and ethnicity often result in heightened barriers and discrimination in society. In my work I seek to identify, understand, and be sensitive to the social justice issues impacting you.

  • Violence, Abuse & Trauma Informed

    I understand the impact of violence, abuse, and trauma on women, and am sensitive to the impacts these experiences have had on your life. Fear, confusion, financial distress, loss of friends, isolation from family, difficulty regulating emotions, depression, exhaustion, physical illness or pain - these are but a few of the ways that abuse impacts women.

  • Feminist

    I identify and am critical of structures that exist in society that are detrimental to women and children. I recognize that society normalizes violence against women, often blaming women for their experience of abuse. Women and girls are told from a young age that coercive and controlling behaviours are done by men out of love, which leaves women struggling to understand what is happening. Is it love, or is it abuse?

  • Contextual

    Abuse and healing occur in a social context, not simply in a woman’s mind. I’m interested in knowing what happened to you rather than what someone has said is wrong with you. In fact, I don’t believe that anything is wrong with you. I believe that substance use and mental health concerns following abuse should be seen as impacts of abuse rather than addictions or disorders.

My areas of interest

  • When relationships seem incredibly difficult and unsafe, something is wrong. It can help to talk to someone about what is going on, to gain clarity about what is happening, what is in your control (and what isn’t), and how to stay safe. I will support you without judgement as you decide what is best for you.

  • Abuse takes many forms, including emotional, social, financial, verbal, psychological, intellectual, sexual and physical. Some of these kinds of abuse are hard to recognize at first, because abuse often happens in a cycle, with periods of calm and even good times between. I help women develop a framework to understand the cycle of abuse that may be occurring in their relationships.

  • The ending of a marriage is difficult, no matter what led to the end. There is grief and loss - we mourn the loss of the relationship we hoped for, the loss of time with our children, the loss of friendships, the loss of a home. There can also be litigation, financial distress, and loneliness. Divorce is a significant life stressor, even if it ultimately leads you to freedom and tranquility.

  • Unfortunately, abuse does not stop after separation. Many women experience ongoing harassment, litigation abuse, and false claims of parental alienation. Abusive men often use their children as conduits to continue to emotionally abuse their ex partners. It is tremendously painful and stressful to experience post separation abuse.

  • Abuse doesn’t only happen in intimate partner relationships. It can happen in families, workplaces, and in religious contexts. Adults who are now deconstructing from a fundamentalist religious background are often shocked to realize how much harm they endured as children growing up in a rigid religious context. Fundamentalist religious groups exert power and control over their members through teachings that emphasize a distrust of self, fear of eternal damnation, strict obedience, and that we are born with a sinful nature. If this is part of your story, I will hold space gently for you to explore how this aspect of your life still impacts you today.

  • It is often not safe for women to attend couples counselling if abuse is present in the relationship. If you wish to pursue couples counselling, I may be able to point you toward couples therapists who are trained to recognize abuse.