Hi Everyone. I have worked in the counselling field for more than 26 years. I work with adults only, doing individual, couples and adult family members therapy. I cover three provinces now: British Columbia, to Saskatchewan, now calling Alberta my new home beginning in 2022.
These past 26 years have taught me so much; I can honestly say I have loved this field since I began doing this work. I feel privileged to also work as a Counselling Supervisor working with my colleagues in this field.
My clients have been my greatest teachers. Every client is uniquely different. I listen to understand to help them transform their lives and find the kind of peace, acceptance and understanding they have come searching for. They let go of traumas, hurts, heartaches and disappointments. They let go of addictions and unhealthy behaviours that have crippled them. They find a way of moving forward in their own lives; they have allowed me the privilege of walking alongside them until they can regain the balance they have been seeking.
My clients will graciously say that they immediately trust me when we begin working together. This component is critical to working with another individual or a couple as they expose the deeper and more vulnerable recesses that they could deal with on their own. Client definitely get stuck and seeing them get unstuck is so rewarding in our world together. As we begin working together, we develop a deeply respected therapeutic relationship. My clients allow me to challenge them, support and empower them. My clients truly do amazing work. They come to therapy when they are ready, willing and able to fight to achieve the goals that brought them initially into counselling. I do take a bio-psycho-social approach with each person I work with. There are many modalities we can utilize; we use what works for each unique person. It can be called a "wholistic" approach because the issues, pains, hurts, disappointments, the traumas and the grief and loss affect the whole person. Mental health issues can play a role in the struggles at times for some and that is monitor throughout our therapeutic relationship.
I have been honoured this past 26+ years to have worked with individuals who have transformed their lives. They each have worked very hard and also reap the benefits of being in therapy and doing the harder work. Those untreated (yet to be exposed) issues were holding them back from the productive and meaningful lives they are seeking. I often say that therapy is not for "the faint of heart". Let's face it, it is often hard work and complacency can slip in and sabotage the therapeutic process. Some start and quit before their miracles happen. If they stay in therapy for themselves long enough, life-changing things happen for them they report.
