Originally from a small town in Northern Ontario, I headed west in 2010 and eventually made my home on beautiful Salt Spring Island, where I’ve raised my three boys. With over 20 years of experience in helping and healing professions, I returned to school in 2019 to pursue my passion for counselling. Naturally, I was also drawn to study Somatic Experiencing which aligns with both my personal and professional values which include honouring consent, autonomy, and the brilliance of nature.
In practice, I use a body-first approach by working with the nervous system rather than relying solely on thoughts and emotions. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which focuses on “top-down processing”(starting with thoughts and emotions), Somatic Experiencing (SE) uses “bottom-up processing”—helping you tune into physical sensations, movement, and the body’s natural rhythms to unlock deeper healing.
By working with the autonomic nervous system, where trauma is stored, SE helps shift patterns of stress and survival responses, allowing your system to gradually restore balance. This gentle, body-centered approach works at a slow, manageable pace to prevent overwhelm while increasing your ability to tolerate difficult sensations and suppressed emotions. SE helps “unfreeze” the body’s natural responses, allowing for a healthy flow between activation (stress) and relaxation (calm).
Over time, this process fosters a greater sense of resilience, presence, and connection, helping you move beyond past experiences and into a life that feels more balanced and whole.
I offer in-person sessions in Victoria and Salt Spring Island, BC, and online.
