Many people are afraid to try therapy because of social or cultural stigmas, because they’re afraid of how they’ll feel, because they believe that their trauma is too big to overcome or that healing might dishonour past loss. But the truth is, therapy is about working through trauma so that you can stop reliving painful experiences and instead be able to remember what happened with reverence and respect. You will gain insight, find your voice, learn to communicate in new ways, and gather the reigns of life into your hands. In other words, you can learn to let your negative experiences shape your life without controlling it.

Using EMDR, talk therapy, storytelling, self-compassion and forgiveness exploration, among other interventions, we will help you to move from surviving to thriving by working together to define and achieve your mental health goals. We will encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone in order to achieve results, but never outside your safety zone. You’ll move from post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic growth, giving you hope (and a plan!) for the future you deserve. No one is ever broken beyond repair.

Often, when people enter couples counselling, or family therapy, the experience ends up being little more than "arguing in front of someone". With a background in restorative justice and dialogue, and experience working in small communities where everyone knows everyone, we approach things differently. We speak with each member of the couple, family or group first to establish needs and goals (sometimes we all meet together). From there, we work with each individual to prepare to enter healing and restorative dialogue so that each person is equipped with skills to talk about their feelings, knowledge of what those feelings are, and be able to meet together in a productive way. When each participant is ready, we come together in dialogue--first establishing a contract for safety, confidentiality and communication.

Whether your goal is to publish, to document a journey, or to heal yourself, I offer guidance and strategies that will help you take care of yourself and your manuscript while writing about trauma and difficult times. You bring your desire, ambition and passion, and I bring my experience, expertise, resources and objectivity. Together, we''ll create a plan to start and sustain your writing project. It's a team approach.

If you’re interested in writing your own story as a way to process your trauma, my Write for Real program might be for you. Memoir writing can be a tremendous tool for healing, plus telling your story may help others to work through their own traumatic histories. Get in touch to learn more about Write for Real, including examples of clients who have published their work.

No matter how you came to be on a justice system journey—whether you were hurt, someone you love was hurt, or you did the hurting—it is a roller-coaster. I know, because I’ve been there. And I didn’t have anyone to help me navigate the logistics or the emotions. I bushwhacked my way through, gaining knowledge, empathy and insight. Now I offer the advocacy and support that I needed to others.

In addition to mental health therapy, my services include counselling and education about criminal, civil and restorative justice processes, referrals to legal or other supports, preparation to make a police report or appear in court, drafting and reviewing court documents (i.e. victim impact statements, offender statements of accountability and apology), expert witness testimony, restorative justice facilitated dialogue, facilitated family dialogue, media relations, and any other assistance you may need to navigate this challenging time.

Who can use this service?
victims/survivors of crime and their loved ones
people who have committed crimes who acknowledge their wrongdoing
lawyers requiring an expert witness for cases involving trafficking, sex trafficking, sexual assault, child sexual abuse and other forms of violence
police services, crown attorneys/prosecutors and law firms representing survivors or responsibility-taking offenders