A lot of people come to therapy after trying hard to think their way out of what they feel. They understand what is going on and can explain it well, but it still doesn’t change. Anxiety that won’t settle, the same pattern showing up in relationships, or something hard that happened and still sits in the body.
My Approach I work in a warm, down-to-earth and non-judgmental way. Along with talking things through, I pay attention to what the body is holding, and we go at a pace that feels manageable. Depending on what you need, I draw on ACT, CBT, DBT, Narrative and solution-focused work, always through a trauma-informed lens that is somatic and attachment-informed.
Over time, clients get a clearer sense of what is happening inside them, more room to respond instead of react, and a few practical tools they actually use between sessions. My hope is that you feel less stuck and more like yourself.
My Experience I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Master of Counselling from City University of Seattle and an earlier master’s degree in counselling psychology. I have worked in crisis mental health and community mental health teams, counselled youth in a medical clinic setting, and worked with men on anxiety, relationships, trauma and life transitions. I also travel to Indigenous communities in Northern BC to provide counselling and community support. I offer sessions in English and Russian.
My Training
· Bringing the Body into Practice: Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy (22-month program, in progress)
· Post-Degree Diploma in Interprofessional Mental Health and Addictions (Camosun College)
· Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
· Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Safety Planning
· Motivational Interviewing
· Mental Health First Aid
The concerns I help address:
· (Standard) Anxiety, depression, stress, trauma
· (Specialties) Relationship difficulties, life transitions, grief and loss, men’s mental health, substance use
More than just my work:
I’m a dad of two, and most weekends you’ll find us on a trail somewhere on Vancouver Island. I find being outside and moving my body is the easiest way for me to reset.
