I offer virtual Psychotherapy sessions for folks living in Ontario, Newfoundland, Alberta, BC, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan*

Coaching services are available internationally.

*In Canada, psychotherapy is regulated at a provincial level, but not all provinces are regulated. As of August 2023, Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island that have regulated psychotherapy. In Alberta, the bill for regulation has passed but the college is not yet open. The other provinces and territories are unregulated. 

My hours are Monday to Friday between 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

I work form an attachment lens, meaning I focus primarily on the caregivers’ triggers and mindset and how this impacts their relationships with their kids. I take a bottom-up approach to parent support which looks like inviting parents to examine their own responses and reactions to the challenges their kids bring and teach them how to process their own emotions so that they can respond in more peaceful and connected ways. The outcome of this work is a re-wired family system! But it starts with deep attention inwards.

Sometimes parents reach out to me hoping that I can give them some formulas or strategies to increase cooperation from their kids and they are not looking to do the internal work required to shift their dynamic. But I’m different than traditional parenting or behaviour coaches who provide solution-focused, gentle-yet-disciplinarian approaches to parenting - my goal is always to enhance parents’ ability to connect with their children from within, not to “fix” or “change” their children’s behaviour.

If you want to be a “cycle breaker” in your family system but don’t know how, my approach is one way forward.

When talking about therapy, it’s important to be mindful of the language you use. The words we choose can have a powerful impact on how our children perceive themselves and their experiences.

Telling your child that you think they "need to talk to someone" can unintentionally reinforce the idea that their feelings or challenges are problematic, a burden to us, or that they are somehow broken. This approach can create a sense of shame or embarrassment, making them feel isolated and misunderstood. 

Consider framing the conversation around curiosity and mutual exploration. You might say, "I've been thinking about how we can understand our feelings better and I came across the idea of talking to someone who is really good at helping people with their emotions. What do you think about that?" This way, you’re inviting your child into a dialogue about therapy rather than dictating a solution for what you’re noticing. You might also talk about the problems you face and the experience with therapy you have had, or that you’re considering working with a therapist yourself. 

By framing the conversation like this, you emphasize that seeking help is a normal and positive step in understanding oneself better. It becomes a shared journey where both of you are looking for ways to support and understand each other more deeply. This collaborative approach can reduce the stigma often associated with therapy and make your child feel more comfortable and open to the idea. It fosters a sense of teamwork and reinforces the message that seeking help is a common experience as well as a proactive and empowering choice versus a solution to weaknesses or problems.

Instead of saying, “I really think you need to talk to someone,” try, "I’ve been thinking about how you seem really sad/upset lately. I’m wondering if you have any ideas about how I can help.” Make sure to acknowledge and validate your child’s feelings without judgment. If they express worry or reluctance, let them know it’s okay to feel that way and that they’re entirely in the driver’s seat when it comes to talking with someone. Saying something like, "It’s completely normal to feel unsure about this”, or “You don’t have to talk to anyone you don’t want to talk to” can help them feel trusted and heard.

1. Use ‘we’ language: This helps them feel that they are not the problem, which is a common internalization for many people. For instance, "We can find someone together who you might feel comfortable talking to," or “What are your thoughts on the two of us talking to someone? I know I play a major role in how you feel, and I want to make sure I’m helping you in the ways you want and need”. You want to also keep in mind that therapy for kids + young people specifically is most effective when it’s a joint effort.

2. Normalize Therapy: Watch/read/listen to/discuss stories together that feature mental health challenges and positive portrayals of therapy to reinforce that therapy is a safe space where people can talk about anything on their mind. Wherever it makes sense to do so, casually point out that many people go to therapy to understand themselves better and manage their feelings, and that ideally, every person would have a therapist to talk to about their struggles if it weren’t for stigma and lack of recourses. 

3. Encourage Their Input: Ask them what they think therapy might be like or what they would want to get out of it. Let them know that they have full control and involvement in their therapeutic process, and that they can start and stop at any time.

4. Share Stories: When appropriate, share your own experiences or those of people the person you love knows (without breaking confidentiality). Hearing that someone they admire has benefitted from therapy can make the idea more relatable and less intimidating.

5. Listen Actively: It’s crucial to respect your loved one’s autonomy in this conversation, and you can illustrate this respect by paying deep attention to what they are saying without interrupting. Show them that you deeply empathize with them by nodding and repeating back what you’ve heard. 

6. Avoid Assumptions: Instead of assuming you know what’s best, ask them what they think they might need. If they say they don’t know, consider that they may really not know or that they may not be ready to talk about it with you yet. It’s important to understand and respect that they might need time to warm up to the idea of therapy. They may not be ready to talk right away, and that’s okay. Keep the lines of communication open and revisit the conversation as needed. Take any resistance or withdrawal as a cue to back off. 

Yes, but I find that the most effective therapeutic work happens when I focus primarily on caregivers’ triggers, mindset, and emotional patterns - because how we show up in our relationship with our child shapes their ability to feel safe, understood, and emotionally regulated. When parents focus solely on "fixing" our child's behaviour without deeply examining our own reactions, expectations and experiences, we often miss the deeper relational dynamics at play.

I work with kids only if they want to be in therapy and feel ready to engage in the process. Therapy is most effective when a child feels safe, understood, and willing to participate. If a child is resistant or uninterested, I find that working directly with caregivers is often far more impactful.

For kids who are keen to work together, my approach is relational, collaborative, and built on trust. I meet them where they are, incorporating play, creative expression, and conversation in ways that feel natural and engaging.