I am a counsellor specialising in neurodiversity-affirming and neurodiversity-informed care. My work is strength based, trauma informed, and client centred. To my practice I bring over 20 years as an educator, group facilitator, public speaker, and singer songwriter, 8 years as a music therapist, and 6 years as a parent to my sweet girl.
I focus on supporting neurodivergent individuals, couples, and families to find deeper self-understanding by providing a comprehensive framework of their unique neurology. It is my experience that when parents and teachers begin to truly understand these distinctive needs and strengths and proactively implement evidence-based strategies to meet them, they begin to see remarkable and positive shifts in themselves, their children, their families, and their schools.
I have worked in addiction and mental health, grief and loss, and end of life care. As an outreach family counsellor at Deltassist I helped parents learn advanced caregiving skills to support their children. Many of the children and youth were neurodivergent and experiencing severe mental health challenges. I also supported parents, both separated and living together, in strengthening their co-parenting relationship. The stress of having a child who is struggling can take its toll and the parents benefited from my support in navigating the complex dynamics that occur when making parenting decisions together. I am comfortable working with couples who wish to deepen their bond, as well as those who prefer to be apart in healthy collaboration as parents.
In my practice I provide a holistic model of therapy that draws from various evidence based models, including adapted Emotion-Focused Family Therapy, Mindfulness Based Therapy, and Polyvagal theory. Further, I bring a knowledge of sensory processing and executive functioning differences that are essential to understanding neurodivergent support needs. I draw from critical theory of disability, race, and gender to support clients ready to challenge and dismantle harmful messaging often internalised by people living with marginalised identities.
I have a Bachelors of Music Therapy through Capilano University and am currently completing my masters thesis through Concordia University. My research is looking at the impacts of reclaiming a positive neurodivergent identity through self- understanding and dismantling ableism. My interest in human development and well-being began when I was very young and I continue to passionately learn all that I can to benefit my own life as well as that of my family, clients, and community.
My guiding values:
Interdependence: I believe that human beings are social creatures and that we all require one another to live a full and meaningful life, and that all support needs are worthy of being met. I challenge the belief that any of us are truly independent or that that should be the goal.
Self determination: I believe that all humans deserve the right to make decisions in their life that determine how they live, receive care, learn, and play. Neurodivergent individuals often require fierce autonomy. I honour this choice, even in children. I challenge and reframe traditional western ideas of what leadership, including parental leadership, looks like. I ask, “How can we be wise elders guiding our children with respect, while honouring their autonomy?”
Intersectionality and Anti Oppression: I seek to learn from disabled people with other marginalised identities in an effort to centre and uplift the most marginalised among us. I understand that the intersection between multiple marginalities creates the largest barriers and that these voices are most often unheard, most oppressed, and that their messages are paramount to our liberation. I experience that as others rise in speaking their truth and claiming space, we are all better for it. “Until we are all free, we are none of us free. ”― Emma Lazarus. I seek to practise decolonization in all that I do and to humbly and respectfully learn from the wisdom of indigenous knowledge keepers.
Disability is not a dirty word: Part of normal human diversity is disability. We do not need to overcome our disabilities performing “normal” to live meaningful and worthy lives. We bring inherent value as we navigate our one wild and precious life.
