About Me

My path toward counselling has been shaped as much by my own story as by my professional life. For more than fifteen years, I have lived with a complex medical condition that took a long time to diagnose. In that season of uncertainty, I came to understand, in a very personal way, how deeply our physical, emotional, and spiritual health are woven together. It was a compassionate therapist who first gave me a place to grieve what I had lost, gain a new perspective, and find strategies for adapting to a new reality. That experience did not erase my pain, but it did give me a full and meaningful life again, and it planted in me a deep desire to offer that same steadying presence to others.

When I began pursuing counselling, I brought with me more than twenty-five years of experience as a music educator and studio director, teaching piano, voice, and theory to students ranging in age from four to seventy-five and across a wide range of learning styles and needs, including those related to neurodivergence. My family also moved several times across Canada, and each move meant starting over: building new relationships, new trust, and a new sense of community. Alongside teaching, I spent over a decade mentoring engaged and married couples. These threads – teaching, mentoring, life transitions, and my own healing – have led me here.

My Style and Areas of Support

I bring a warm, attentive, and unhurried presence to the people I work with. Years of teaching and mentoring taught me that growth often begins when someone feels genuinely seen and understood, so I try to meet each person where they are rather than where I expect them to be. I value openness and curiosity regarding each person's cultural and spiritual background, upbringing, and life experiences. My approach is person-centred and collaborative, while also drawing on a range of therapeutic perspectives as I continue to develop my clinical practice as a counselling intern.

I am especially drawn to working with those navigating grief, anxiety, depression, self-esteem struggles, and difficult life transitions. I have a particular interest in women's issues and in marital and relationship challenges, an area close to my heart after years of mentoring couples through both joyful and painful seasons. I also care deeply about supporting those working through religious or spiritual trauma or wrestling with questions of faith. I hope to walk alongside each person in a way that honours their story, values, and hopes for change.

Outside the Counselling Room

Family sits at the center of my life. I have been married to my husband for more than thirty years, and together we have raised four wonderful children, now young adults.

When I am not studying or spending time with family, you will often find me at the piano. Music has been part of my life since childhood and continues to be a place of rest, expression, and joy for me. I also enjoy attending to my vegetable garden, spending time in nature, and trying new cuisines in the kitchen. On Saturday nights, you can often find me making chicken wings while avidly cheering on the Montreal Canadiens or the Blue Jays with my family.

Areas of Focus

- Individuals, couples, and women's issues
- Grief and loss
- Anxiety and depression
- Marital and relationship challenges
- Religious and spiritual trauma
- Self-esteem and life transitions

Qualifications & Training

- Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (in progress, expected 2027), Yorkville University
- Bachelor of Sacred Music, Honours, Piano Major and Voice Minor, Ambrose University
- Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
- Student Member, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association

Fee $160.00 / 50 Min Session 
Covered by most Insurance & Benefit Plans.