When my daughter Kaitlin began school, I found myself in the role of advocate at a young age. It was stressful and I could see why people chose silence rather than to stand up and advocate for their needs. I decided to go back to school so that I could become a better advocate for my daughter. I soon realized there were many individuals who were afraid to use their voice and who doubted their potential and strength. I wanted to support these people, give them the tools to find their strength and empower them.

My favourite part of being a therapist is being on the journey with my clients. I recognize that it takes enormous courage to attend therapy, and that my clients are trusting me on this journey. Being able to see them empower themselves throughout the process is an incredible honour for me.

Therapy provides a safe space. A non-biased, non-judgemental space to share your struggles with someone who has tools to support you. It’s a lot heavier to carry your pain alone; therapy will help take some of the weight off so that the struggles are more manageable and less debilitating.

My biggest accomplishment to date is creating the non profit Friends 4 Kindness. We host Unbirthday Parties and buddy programs across Ontario that help individuals who struggle with friendships find social connections.

Parenting is hard! I want every parent to know that they are doing their best- and that their best is good enough! Even when it doesn’t seem like it.

I have one client who stopped harming themself on Remembrance Day and kept a tracker app in their phone for how many days they were harm-free. 11 years later, they still send me the update. To say I’m proud of my client is an understatement. To see how far they have come is incredible. There is no better feeling.