I came to the counselling profession later in life after seeing the support my mother received while living with cancer. I have worked with people of various cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, ages, and sexual orientations. I speak French, Spanish, and English and can offer counselling services in all three languages.
My philosophy as a counsellor is founded on a collaborative approach. Together, we explore perspectives, abilities, strengths you can draw from, as well as, barriers that may be impeding, the changes you seek. We are all experts of our own lives and you possess important knowledge, skills, and abilities vital to making changes in your life. Two counselling theories I identify most with include: Narrative Therapy and Existential/Logotherapy.
In 2022 I had an opportunity to train in EMDR. It was transcendental both experiencing it as a client and as clinician. The research behind this therapy is so robust, I have also actively integrated it into my current practice.
*Photograph by Kadin Hatch @kadinhatchphotography
Narrative Therapy seeks to be a respectful, non-blaming approach to counselling and community work, which centres people as the experts in their own lives. It views problems as separate from people and assumes people have many skills, competencies, beliefs, values, commitments and abilities that will assist them to reduce the influence of problems in their lives.
- © Dulwich Centre Publications Pty Ltd & Dulwich Centre Foundation Inc.
Photograph by Petar Milošević
Existentialism/Logotherapy rests on two principal concepts: Humans seek meaning in life and no one can rob us of choice in life. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
- Viktor Frankl (Photographed by Prof. Dr. Franz Vesely, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15153593)