About Me & How I work
My path to becoming a therapist wasn’t a straight line.
I was fascinated by psychology from childhood, but I didn’t go straight into it. I wanted to become a filmmaker, and I ended up as a designer!
For more than fifteen years I worked in tech, designing health and medical software. In an interesting way, that work itself brought me back to psychology. I became involved with the Psychoanalytic Society of Western Canada and eventually completed formal study and training as a therapist.
Our life is a teacher we cannot forget. I came to Canada on my own as a student with limited means. Life’s challenges — including starting over in a new country, difficult experiences earlier in life, the joys and challenges of being a parent and partner, and delving into work and workplace psychology — continue to inform my practice.
I value having a grounded, balanced view, so I am always learning and updating my knowledge. I stay current with the latest neurodevelopmental findings on how we humans work.
My approach isn’t just about addressing symptoms and finding quick relief. I believe that many of our symptoms stem from being emotionally disconnected and stuck in unconscious patterns and behaviors, often influenced by past experiences, hidden beliefs and social pressures.
I believe we become more creative when we become aware of our emotions and the meanings we attach to our experiences.
My psychological lens is predominantly relational, psychoanalytic and attachments based, but I am also informed by cognitive theory and recent findings in neuroscience as well as some social theories.
We usually start with a few sessions to understand your situation or challenge. After that, we gradually dive deeper to uncover what’s contributing to your issues and bring awareness to any underlying emotions or unconscious patterns.
You lead each session by talking about what’s on your mind, or even by bringing your silence, and we explore whatever comes up.
We pay attention to your dreams, thoughts, relationships, and emotions, and together we figure out how you’re making sense of your experiences and how that can change. This process helps you feel and think deeply, which is essential for living a fulfilling life.
Ultimately, our work together helps you get to know yourself better, heal past wounds, and move beyond unhelpful patterns.
I offer both short-term and long-term therapy. The length of the sessions depends on your goals, issues, and finances.
Short-term therapy is usually 15-20 sessions and it helps you understand specific issues, get in touch with your emotions and find your inner compass.
For deeper challenges, or if you desire to more yourself more intimately, longer therapy helps uncover and work through underlying emotions and beliefs for lasting change.