My Approach

My approach is very client-centred - you know your life and yourself the best. I tend to focus on emotion and body-based therapies as described below, with an emphasis on relationships and attachment theory. I like to provide a mixture of practical tools/strategies with some of the following methods.

neurobiologically-informed trauma treatment

I completed my complex trauma training under international trauma expert Dr. Janina Fisher. Her approach includes a combination of Sensorimotor therapy, Internal Family Systems parts-work, and mindfulness.

Compassionate Inquiry (CI)

I have completed a year-long training program and am a Certified CI Practitioner. CI was developed by Dr. Gabor Maté, a well-known Canadian physician and author with special interest in addiction, childhood development, trauma, stress, and the mind-body connection. CI is based on compassionately liberating clients from subconscious influences of the past, in particular early childhood experiences.

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)

I am a Certified PRT Clinician. PRT is an evidence-based approach for chronic pain founded in neuroscience. The majority of chronic pain is something called “neuroplastic pain” - the pain is very real, but as opposed to something being structurally wrong with the body, the pain originates in the brain. To learn more and for a free screening to see if your pain is neuroplastic click here

Polyvagal Theory

Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory helps us understand our autonomic nervous system both physically and psychologically - why and how we move through cycles of fight or flight, disconnect, and social engagement. Polyvagal Theory is particularly helpful in understanding trauma responses and offers a practical way to reshape the nervous system towards safety and connection. I am certified in the Safe and Sound Protocol which is a specific polyvagal-informed intervention.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

Based on the principles of acupuncture, EFT (or tapping) is an evidence-based method effective for stress, anxiety, trauma processing, and more. EFT involves tapping on specific acupressure points (no needles involved!) while focusing on the negative emotion or issue. How does tapping on these points work? Well, for starters it has been clinically shown to reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone), and to have an inhibitory effect on the amygdala (the emotional alarm centre in the brain).