About

​​​​​People have different ways of deciding whether counsellors can help. Some people want to know about a counsellor's professional experience (have I helped someone with issues you're wrestling with or helped people from my industry?). Other people want to know about my career path and personal experience to gauge whether I'll be able to understand where they are coming from. 

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Below is a compilation of things that people tend to be curious about.

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If I've missed something that would help you make a decision, please don't hesitate to ask. What's allowed and not allowed in counselling tends to be a bit of a mystery and, as you might have guessed from how much info I provide on this site, I'm keen to try make counselling more transparent and understandable. 

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​My Formal Education & Qualifications

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I completed a Masters of Counselling Psychology at Adler University and a law degree at Dalhousie University. Waaaay back, I also completed 3 years of a bachelor degree and a paralegal diploma.  

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I am registered with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (membership #16299). You can confirm my registration by searching for my profile on the Association website (Search Our Member Registry - BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (bcacc.ca)) or by asking for a copy of my registration certificate.

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My Career Change & Personal Experience 

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​If you're curious about my career path and think discussing it might be relevant and helpful to you, I'm happy to share my experiences. If you have zero interest in my career and prefer to focus on your own experiences, that's perfectly ok too! Some people get their bearings by learning about others while other people prefer to focus on their own experiences.

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People tend to be most curious about my career change. I practiced corporate and securities law for 6 years in Vancouver at a national and boutique firm. I have also worked as a corporate paralegal and provided legal software support to many firms in Western Canada.​ While in law, I volunteered with LAP, mentored junior associates, articling students and paralegals, served on Dal Law's Admissions Committee, helped host on-campus recruitment events and establish an alumni mentorship program.

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It was a big change that raises a lot of questions for people: why would I walk away from money/status? did I waste my law degree? how did I do it? what did other people think? I'm happy to answer any questions people have when they think it might be helpful to them.  

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There are two surprises from changing careers that continue to stand out to me: 

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• I was surprised that I didn’t leave my education and experience behind. In my old roles, I essentially helped people navigate systems. To a large degree, that's what I continue to do now, just in a very different context 

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• I was also surprised to learn more than a new job. I came to see the value in approaching problems and the world in different ways. I experimented with following my instincts. Despite being a problem solver and honing critical thinking skills in law school, I even made friends with feelings

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Here are a few other highlights from my career that many people who come to career counselling can often relate to: 

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• I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up and many possibilities I was drawn to didn't seem feasible (ever met a vet who has horrible allergies and faints around blood?!?). It took almost 20 years to figure out career counselling was the place for me. Looking back, it felt like coming home because I've always looked for opportunities to help people face challenges and grow. I just didn't recognize it  

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• I tried to get help with my career at several points and it didn't go very well (my lowest point was a counsellor suggesting I give up on a career and just have kids)  

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• ​I've experienced being a small fish in a big pond several times (I grew up in a small mining town and moved to a city for university and I was the first in my extended family to get a fancy professional job)

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• In undergrad, I bounced around subjects and quit before finishing because I couldn't figure out what any of my classes had to do with the real world and getting a job. I couldn't understand why a prof would ask me to do a presentation in middle English and didn't know that my coursework was helping me develop transferable skills 

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• As a first generation university student and porfessional, I struggled to understand context: I didn't truly understand why university was important (beyond hard working parents telling me it was) and I had zero clue about things like networking, etiquette and fancy wines 

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• I've experienced long stretches of trying to will myself to accept what I was doing and keep going despite knowing I was in the wrong place   

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• I've bumbled my fair share of interviews (without practice, I go blank and clam up like a lot of people) 

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• I've gone back to school twice as an adult learner and worried about using my brain again and not having anything in common with younger students​​ 

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• I lacked the courage to try things that ended up being more doable than I thought (like law school and starting a business) and lacked knowledge about things like anxiety and indecision that would have helped me understand why things felt so hard   ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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My Approach to Counselling​​​

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I love helping people figure out how to get past obstacles and move forward in their careers.

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I bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to career counselling. Playing a supporting role in peoples' success is the most rewarding work I've ever done.

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Clients quickly sense that I genuinely care about them and know me as being practical, down-to-earth, encouraging and thorough.

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I take a solution-focused, action-oriented approach to providing support.

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People often come to career counselling as part of building up the determination to figure out their careers. They tend to be ready to stop feeling behind, lost, confused, frustrated, disappointed or worried.

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I look for opportunities to help people build on this momentum, use their strengths and develop skills to help them reach their career goals, so they feel energized, clear, focused and prepared to tackle the next step.

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Continuing Education ​​​​

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I LOVE research and understanding different parts of life and different corners of the world. One of the most important things I've learned as a career counsellor is that people navigate life in vastly different ways and are captivated by very different subjects.

 

If something is important to clients, I make a point of learning about it, whether it means understanding how managers or engineers approach problems or how people use things like art, music, dreams or tarot to understand themselves and the world.

 

Here's a few topics that I've recently explored through courses, webinar and research: 

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• Chronic Shame

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• Fundamentals of Behavioral Insights Course

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• Project Management Fundamentals Course 

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• Queering Mental Health: A Holistic Approach to Mental Health Care

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• How Trauma Affects Career Development and Work Life​

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• Fork Theory: A Multi-pronged Approach to Support Neurodivergent Networking​

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• Teleworking Couples Cultivating Work-life Wellness Together: Ideas for Practice

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• Parenting Style, Regulatory Focus and Career Decision Making Self-efficacy in Adults

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• AI and ChatGPT in Career Development

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• Guide to Disclosure and Accommodation for Those with ADHD

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• Staying Ahead of the Curve: Harnessing Trendwatching for Career Consultants ​​

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• Therapeutic Tarot (I don't do readings - just keen to understand what's important to clients)​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Outside of Work 

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In my spare time, you'll find me trying to tire out an endlessly energetic pup (he's the BEST and from Victoria Humane Society if anyone is in the market for the 2nd best doggo ever) and in the garden valiantly fighting off spiders while trying not to kill things (citrus trees and mushroom logs are currently on my endangered species list). 

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