MY SPECIALTIES
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING
You are at your threshold and something has to give. Life has become unmanageable, yet you aren't sure what to shift or even how you feel. Getting "unstuck" often means reevaluating our values, behaviors, habits, and relationships, and that's hard work.
But, imagine what it would feel like to finally be able to let go of the constant worrying, suspicion, anger, and resentment. To feel like you can set boundaries and have the energy to participate in your life and experience joy again. You would be a better partner, friend, and parent: someone who is capable of saying "no" clearly, or "yes" wholeheartedly. I believe in you, and trust me - the work is worth it.
STRESS & TRAUMA
Trauma can result from a shocking, devastating life event, or be the result of ongoing, chronic stress. I work from a body-based approach, which means I encourage clients to become aware of sensations in their bodies while increasing tolerance for distressing memories and feelings. This can be scary and uncomfortable, but the pace of our work is set by you, and I am with you on this course - you are not alone.
I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which does not involve dragging up and recounting in detail traumatic events. Instead, our goal is to deactivate your stress response (fight/flight/freeze) in order for memories to be gently reprocessed and integrated, not as new memories, but with new understanding and without the "charge." You will not forget what happened, but you will no longer be destabilized by it.
PERINATAL MOOD DISORDERS
This wasn't what you thought it would be like. People keep telling you you'll snap out of it, but this doesn't feel like "the blues." You are having scary thoughts, feel overwhelmed, ashamed, and panicked. It is so important that you know: you are not alone! It is not okay that you feel this way, but it is not uncommon. You will begin to feel better over time, and our work together will help you learn to cope with your symptoms and get immediate relief.
I have specialized training in perinatal mood disorders through Postpartum Support International and for the use of EMDR during the perinatal period.
I support and affirm individuals at all stages of the reproductive journey, including miscarriage, loss, pre/postpartum depression, and abortion for any reason.
LIFE TRANSITIONS
Whether it's a new job, college graduation, or the grief of a breakup or loss, NEW is uncomfortable. We question our worth and our abilities, coming up short in the comparison game.
What if in these moments we change the way we talk to ourselves, using self-compassion, reflection, and straight up paying attention in order to feel (and do) better? Let's talk about your values, your needs, your dreams, and figure out how to regain your footing and find a sense of security and self again.
PARENTING CHALLENGES
You don't want to go home anymore. You're wondering if you made the right choice when you decided to become a parent. You feel as though you are being swallowed by your children. Why is this all so hard?
Whether your child is easy going or intense, the demands of modern parenting are overwhelming. It's not you, it's the system, but you can develop strategies for easing up on yourself and your kids. Gain insight into your triggers, develop new skills, and create the relationships with your children you hoped for way back when.
DEPRESSION
You feel like you are walking through mud. Your stomach hurts. You feel nothing. You can't sleep or sleep too much. Eye contact takes effort. Listless, apathetic, disconnected.
Here's the deal: you don't deserve to feel this way, and you won't feel this way forever. Speaking your despair out loud can be the first incremental shift you make as we work to manifest joy, purpose and passion in your life.
ANXIETY
Anxiety is a normal human emotion that signals to us that something is up and we need to pay attention. But, when your worry worries you, or if panic and overwhelm is chronic, finding relief is lifechanging. Learn to identify triggers, manage your symptoms, and address underlying causes.
RELATIONSHIPS
Family, friends, intimate partners. Whether it's the pain of infidelity or the estrangement from a sibling, the feeling of disconnection is heavy and isolating. Improve your communication, identify your solvable problems (and solve them), develop acceptance for your unsolvable ones, and create the rituals and routines that foster healing, forgiveness, and intimacy.