ABOUT ME
Most of my work is founded in the transformation helping women break free from what I call "NICE GIRL" conditioning and step into their "Self-Assured Woman".
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My love for supporting women as a birth doula is what inspired me to became a therapist specializing in perinatal mental health. The hands-on doula experience supporting women in pregnancy, during labor/birth and postpartum taught me something crucial: women's bodies hold profound wisdom that our culture has conditioned us to distrust and override.
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Story Time:
As a birth doula I watched countless women doubt their instincts, defer to external authority, and disconnect from their own knowing during one of life's most transformative transitions. They apologized for needing support. They struggled to advocate for themselves. They stayed silent through pain. They prioritized everyone else's comfort.
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Watching this happen over and over again led me to become a therapist to better support women through this stage of life, and to work with women at ALL stages who struggle with these deeply ingrained patterns.​​
​​The approaches that I have found to provide the deepest impact are knowledge and skill building (to help you feel more informed and confident), nervous system regulation (Somatic Experiencing), parts work (Internal Family Systems), and women's physiology - because the female body, brain, and nervous system are unique and deserve special understanding.
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Whether you're navigating relationships, preparing for motherhood, healing from birth trauma, or simply exhausted from decades of people-pleasing - this work helps you reclaim embodied wisdom and trust yourself again.
What You Should Know About Working With Me
I've walked my own path with therapy. It was through my own mental health challenges that I experienced how transformative the right therapeutic relationship can be. I continue to work with my own therapists and holistic practitioners because I believe deeply in this work - not just professionally, but personally. I also believe the best therapists are ones still doing their own work.
I don't believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. We'll complete a thorough intake together and collaboratively decide the best approach for your goals and challenges. I draw from evidence-based modalities including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Experiencing (SE), attachment-based therapy, and trauma-informed techniques.
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My background is holistic. My training as a Women's Circle Facilitator, Birth Doula, and Yoga Teacher influences how I work. I believe our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health are interconnected and look at the whole person, all of you, when we work together and cater my approach to best suit you.
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I want you to feel confident this is the right fit. That's why I offer a complimentary 20-minute discovery call where you can ask questions and we can both assess if we're a good match.
My Approach
Nervous System First
You can't think your way out of trauma responses. We work with your body's patterns, like fawn response and hypervigilance (if you don't know what these terms mean I'll explain it all), the ways you've learned to keep yourself safe by making yourself small.
Breaking Patterns
This isn't just symptom management, my focus is helping you interrupt generational conditioning. I'll help you identify what's no longer serving you and what you want to re-learn what you model for the next generation and what you're willing to tolerate in your own life.
Parts Work
Through Internal Family Systems, we'll explore all the parts that make you, you. Your people-pleasing isn't a character flaw, it's a protective part trying to help. I'll help you understand these parts with compassion instead of fighting them.
Women's Physiology
Female nervous systems, hormones, and stress responses are unique. I understand how your cycle affects your capacity, how pregnancy amplifies patterns, how your body holds wisdom your mind has been taught to override.
Compassion Over Criticism Healing happens when you approach yourself with curiosity instead of judgment. Sometimes that can be hard to do, I help you reduce the shame and loneliness that shows up when you're struggling, meeting yourself exactly where you are without making yourself wrong or bad.
Being Truly Seen
I'm committed to offering a genuine, trauma-informed, judgment-free space dedicated to your healing and self-inquiry. I want you to feel seen, heard, and accepted and have a healing experience of having space held for you to explore your inner world.
What We'll Work On
The specific focus depends on what you're struggling with, but clients often come to work on:
Nervous System & Patterns: Understanding your trauma responses (especially fawn/people-pleasing), regulating your nervous system, building capacity for discomfort
Internal Work: Integrating wounded parts, developing self-compassion, uncovering limiting beliefs, connecting with suppressed emotions
Relational Skills: Setting boundaries without guilt, asking for what you need, creating reciprocal relationships, tolerating conflict
Life Transitions: Anxiety and depression, highly sensitive nervous systems, perfectionism, fertility/pregnancy/postpartum, birth trauma, entering motherhood
The Goal: Helping you return to yourself - understanding your patterns, honoring your needs, and trusting your own judgment again.
Therapy Modalities
​Evidence-based approaches I use:
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Internal Family Systems (IFS) - parts work
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Somatic Experiencing (SE) - nervous system regulation
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
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Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) - trauma
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Attachment-based therapy
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Trauma-informed & body-based techniques
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Specializations
Areas of Focus:​
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Perinatal Mental Health (prenatal & postpartum)
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Preparing for labor
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Navigating early motherhood and changes in relationships
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Prenatal and postpartum anxiety​
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Prenatal and postpartum depression
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Intrusive thoughts & obsessive thoughts/behaviors
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Birth trauma & distressing birth experiences
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​NICE GIRL Patterns People-pleasing, perfectionism, high sensitivity, difficulty setting boundaries, chronic self-doubt
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General Support Anxiety, life transitions, self-esteem, relationship challenges
Credentials & Professional Development
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Bachelor of Social Work, Lakehead University | Registered Social Worker
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Internal Family Systems, Part 1, 2 & 3, Anna Gartshore - Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist
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Advance Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy Training, Postpartum Support International
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Essentials of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Beck Institute
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Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Dr. Kathleen Chard & Dr. Meghan von Linden
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Fundamentals of Somatic Experiencing®: A Polyvagal Perspective, Sarah Schlote on behalf of Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute
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Somatic Experiencing® Practioner (in training) Beginner 1 Complete
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Ready to Begin?
If this resonates and you're curious whether we'd be a good fit, book a free 20-minute discovery call. We'll talk about what you're struggling with and whether my approach feels right for you.