My Approach
Community Mental Health
Rural and remote communities encounter many obstacles in accessing mental health resources, alongside challenges related to stigma, isolation, and economic disparities. As a Sunshine Coast resident, I understand the unique difficulties our community experiences and am dedicated to advocating for and supporting the well-being of individuals here and in other rural areas through individual counselling and groups.
Supporting Trauma-Exposed Professionals
I recognize the unique psychological toll of high-stress, high-impact work and offer a supportive space to process trauma, build resilience, and navigate moral injury for first responders, veterans, journalists, and humanitarian workers. As a journalist and documentarian, I gained firsthand experience working in challenging environments—covering conflict, social justice issues, and stories of resilience throughout the Middle East and North Africa. I appreciate the cultural nuances and complexities of frontline work, as well as the commitment, motivations, deeply held values, and sacrifices it demands.
My Approach to Counselling
I take a client-centred approach to counselling, meaning your needs and goals shape our work together. You set the purpose, pace, and boundaries, while I offer support and guidance. I draw on a range of therapeutic approaches to help challenge unhelpful patterns and create space for growth and healing, in whatever form that may look like for you.
I believe that everyone’s history matters insofar as it affects their current ability to function. In other words, our struggles don’t arise in isolation—they develop over time through relational, cultural, institutional, and societal influences that shape our patterns of thinking and behaviour.
I work with adults and individuals drawing from a variety of approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy and Trauma Processing.
My areas of focus include:
Relationships
Life Transitions
Depression
Anxiety
PTSD
Moral Injury
If this resonates with you, I am welcoming new clients and offer a free 15-minute consultation. This gives us a chance to connect and see if working together is the right fit for you.
Substance Use
Grief and Loss
Illness or Injury Recovery
Cultural Identity
ADHD
My story.
I have been a professional listener for over twenty years as a writer, documentarian, and storyteller. This work has afforded me the enormous privilege of travelling the world, entering people's private lives, and bearing witness to their stories. It took deep courage for many of the people I sat across from to share moments of tragedy, heartache, loss, and beauty in the face of conflict, disease, poverty, and political unrest.
I am a first—and third-generation descendant of Eastern European ancestors (Poland/Serbia). My family story echoes some of what I heard working in the field, particularly the role and impact of generational trauma. So has the recognition of the role institutions, culture, and society play in how people are treated, can access resources, and thrive—a reality that permeates all our stories in different ways.
It is a great privilege to combine my passion for community mental health with my journalism roots. I am dedicated to supporting the well-being of my local community while also serving the needs of trauma-exposed professionals worldwide.
Education & Training:
Working with First Responders | Vancouver, BC
BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, Nov 2024
Area of Focus: Supporting Trauma Exposed Professionals
Trauma Research Foundation | Boston, MA
Traumatic Stress Studies Certificate Program, 2021-2023
Area of Focus: PTSD and developmental trauma
Simon Fraser University | Vancouver, British Columbia
Master of Arts, International Studies, 2018-2021
Area of Focus: Peer-led trauma interventions in post-conflict Iraq
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver, British Columbia
Trauma-Informed Practice Training Level 1, 2019
Area of Focus: Neurobiology of trauma and understanding trauma
The Institute of Trauma-Informed Media | Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
Trauma-Informed Media Practices Training, 2018
Area of Focus: Applying trauma-informed practices to journalism
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver, British Columbia
Certificate of International Development, 2018
Area of Focus: Culture, Communication and Development
My rates. Keeping it simple.
We can meet at the studio, walk and talk, or connect online.
50 mins | $60