My Approach
At times feelings, or life circumstances become so intense or painful, we become desperate to find ways to fix, avoid, or control them.
We may get stuck in worry and self-doubt, avoid meaningful activities, feel unable to let go of control, withdraw from relationships, shut down feelings, ruminate on past hurts, escape into TV, the internet, video games, drugs or alcohol, or get pulled into compulsive or impulsive behaviours.
What was meant to fix the problem, ends up making it worse. As life becomes about controlling feelings, it becomes less about what is really important to us - our values and passions.
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I work from the premise that how you’ve been coping makes sense, even if it has been problematic - that you have already been trying as hard as you can, but with some help, can find new and more effective ways of approaching problems in life. I work to shift the focus from you as a problem to fix, to you building a rich and meaningful life - however that looks for you.
About Me
I grew up in Southern California and went to university at UC Berkeley. After working as part of a research team at the National Center for PTSD in Menlo Park, I started my graduate studies in clinical psychology at Simon Fraser University. I completed my masters in 2004.
Much of my clinical work since then has been in a head injury rehabilitation program and for community mental health. I have also worked in community corrections and with incarcerated individuals, as well as in forensic and non-forensic hospital settings.
It was primarily in my work with individuals with head injuries that I began to see the profound importance of acceptance in recovery. This started my journey from traditional CBT to Third Wave therapies, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.
