I offer 20 years of experience in the field of counselling and have supported women and men with depression, anxiety and loss and other life challenges and questions. Counselling is holding space for stories so that people grow past their pain, or what is holding them back or outdated beliefs about themselves.
I assist in finding resources, assess for mental health, do referrals and provide education and teach helpful tools to make “lemonade out of lemons”.
I believe in my clients until they can believe in themselves, again.
As a mom who suffered with PPD I bring my lived experience and passion to this taboo subjects. PPD does not mean you don’t love your baby or you will harm your child… It means you need more support! It might be a mental health issue, it can be a sleep issue, a relationship issue or hormonal changes. The fact that having a baby is the BIGGEST adjustment you will ever make in your life!
Also: YES – men can suffer from PPD too, but it is seldom openly addressed.
Education, solution focus, validation and honest conversation about the challenges of motherhood is very helpful. Part of my training includes Post Partum facilitator: https://postpartum.org/
I hold a Master’s Degree in Addiction Counselling & Prevention and have supported men and women caught in addictive behaviours for over two decades. I do assessment, exploration of triggers, relapse prevention, recovery capital building, referral to treatment and/or treatment, if indicated. I can do short term coaching sessions or in-depth counselling. In this field not one shoe fits all and I have flexibility and curiosity to find what fits my clients. I use the range from abstinence to harm reduction, mixing compassion with accountability and always lots of humour!
I help people explore emotional eating, substance use, drinking too much, cannabis abuse and struggles around compulsive sexual behaviours.
I have seen that people CAN and DO recover. For more information go to www.2tough4tears.com
I offer support for those brave men and women who serve our communities as First Responders. Police, RCMP, fire fighters, nurses, counsellors, correctional staff, support workers, social workers – and many other professionals carry invisible scars that come from the stress of daily work in and around trauma, overdose, life-death fights.
Symptoms of burn-out and accumulative trauma can show up as difficulties sleeping, nightmares, flashbacks, hyper vigilance, difficulties relaxing, irritability, anger issues, depression, withdrawal, sometimes substance use or medication over use. It also shows up in stress in relationships with children, spouses or friends. If you experience some of these things, I encourage you to call.
It might feel frightening to open a door to things you have not been able to share. Many frontline workers think that once they look at the work trauma, they cannot return to work. But that is not true, but it can be good to take a break and spend time to process this relentless onslaught of trauma.
Personally, I didn’t feel like many counsellors “didn’t get it” as most of their life and work experiences had been so remote from what I had witnessed. My work in prison, in the ER, and in acute stabilization has provided enough understanding and compassion for the work situations of police, fire fighters, nurses, – first responders. I can support you in effective and meaningful ways. A free assessment or initial intake will give you the opportunity to see whether I can stand with First Responders.
