Degrees
Master in Education. Certificates in Crisis and Suicide Intervention, along with additional training in Object Relations Therapy and Self Psychology.
My Expert Service
As a Mental Health specialist I have dedicated myself to crisis intervention and counselling, mainly in the areas of complicated grief, abuse and trauma. As such I draw on a wide range counseling approaches. For immediate short term counseling, I use CBT, including Brief Solution Focused Therapy, along with Crisis Intervention. I often employ Behavioral Therapy for Parent Coaching. For more ongoing, longer term therapy with clients, I draw on such approaches as Object Relations Therapy & Self Psychology, along with the Experiential Therapies, according to each clients' personal needs and preference.
Experience & Qualifications
Currently I see face to face clients, who are referred to me through Ottawa Victim Service, for assistance with such issues as rape, domestic violence, as well as those who are victims or witnesses of violence crimes. I am also a trained SOS facilitator for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one through suicide.
History:
I offered ongoing crisis intervention, grief and trauma counseling, along with parent coaching at Centrepointe House, an institute dedicated to assisting people in their efforts to achieve a sense of well-being, personal growth and healing.
Prior to that I provided supportive counseling at the Well (a drop in day centre for woman and children). In my role as a volunteer floor and outreach worker at The Well, I offered immediate response through crisis intervention, and outreach. I was given the opportunity to facilitate referrals to other social services whenever appropriate. Aside from connecting the woman with these resources, I provided them with advocacy.
Among the some of the issues which these woman were dealing with included homelessness, low income, housing issues, abuse, trauma, suicide ideology as well as issues of sexual identity.
As the founder and director of a pre-school program for seven years, I was a mentor to parents, who would often seek me out to discuss concerns regarding their children. I worked together with them to modify their child’s behavior, teach them new health promoting skills, and connect them with parent child resources in the Ottawa community. I have developed several methods of assisting children on an emotional level by using such skills as role playing and art therapy.