Family systems can be complicated and messy. No one individual within a family is a problem; we often need to see all the pieces of the puzzle to see the whole picture. This is like family therapy, it is important to have all voices heard and seen when faced with a difficult situation. Families come in all sorts of forms, and are made up of different backgrounds, experiences, values, and opinions. Due to this, it normal that all families go through ups and downs; sometimes we just need a little support to get through those difficult times. As a mental health practitioner, it is my role to help guide your family through those times.

Family counselling helps strengthen communication, coping strategies, and identify key family patterns that may be causing stress.

Common presenting themes include:

- Parent-child relationships concerns
- Adoption
- Divorce
- Intergenerational trauma
- Traumatic events
- Communication difficulties
- Emotional or behavioural concerns
- Life transitions

Children and adolescents are faced with a variety of stressors as they progress towards adulthood. Developmentally, it is normal that children and adolescents may not have the appropriate skills to communicate their needs. It can be upsetting to see our children struggle and not know how to best support them. Offering a safe space for a child to express their needs, in a format that works best for them, is the first step towards supporting them. I offer various hands-on therapies and or talk therapies to create a supportive and empathetic environment.

Symptoms you may notice in your child:

- Withdrawn from activities they previously enjoyed
- Trouble performing in school
- Lack of appetite or disordered eating
- Obsessive and compulsive behaviours
- Damaging behaviours (aggression towards others or items)
- Abrupt mood changes
- Isolation
- Self-harm
- Changes in sleeping patterns
- Trouble with the law
- Complaining of physical ailments with no known cause (i.e., headaches, stomach aches)

I am trained in supporting youth who are expressing sexually intrusive behaviours. Often, this can be a difficult subject for caregivers to approach with their child. It is my role as a mental health practitioner to work with both the young person and their family to address these concerns.

Please note, if there is an open police investigation and or the young person has plead ‘not guilty’ to criminal charges, therapeutic interventions to address these specific concerns must be suspended until all court proceedings have concluded. If deemed appropriate, I can complete an adolescent sexual offending risk assessment.

ART is an evidence-based psychotherapy that works to heal individuals who experience upsetting symptoms related to traumatic events or life experiences. ART works rapidly and commonly helps individuals within 1-3 sessions by reprogramming the way in which distressing memories and images are stored in the brain. This is accomplished by using rapid eye movements (similar to the eye movements that occur while you are sleeping). ART is informed by other psychotherapies (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, guided imagery, brief psychodynamic therapy, exposure therapy, Gestalt therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy); ART is very specific and directive in which event is being processed.

ART can help with (but not limited to):
- Abuse (physical, psychological/emotional, sexual)
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Other trauma related disorders
- Interpersonal relationship conflict
- Emotional Distress and dysregulation

General Mental Health Assessment. A general assessment reviews an individuals general functioning. If appropriate, diagnoses may be provided. The process includes: Interviews, Review of Assessment Tools, and Review of Historical Documents.

ADHD Assessment. An assessment to determine if an individual qualifies for a diagnosis of ADHD. The process includes: Interviews, Review of Assessment Tools, and Review of Historical Documents.

Adolescent Sexual Offending Risk Assessment. An assessment to determine if an adolescent client is at risk (at the time of the assessment; assessment cannot predict future risk) of sexually intrusive behaviours. This assessment can be used to advocate for mental health treatment; in addition, it may be used in court proceedings. The process includes: Interviews, Review of Assessment Tools, and Review of Historical Documents.

*Assessment length may vary depending on testing required. Standardized assessments are conducted in-person only.