The practice of art-making has been an important part of my life since as far back as I can remember.  Making marks on a page, creating collages from existing images, crafting words into drawings, and sculpting clay are all ways that have been helped during challenging life events or when I was experiencing emotions that I was trying to understand and couldn’t yet find the words for.

I have been working as an occupational therapist since 2004, and practicing within the field of mental health since 2013. I have worked with people in various settings and backgrounds, with a particular focus in the last few years on workplace-related stress and emotional injuries. My intention is to support clients to fully engage in activities that are personally meaningful during times of struggle, while tolerating and even learning from the whole range of emotions that goes with that. 

Art-making and journaling were transformative for me during a particularly challenging time during my career: I was on the brink of burnout, juggling an extremely high caseload, complex client situations and systemic challenges all at the same time.  Making art brought me into a dialogue with myself that helped me re-find what was important to me, in my life generally, and particularly as a healthcare worker.  This fostered my desire to focus my therapy practice on introducing others to this powerful modality, and in 2019 I pursued a post-graduate diploma program in Art Therapy at the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute.

I continue to work as an occupational therapist, which complements my art therapy practice. When working with clients, I focus on helping you more deeply understand your unique situation and needs, guided by a belief that we all have the potential for self-discovery and healing.