ABOUT ME
Hi - I'm Michelle (she/her). I am a settler of Irish/Scottish/English descent. I was born and raised in Toronto and have also lived in Montreal and Vancouver. I am very fortunate and grateful to be able to live and practice as an uninvited guest on the traditional and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw people for the past 13 years.
I did my Master's in Counselling Psychology through Adler University in Vancouver, graduating in 2003. Like many therapists, I was drawn to this field through my own experiences of feeling stuck in patterns that weren't working, and my own experiences of healing. I am deeply invested in continuing to learn and grow so that I can authentically support my clients. I have experience supporting children, youth and adults with issues of anxiety, trauma, depression, disordered eating, grief and life transitions.
Here are some of the threads that inform how I see people and the common challenges that we may face in life:
We have a human mind that tries to keep us safe but can be limiting.
We inhabit a human body with a complex nervous system designed for survival.
We live in relationship with other people and have developed patterns of relating.
We may have had overwhelming or difficult experiences that have put our mind and body into a “protective mode” that no longer serves us.
We experience the pain of loss.
And...we have great capacity for connection, resilience and growth.
I tailor my approach to suit the needs of each client. Contact me for a free 20 min phone or virtual consultation to find out if we are a good fit to work together.
EDUCATION and tRAINING
EDUCATION
Adler University, Vancouver, BC campus Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology 2003
York University, Toronto, Ontario Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English 1992
ADVANCED TRAINING and CERTIFICATES
- 2 year Somatic Attachment Certificate, Victoria, BC - completed Oct 2021
- Somatic Attachment Advanced Practice - completed Nov 2022
- U of T: Foundations of Cybercounselling with Lawrence Murphy (online) Sept 2020
- Mindful Self-Compassion 2-day Core Skills training with Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer, Vancouver, BC April 2019
- Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), completed introductory training Feb 2019.
- Connect Parent program, Certified Parent Group Leader June 2018.
- San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training - Core July 2016, Advanced March 2017
- Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) Certificate, completed March 2015
- Recognizing and Responding to Suicide Risk (RRSR), June 3 & 4, 2014
- Interpersonal Therapy for Adolescents (IPT-A) Certificate, completed Nov 2010
- CBT for Anxiety Certificate, completed March 2008
- Aboriginal Cultural Sensitivity Training, Tsawwassen, BC – 5 day intensive training, Sept 2007
Ongoing professional development also includes various workshops, conferences and online trainings. Topics include: Play Therapy (detailed list available by request), Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation (Generation Q conference), Trauma Informed Practice, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, Threat Assessment, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Motivational Interviewing.
A designation of the BC Clinical Counsellors Association. Member in good standing since 2004.
