I grew up here in Cobourg surrounded by family and have a strong sense of connection to the community. My grandparents especially shaped the way I approach people to this day (with kindness and humour).

I’ll be honest, I didn’t dream about becoming a therapist because I genuinely did not know therapy was even a career option! What eventually led me toward this work was my own difficult experience trying to access mental health support as a teenager. I remember feeling unseen and unsupported by my doctor, and that experience sparked a curiosity about mental health and what meaningful care could actually look like.

As I moved through university, that curiosity grew into passion. After graduating, I found work at a clinic that helps people who are struggling with opioid use. There, I worked in various capacities supporting individuals navigating addiction, trauma, poverty, anxiety, depression, and immense stigma.  That experience profoundly shaped me as both a person and therapist. I witnessed how deeply people can struggle while still fighting incredibly hard for themselves and their future. It gave me so much respect for the courage it takes to heal and the importance of creating spaces where people feel welcome to be themselves and supported in their truth.

In large part from this experience at the treatment center, I decided to go back to school to become a Psychotherapist. While completing my Master’s in Counselling, I had an internship with the mental health team in the emergency department in Cobourg. Working in crisis settings reinforced how powerful shame can be in preventing people from seeking help and how important compassion, authenticity, and human connection are in therapy.