how I work

My work is psychodynamic, relational, and trauma-informed, and grounded in the belief that early experiences shape how we think, feel, and relate. Sessions are collaborative, guided by curiosity, compassion, and honesty, weaving insight with somatic awareness. Drawing on a background in visual arts, mindfulness, and holistic practice, I bring creative, intuitive sensitivity to our psychodynamic journey.

Together, we may attend to both insight and the body’s signals, supporting emotional integration, healing relational wounds, cultivating secure attachment, and regulating the nervous system. Therapy is not about quick fixes, but building a strong foundation for meaningful, lasting change.

It is important to slow down in therapy in order to give ourselves the space to feel and reflect. This slow medicine allows us to unpack at depth whatever you find yourself talking about. I’ll encourage you to attune yourself to your body in therapy, as we reflect together on what it may be communicating.

Your stream of consciousness guides our work, my role is to pose questions and share observations, all the while encouraging you to consider at yourself/your life/your choices with curiosity and compassion and care, similar to the care and thoughtfulness you most likely extend to others, rather than the harsh judgment and criticism many of us apply to ourselves.

My intention is to ask questions that you may not immediately know the answer to, to dig a little deeper, and/or sit with the not-knowing. Over time, we will come to see your unconscious at work through your body sensations, relational patterns, attachment wounds, perhaps dreams and through the odd Freudian slip. The unconscious is a wise and sometimes humorous teacher…together we learn to listen.

Experiences we have with societal forces like racism, sexism, or homophobia can have as strong an impact on us as more personal or familial traumas. For these reasons, understanding ourselves and others better through the lens of power in society and talking about all our “ism”’s may be a piece of our work together.

Our relationship, that of client and therapist, can bring some of these issues to light…. Who I am may trigger you somehow; how my gender, race, whiteness, privilege, sexual orientation, body type, economic status, education level, and temperament may land on you positively, neutrally, or negatively, and bring something important to discuss into the room. Your experience with me is as welcome as any and all other subject matter you wish (or resist) to discuss.

As time goes on, my hope is that some of the challenges you experience with others will surface between us. These can be challenging waters to navigate, but truly are a sign of progress and make the therapy more effective.

If this sounds and feels right, please be in touch for a 20-minute complimentary consultation so we can see if we’re a good fit to begin this work together. Note that I am based in the west end of Toronto, and offer therapy virtually, Canada wide.

Click here for fees, or keep scrolling to learn more specifics way I frame my practice and the therapeutic theories that scaffold how I work. 

 

practice values

At the heart of my practice is a commitment to creating a therapeutic space where each person feels a sense of safety, dignity, and belonging. These values guide how I show up in the therapeutic relationship:

• Relational Depth — healing happens in the context of relationship—with ourselves, with others, and within the broader systems we live in. We heal relationally because our wounding happens relationally. I bring presence, attunement, and care to the therapeutic connection, meeting you where you are. Therapy is not about fixing what is broken; it is about remembering what is whole, even when it has been buried beneath years of adaptation, survival, or disconnection.

• Creativity & Curiosity — With a foundation in the fine arts and contemplative practice, I approach therapy as an emergent, co-created process, guided by emotion, memory, image, and intuition.

• Equity, Belonging & Acknowledgment — I’m committed to inclusive, anti-oppressive practice that honours the inherent worth of every individual. Our work may explore how systems of power and oppression shape our inner lives, reclaiming space for voice, choice, and authenticity.

• Land Acknowledgement: I wish to acknowledge that I live and practice on the traditional territory of many Nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples (Tkaronto/Toronto). I am grateful for the stewardship of this land by its Indigenous peoples and recognize the ongoing legacy of colonization.

Guided by these values, my approach to therapy combines psychodynamic insight, trauma-informed care, and somatic awareness to meet each client where they are.

 

therapy approaches

psychodynamic therapy

I practice from a psychodynamic foundation — the “oak tree” of psychotherapy — with deep roots and many branches that support growth, insight, and self-awareness. At its heart, psychodynamic therapy helps you explore patterns, relational dynamics, and the unconscious forces that shape thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.

Like the oak tree, this foundation gives rise to many branches — approaches and tools that help you explore, understand, and integrate your experiences. With this grounding, you can find deeper self-understanding and create lasting change. Specific psychodynamic lenses:

• Relational Stance – the therapeutic connection itself becomes a transitional space where you can explore yourself safely, experience being seen and mirrored, and experiment with new ways of relating. Such “holding” spaces are essential for discovering and expressing yourself in a way that feels deeply honest and true.

• Shared Meaning (Intersubjectivity) – therapy as a co-created process where insight emerges in our dialogue and mutual presence, This mirrors Dr. Donald Winnicott’s (British psychoanalyst and pediatrician, an expert on the infant-mother connection) idea that our sense of self develops in relationship, and that shared, attuned experiences allow for authentic expression and emotional growth.

• Attachment Science & Early Life –early bonds and preverbal experiences shape how we relate, trust, and connect as adults. Disruptions in these early experiences can lead to the development a tangled defensive structure; therapy supports healing old patterns, cultivating secure attachment, and getting to know all parts of yourself

• Narrative – exploring the stories we tell about ourselves, noticing recurring themes, and gently re-writing them toward a more coherent, compassionate self-understanding. When we add layers of insight and empathy to our stories, we can shift how we feel about them and the hold they may have on us, as well as future experiences that don’t necessarily live in their shadows.

• Humour & Imagination – building healthy coping mechanisms like  levity and lightness, perspective and playfulness, creativity and imagination can bring balance in yoru daily life, supporting your capacity to bear life’s hardships,  grieve what is sad, and notice things you didn’t notice before. A new type of resilient defensive scaffolding to lean on built by grit, gratitude, play, creativity, these inner strengths helps you feel more resilient and connected in your day to day life and make it possible to step away from overthinking, preoccupations, addictive behaviours, codependent relating, etc

• The Unconscious – uncovering thoughts, feelings, and drives outside of conscious awareness that influence patterns, choices, and relational dynamics, while exploring how early relational experiences shape these unconscious processes.

• Repetition & Transference – noticing recurring relational patterns, especially as they appear in therapy, offers a chance to experience “good enough” holding, repair, and new relational possibilities,

• Defense Mechanisms – recognizing unconscious strategies we use to protect ourselves from painful feelings, fostering understanding, emotional safety, and growth. Awareness of these defenses allows us to work through them, opening a path to more authentic and enriched relating.

• Internal Conflict – exploring tensions within the self (e.g., desire vs. guilt, autonomy vs. dependence) to foster integration and self-compassion.

 

trauma-informed parts work 

Structural Dissociation, or Parts Work, is a powerful approach to understanding the different “self states” or “parts” within you — protective parts, wounded parts, critical parts, conflicting parts, young parts, and those longing for freedom.  When these parts are in conflict, life can feel overwhelming or confusing. Helps with:

• Anxiety & Depression — easing the grip of protective parts that rely on worry or shutdown, while building compassion for the needs they’re trying to meet.

• Addiction & Eating Disorders — helping unblend from the “firefighter” parts that numb pain, while gently healing the exiled parts holding trauma.

• Trauma & PTSD — safely working with fragmented parts of the self, based in structural dissociation, to restore a greater sense of wholeness.

• Shame & Self-Esteem — shifting from harsh inner criticism to self-acceptance and compassion.

• Relationship Struggles — learning to see and care for your own parts opens the door to deeper empathy with others.

• Mood & Personality Disorders — supporting people living with Dissociative Identity Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, bipolar disorder, and other complex challenges by helping harmonize sub-personalities, ease inner conflict, and bring steadiness where there’s dissociation, tumultuous emotions, and/or mood swings.

Parts work is particularly helpful in helps you move from inner conflict to inner cooperation, making space for a calmer, more authentic self to lead the way.

 

 

mindfulness & holistic approaches

I integrate mindfulness, body awareness, and a holistic perspective to help you reconnect with your inner world and cultivate self-compassion. Drawing on years of yoga practice, meditation, and somatic exploration, this work supports nervous system regulation, presence, and embodied insight. Helps with:

• Building awareness of physical and emotional patterns

• Supporting emotional regulation and nervous system balance

• Bridging insight with practical, embodied tools for daily life

• Encourages curiosity, self-care, and integration of mind and body

This approach complements psychodynamic, parts work, and relational therapies, and can be used in individual, couples, or group settings to foster lasting resilience and inner harmony.

 

 

neuro-divergence affirming approach

Being neurodivergent is not something to fix—it’s part of who you are. This approach honours your unique ways of experiencing life, exploring sensory and nervous system needs, uncovering strengths, and finding tools that fit you. The work is collaborative, strength-based, and anti-oppressive, fostering understanding, self-acceptance, and growth. Helps with:

• Navigating sensory or nervous system needs

• Supporting focus, learning, and executive functioning

• Easing stress, overwhelm, or burnout in a neurotypical world

• Building identity, self-esteem, and self-advocacy

Read more about my Neurodivergence-Affirming approach here. 

 

 

gestalt & experiential approaches

Gestalt therapy is about being fully present with what is happening here and now. Rather than breaking things into fragments, it looks at the whole picture — your thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and relationships — as they unfold in the moment. Helps with:

• • Increasing present-moment awareness

  • Integrating fragmented experiences

  • Strengthening personal responsibility and choice

 

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therapy formats

Therapy can happen in different contexts depending on your needs and goals. I offer individual, couples, and group therapy in supportive, collaborative settings.

 

individual therapy
One-on-one sessions provide a private, focused space to explore patterns, process experiences, and cultivate growth at your own pace.

 

couples therapy
I offer couples therapy rooted in the Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy, developed by Dr. Stan Tatkin. PACT combines insights from neuroscience, attachment, and nervous system regulation to help partners move beyond surface conflict and strengthen their bond. PACT is experiential and dynamic, supporting couples to see patterns more clearly, practice new ways of connecting, and create lasting change together. Read more about my Couples Therapy work here.

 

group therapy
Healing in a group can be profoundly different from individual therapy, and often very complementary. Groups offer the chance to witness, be witnessed, and experience connection in ways that repair old relational wounds. Helps with:

• Reducing isolation

• Build empathy and belonging

• Practice new relational skills

Read more about my Group work here.