Clinical Counsellor; Private Practice - Owner/Director - Konect Counselling Services
(2020-09)
Focus: addiction, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, disordered eating, transitional challenges, stress, relationship struggles and self-worth Modalities: Solution-focused, Narrative, Family Systems, CBT interventions
- Provide Counselling services for children, adolescents, students, adults, seniors, and families ages 8+
- Work with culturally diverse and neurodivergent populations
- Apply strategies using ethical guidelines
- Assist clients to recognize problematic behaviours
- Help identify areas of change
- Provide opportunities to clients to practice new skills and emotional regulation using evidence-based techniques
- Supportive listening, ensuring clients feel heard, understood, and affirmed
- Problem management – support clients in overcoming general problems, such as feeling depressed
- Help clients to develop or replace weak and deficient skills that cause them to face the same problems repeatedly, such as broken relationships or challenges at work
Guest lecturer - Vancouver Island University
(2021-04)
- Invited annually to facilitate lectures about grad school: prospects, what to expect, where and how to apply
- Invited to facilitate lectures about counselling skills
Rehabilitation Worker - Vancouver Island Mental Health
(2020-07 - 2021-10)
- Facilitated life skills development using principles of psychosocial rehabilitation for clients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, borderline personality disorder, and substance use disorder
- Provided both written and verbal feedback and notes to the Nurse and multidisciplinary team.
- Carried out one-to-one rehabilitation planning and maintenance that is strengths-based and empowerment-focused
- Facilitated group counselling sessions
- Carried out roles related to increasing resident independence with medication management, substance use, vocational and educational goals, care planning, scheduling appointments, community integration, transportation, problem solving and coping skills, symptom management, intra and interpersonal skills, substance use management, budgeting
- Assisted clients to recognize problematic behaviors
- Help identify areas of change
- Provide opportunities to clients to practice new skills and emotional regulation using evidence- based techniques
- Supportive listening, ensuring clients feel heard, understood, and affirmed.
- Problem management - support clients in overcoming general problems, such as feeling depressed
- Help clients to develop or replace weak and deficient skills that cause them to face the same problems repeatedly, such as broken relationships or challenges at work
Junior Counsellor - Edgewood Treatment Center – Eating Clinic
(2020-03 - 2021-04)
- Worked with clients to develop a realistic individualized plan, while supporting a return to normalized eating
- Provided psychoeducation on meal planning and nutritional rehabilitation
- Supported clients with various mental health issues including trauma, substance use disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Established and maintained a therapeutic relationship with clients
- Supported clients in learning, developing, and practicing healthy coping skills
- Supported clients when they were elevated by helping them to apply appropriate coping skills
- Prepared reports in a timely manner, administered medication, and provided both written and verbal feedback and notes to clinical team
Sessional Facilitator - Motivational Psychology - CREPS – college in Lille, France - Lille, France
(2000-09 - 2004-01)
- Facilitated lectures focusing on self-care, nutrition, and stress management
- Provided classes focusing on visualization and perception, designed to help dancers and athletes move past personal barriers
Behavioural Interventionist for Children/Youth with Autism - Centre Ressources Autismes (Autism Resource Center) - Lille, France
(2002-08 - 2004-08)
- Designed and facilitated dance program for children with Autism
- Accelerated the students’ learning through body/movement awareness & efficiently cooperated with teachers and behavioural interventionists
Co-facilitator of Volunteer Counsellors training program - Nanaimo Family Life Association
(2022-04 - 2025-06)
NFLA is a not-for-profit organization that offers programs designed to address the unique needs of individuals, in an atmosphere of respect, inclusion, and compassion. Those that access the range of services are provided the opportunity to look to their own inner resources and to the community they are part of to reach the fullness of their potential. Counsellors use a solution-focused approach that supports clients in growth, healing, and achieving goals.
The NFLA volunteer training program is 120 hours, spanning 12 weeks.
- Direct observation and supervision for trainees
- Provide support and feedback
- Deliver psychoeducation workshops on various modalities and approaches
- Conduct group therapy and debriefing
- Boundary awareness
- Sore Spot
- Transference and countertransference
- Basic Counselling Skills
- Attachment Styles
- Self-criticism
- Karpman’s triangle
- Family of Origin Foundations
- Genogram Techniques
- Four Stages of Competencies
- Solution Building
- Self Awareness
- Client-worker Relationships
- Basic Solution-Focused Counselling
- Various Meditations
- Goal Setting leading to Solution Finding
- Principals of Neuro Development
- Trauma Approaches
- Iceberg Metaphor
- Working With Diverse Communities
Volunteer Counsellor - Nanaimo Family Life Association
(2018-04 - 2025)
- Individual, couples, and family and group counsellor for a variety of problems including addiction, anxiety, depression, disordered eating, grief, transitional challenges, and gender dysphoria.
- Communicate and work effectively with team – counsellors, supervisors, coordinator, and peers
- Work closely with clients to move through challenges and reach personal goals
- Demonstrate cultural awareness and delivered inclusive approach to therapy
- Gather information and create case conceptualizations designed to establish appropriate treatment plans
- Apply strategies using ethical guidelines
- Incorporate feedback from supervisors and staff accordingly
- Co-facilitate workshops on Boundaries, Assertiveness, and Anger Management
