Supporting You on Your Healing Journey

I provide virtual or in-person counselling, working from a down-to-earth, compassionate, and non-judgmental stance with a focus on mind-body-spirit healing. I believe you are the expert of your life, and whether you are seeking healing, change, or a deeper connection to your self and your life, I support your journey based on what you need and want. Drawing from mindfulness, polyvagal theory, narrative therapy, and critical theories, my approach to counselling is about helping you connect with your inherent worth and wisdom, to find what you need in your life to be well. You have the most intimate knowledge of your life. My role is to go on this journey with you, listen, reflect, and guide exploration, supporting you to navigate healing and growth. 

I work with people to navigate:

• Addictions and trauma recovery 
• Stress, including burnout
• Anxiety and depression
• Life transitions and change

My approaches to counselling include:

• Polyvagal Informed (including using the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model). Through a mix of Focusing, mindfulness, education, and talk therapy, we explore, understand, and befriend the body and nervous system to reprocess what may be stuck in the body, listen to the wisdom of the body, and release trauma or other stressors trapped in the nervous system.
• Mindfulness. We practice becoming aware, without judgement, of our thoughts/emotions/feelings/etc. Mindful practices are proven to reduce stress, improve ability to manage emotions, increase attention, reduce pain, and more. I draw from Buddhist teachings, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Focusing. 
• Narrative Therapy helps us examine the problems in your life as separate from you as a person (externalizing the problem). Using narrative therapy means we collaborate to explore the problem and the stories about the problem, while reframing to develop new narratives (or stories). Narrative therapy is about re-authoring our lives to better reflect our identity and values.
• Critical Theory. Critical theories such as feminism and anti-colonialism help me understand your life in the broader context of community, society, etc. Together we reflect upon how larger systems and intersecting identities have impacted your life, and how to navigate these challenging experiences. 

Nature can be a powerful ally on our healing journey. Nature based therapy engages nature as co-healer, recognizing our inherent connection to and relationship with nature. Nature based therapy can take a variety of forms such as mindful practices in nature, art and metaphor exploration with nature, building relationship with nature as a resource for our wellness, having a session around a bonfire, or gardening while we talk (horticulture therapy). Services may be offered in urban parks and gardens, or rural parks, for example. For individual counselling, we will work together to determine the best spaces to meet and practice. Individual rates apply to nature-based counselling that takes place in Winnipeg.

If meeting in an office is not for you, Red Willow Connections may be able to come to you. Services may be provided via walk and talk at a location of your choosing or in your home, with no additional fee. For youth, community and land based therapy may also be available, within specified goals/needs of the youth and based upon negotiated rates. Please book a consult for more information. 

There is power in coming together. I offer a range of group services, including one-time workshops and ongoing group counselling. Drawing from polyvagal concepts of neuroception (our bodily sense of safety or danger) and co-regulation (our ability to tune in to/be impacted by the energy of those around us) I strive to facilitate spaces that allow us to safely heal and grow together. Whether this is educational groups or ongoing group therapeutic groups, I hope you will find connection in these spaces. Check Upcoming Gatherings for current offerings.