About Michelle

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (#2412) with over 20 years experience providing individual therapy to children, adolescents, and adults.  I am dedicated to using evidence-based approaches for a variety of mental health concerns including anxiety, ocd, depression, ADHD, stress, people-pleasing, managing life transitions, and relationship challenges.  I have extensive training and certification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based Therapies, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT).  I obtained my Masters in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria in 2004 and have worked in both Child and Adult mental health authority and provincial programs for over 15 years, along with being a lead therapist in EAP programming helping clients across Canada with stress, anxiety, parenting, and postpartum concerns.  


I place paramount importance on building strong, trusting, and collaborative therapeutic relationships with clients to meet them where they are and create goals that are tailored to their unique individual needs.  My approach is warm and client centered to help people feel comfortable enough in therapy to process feelings and develop greater awareness and understanding of the emotions, thoughts, and beliefs that are causing their struggles.  I see therapy as a holistic and supportive space for clients to develop new insights and strategies to create meaningful and lasting change outside of therapy.  I am a proud mother of a teen, who has been my greatest inspiration and teacher.

Education

  • Masters of Counselling Psychology, University of Victoria
  • Diploma in Counselling/Guidance Studies, UBC
  • Diploma in Education, UBC
  • Bachelor of Arts- Psychology, University of Victoria

Training

  • CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
  • CBT-I for Insomnia
  • ERP (Exposure Response Prevention)
  • Emotion-Focused Therapy
  • SPACE (Supportive Parenting of Anxious Child Emotions)
  • ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
  • Trauma-Focused CBT
  • DBT (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy)
  • COS-Attachment Based Theory (Circle of Security Training)
  • Perinatal and Postpartum Maternal Mental Health

My Services

Evidence-Based Compassionate Counselling for Children, Teens, and Adults

Services include Anxiety, OCD, Perfectionism, Sports Performance, Depression, Self-Confidence, Relationships, Narcissistic Personality, Burn-out, Life Transitions and Postpartum issues

Parenting Support including SPACE Treatment for Child Anxiety and Failure to Launch Syndrome

Learn More

I Specialize in the Following:

  • Anxiety (Social Anxiety, Perfectionism, Phobias)
  • Low Mood/Depression
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, OCD
  • Trichotillomania/Tic Disorder
  • Self Esteem/Self Worth
  • Trauma and PTSD
  • ADHD
  • School Avoidance or Refusal
  • Divorce and Custody Transitions
  • Grief and Loss
  • Self-Harm/Suicidal Ideation
  • LGBTQ2S and Transgender Issues
  • Stress and Burn-out
  • Family Difficulties
  • Parenting Strategies (parenting anxious children/effective discipline)
  • Pregnancy and Postpartum Mood concerns
  • Insomnia
  • Career and Life Transitions
  • Relationship Difficulties, Impact of Narcissistic abuse
  • Self Esteem and Feelings of Self-Worth

I offer in-person, virtual and phone counselling sessions