I am pleased to be able to work with individuals through in-person sessions, via Zoom, and by telephone. Personally, I prefer to sit across from you; however, zoom is proving to be effective in working with folks from a distance or who otherwise can’t make it in to an office setting. My office is located at 111 Skinner St., right in downtown Nanaimo. It is a comfortable space, wheelchair accessible, and I hope you’ll allow me to offer you a cup of tea when you come in.

I pride myself in being able to talk comfortably with all kinds of people, including men! I’d like to think we can genuinely get to the heart of the matter without it feeling awkward or overly syrupy. Us guys usually weren’t taught to sit around and share about our feelings. (What a way to ruin a perfectly good fishing trip!) Occasionally, however, this can take its toll on us. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of unloading and re-loading. Sometimes it can be more than that. Either way, we’ll figure it out. If you are a man who struggles with anger or has perpetrated violence, I can help you take responsibility, become accountable, and help you find forgiveness from yourself and others. Only then can we successfully repair relationships. And we CAN.

I very much enjoy working on romantic relationships with all partnerships from every community. Sometimes it can be interesting to check in with the relationship to see what it “thinks” about the problems people are experiencing in its name. Communication skills, general dischord, power imbalances, and conflicts of any kind can be safely addressed within a safe space while making room for all parties to be heard.

I have been fortunate enough to work with many families and children who have been negatively affected by addiction, and sometimes different problems can cause similar disruptions within a family system. Whether it’s working with the family as a whole, or focussing on helping a child with their behaviours specifically, I’m sure we can come to an understanding of how to change the overall interpersonal dynamic or come together to help a single family member make adjustments for themself.

Not all problems take a lot of time to solve. If you feel like you simply need a “tune up” or a “check-in” around something you’ve been already working on for some time, then please advise that you’d like a “Brief Therapy” session, and I will apply the appropriate techniques to get down to the solution right away. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) can be useful when one simply wants to change one specific behaviour or situation without delving into the full context of what’s causing it or gaining any real insight into the history or complexity of the problem. For those who just want to ride the darn bike without getting into the whole history of how bicycles are made and why they are good for us!

I am an official service provider for Gambling Support BC, and free counselling is available through the BC Government to BC residents who identify as problem gamblers or their affected others. Help is available by calling toll-free 24/7 at 1-888-795-6111, or by visiting the Gambling Support BC website. If you would like to work with me specifically within this program, you may ask for me by name. Counselling sessions can be provided in person, via Zoom, or by telephone.

Once we’ve been working together in person for a period of time, if you would like to participate in group therapy one evening a week, we can consult about which group would suit you best based on what type of group is being offered at the time. Groups will take place in person at 111 Skinner St. from 6:30pm – 8:00pm on either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.