Before I chose the career path of Psychotherapy, I spent many summers working in Northern Ontario and Quebec guiding youth on extended canoe trips with both Wapomeo and Project CANOE and as a camp counsellor at Camp Horizon in Kananaskis, AB. After my undergraduate degree in Women’s Studies and Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria, I travelled to Cuba where I worked as an intern through LifeCycles on an organic farm in Havana (ACTAF) for 4 months learning to garden and to speak Spanish. I also completed an 8 month organic farming and permaculture design program in B.C’s Gulf Islands (Linnaea Farm), worked at Eva’s Initiatives homeless shelters for youth and The Victoria Women’s Transition House for women and children leaving abusive homes. 

Before settling in Toronto, I travelled to India to study Ashtanga Yoga in Mysore. When I returned to Toronto, I pursued my passion for understanding human interactions and social justice through my MSW at the University of Toronto, and a Psychotherapy Diploma from The Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy (TIRP). For seven years after my schooling, I worked as a Psychotherapist in both private practices at the Commerce Court Health Centre (now Core Focus Health Group) and at Blake Boultbee Youth Outreach Service (BBYOS), a social service organization that works with young people between 12-25 years old providing free, long-term therapy. I also endeavoured to develop my Self through regular yoga practice and my own psychotherapy process.

In 2010, I became a mother for the first time and again in 2012. I share my life with two amazing children, my wonderful husband and all of our animals. 

In 2013, I was invited to join the Pine River Institute (PRI) team as a Psychotherapist and Team Manager. My family and I moved to Creemore, Ontario so that I could follow my dream. I was excited to be able to combine my love of wilderness with therapeutic work with youth, parents and families – but I learned so much more than that! My experience at PRI provided me with a rich opportunity for personal and professional growth. At Pine River I worked hard to develop my skills not only as a Psychotherapist for youth but also for parents, couples, families, trauma survivors and groups. I enjoyed developing workshops, teaching yoga to the boys on my team, offering parenting workshops, learning from my talented colleagues and inspiring clients and being a part of powerful parent retreats.

I have been running CPYC since 2018 with the intention to offer healing modalities (psychotherapy and yoga therapy) that encourage clients to take their healing work into their own hands. I believe that psychotherapy sessions and yoga classes are wonderful, however, it is the (ideally) daily personal practices that are developed in these sessions, and that clients take responsibility to engage in, that will really solidify the gains made in sessions or classes. 

I am inspired to share the deep gifts my teachers have bestowed upon me. My most powerful teachers have been the many clients who have shared their wisdom, struggles, solutions and courage with me. I also deeply appreciate my internal resources/guides, my yoga practice, the supervisors, teachers and colleagues who have supported me, and still support me, as I continue to endeavour to learn the art of healing, psychotherapy, yoga therapy, relationship, consciousness and of being human.

• Masters of Social Work, University of Toronto, 2007
• Diploma in Psychotherapy, Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy, 2007
• Undergraduate Degree in Humanities (Women’s Studies and Environmental Studies), University of Victoria, BC, 2001
• Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM) Basic 5 day training – 40 hours (Feb 2021, April 2024), Generational Training – 40 hours (Feb 2022 and January 2023), Black hole webinar (Jan 2022), Paradox webinar (March 2022), Core Self and Gestational Training (February 2024), Heal the Healer Intensive – 7 days (June 2022 and September 2023)all with Lisa Schwarz. Personal CRM sessions and consultations with Elisa Elkin Cleary and Lisa Schwarz (2021-Present)
• Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment – level I, II, III, IV,  (and other workshops) with Dr. Janina Fisher, 2014 – 2018
• Satir Family Therapy training, 5 day course 2013, 5 day course 2015 and 5 day course 2017, with Dr. Maria Gomori.
• Relational Couples Therapy course, with Dr. Pat DeYoung, 2009
• Relational Clinical Supervision course with Dr. Pat DeYoung, 2018-2019.
• Trauma informed therapy with couples – 2 days – with Janina Fisher and Terry Real – 2020
• Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, level I, with Dr. Sian Phillips, 2017
• Attachment-Based Yoga and Meditation for Trauma-Recovery: Practical Ways to Shift Attachment Patterns,  2 day course, 2018, with Deirdre Fay
• Emotionally Focused Therapy – 1 day training, 2018, with Dr. Sue Johnson.
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy – 2 day training 2014 with Sheri Van Dijk
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression in children and adolescents – 16.5 hours with SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Learning Institute – November 2020.
• Various training in grief and loss, shame, attachment, trauma, addictions, psychopharmacology, managing aggressive behaviour, and parenting.

•  2+ year, 1000+ Hours Yoga Therapist Training Course with Yoga Therapy Toronto, March 2019 – January 2022
• Yogābhyāsa Vinyāsa – Understanding the Fundamentals of Course Planning certificate – 10 hours  from Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, 2021
• Understanding the Yoga Sutras with Dr. NC at Yoga Vaidya Shala – 2020-present.
• Two months studying Ashtanga Yoga in Mysore, India, with Shri, K. Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Jois, 2007
• Yin/Restorative Yoga training, with Felicia Pavlovic at Yoga Therapy Toronto, 2015
• Fundamentals of Yoga Therapy course with Felicia Pavlovic – 2022-Present
• 40 hour intensive in Ashtanga Yoga, with David Robson, 2016
• 200-hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training, Downward Dog Yoga Studio, 2018
• 3 weeks Assisting School at Ashtanga Yoga Centre with David Robson, 2018
• Daily Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga practice 2003-2008 with Paul and Rachelle Gold of AYS Toronto 
• Daily Mysore Style Ashtange Yoga practice 2009-2013 with David Robson of AYCT.
• Daily Personal Yoga Practice – 2002- Present

• 8-month training in Organic Farming and Permaculture Design, Linnaea Farm on Cortes Island, BC, 2003.