Once you've decided to work with me, I will send you an intake and consent form to fill out and sign. Sessions are 50-minutes (billed at 60 mins, known as the "therapeutic hour" to allow for admin time) I usually begin the first session by creating a family diagram with you. I will ask you about your parents, possible siblings, grandparents etc. If you don't have all the details about family members, it's not problem at all!

No, I don't do formal assessments. I will assess your situation session by session based on my theoretical lenses (i.e., Bowen theory and behaviour analysis), however, these are not formal standardized assessments.

No, I don't diagnose any conditions. To obtain an assessment/diagnosis of autism, for example, you need to see your family doctor, a psychologist, and a speech-language pathologist. Sunny Hill Health Centre offers these assessments based on a referral from your doctor, but there is a very long waitlist. Please visit this page for more information on Sunny Hill Health Centre: http://www.bcchildrens.ca/our-services/sunny-hill-health-centre/our-services/autism

It is unlikely that, at this time, benefits plans will cover the cost of seeing a behaviour analyst. Sometimes, if you call your service provider, they may authorize a certain amount that you can bill back to them for my services. When I am registered as a clinical counsellor (RCC), many benefits plans have some coverage for those sessions. I plan to be registered by early 2025.

Yes! Despite the name, Marriage + Family Therapists see individuals all the time. We view an individual's situation as being imbedded within systems (e.g., family system, employment system, community etc.) For more information on this, please see above or go to my Services page.

Let's chat! Sometimes, we know we need someone to talk to about our situations, but we don't quite know what's "wrong". I completely understand this, and I encourage you to contact me so we can chat a bit more about your situation, and see if we can figure out what might help.

No, I will not expect you to reach out to family members who you are no longer in contact with. Sometimes, this can be a helpful process, but I also recognize that this may not be the best thing for you. It will always be up to you to determine what you'd like to (or not to) do/say/try. I will be here to help you think through those decisions, but it isn't up to me to determine what will be best for you.

Please go to my Therapy Models page to learn more about ABA, or visit:

Is only for kids and/or people with autism? No. ABA is the science of behaviour, and it applies to all living organisms; big and small, young and old, neurotypical and neurodiverse, furry and not furry... Makes kids robotic? When implemented correctly and ethically, kids (or adults) who engage in ABA treatments, will not become robotic, automatic, or turn into individuals who are unquestionably obedient. The goal of ABA programs is to increase socially significant behaviours to broaden and enrich people's lives Uses rewards/bribery and punishment? I'm very passionate about this particular topic! It is a bit of a complicated answer, so I will address it briefly here, and for more information, please contact me. ABA explains behaviour by describing how the environment (internal and external) encourages or discourages certain behaviours. The ways in which the environment responds to behaviours determines whether or not behaviours will be maintained or extinguished. Reinforcers are events that increase future rates of behaviour Punishers are events that decrease future rates of behaviour Both reinforcers and punishers are natural parts of every environment. However, ABA practitioners should not use punishment procedures in anyone's intervention plan. The terms "rewards" and "bribery" are often used synonymously with reinforcement, but they are not terms that are used in behaviour analysis. Reinforcement is very specifically defined with several aspects to consider. "Rewards" are generally things that are given to people based on a certain outcome (e.g., winning a tournament, being employee of the month etc.). They do not necessarily increase behaviour, and as such, they are not termed reinforcers. The term "bribery" does make use of reinforcers to coerce someone into engaging in a behaviour that they do not want to engage in. However, the target behaviours in these scenarios are typically harmful, unethical, illegal, or otherwise undesirable. Caregivers sometimes refer to "bribing" children, and this requires further discussion to clarify. Please contact me to learn more about this topic. Diminishes internal or intrinsic motivation? This concern comes from a documented potential side effect of reinforcement procedures. Yes, there can be side effects from reinforcement. For example, providing a reinforcer to someone for engaging in a behaviour they already enjoy (intrinsically) then the intrinsic motivation to continue engaging in that behaviour can decrease over time. This is one of the many reasons, you should work with a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) who is well educated in the field of behaviour analysis. Requires caregivers to collect data? Not necessarily. Depending on the practitioner, the behaviour being addressed, and other factors, BCBAs may ask that a caregiver collect data. Personally, it is extremely rare for me to recommend this, and it will always be the caregiver's choice as to whether or not they collect data.

A board certified behaviour analyst is someone who has completed the requirements set out by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB). This includes a master's degree, a specific number of hours in fieldwork and supervision, and passing an exam. The BACB is a worldwide certifying agency. For more information on what a BCBA is, or more information on the BACB, please visit:

I no longer develop or manage early intervention programs. If you have questions about what to look for in a service provider, please contact me.

Typically, I do not see children directly, especially while I am only offering online services. If you have a teenager who would like to talk with me, I'm happy to do that. My only requirement for this, is that I am also seeing one (or more) of the teenager's primary caregivers. I believe that valuable change in a family system requires cooperation with at least one primary caregiver.

Please see "Systems Theory" above for information on Marriage + Family Therapy.

MFT and Psychology are distinct fields with overlapping values and areas of interest. The field of MFT is based in systems theory which explores an individual's situation through systemic thinking (e.g., looking at what else is happening in your family system, identifying what the spoken and unspoken rules are in your system).

No. Please see the Services page under Individual Counselling to learn more about this.

While this is not a requirement for effective therapy, it can be very helpful. Looking at one's personal history can help identify where certain beliefs and values came from, and whether or not those beliefs and values are currently adaptive or maladaptive.

Feelings and emotions are unavoidable aspects of being human, and are part of what makes being human so incredible. Having said that, this does not mean that we need to focus on those feelings and emotions in sessions. Sometimes, various feelings and emotions arise during a session, and that is absolutely allowed! It doesn't mean we have to dwell on it, though. Bowen Theory specifically, aims to notice, recognize, and address feelings and emotions, and to learn to access our rational thinking for making decisions on how to respond in very emotional situations.