1. What can I expect when I meet with you?
2. Do you offer evening appointments?
3. Do you see couples together or individually?
4. Will you just listen or provide feed-back and advice?
5. How long will counselling take?
6. Are you registered?
7. What education do you have?
8. In addition to university degrees, what special training do you have?
9. In addition to your training, what counselling experience do you have?
10. What life experience do you have?
11. What can you offer aboriginal people and other people of colour?
12. Why did you choose counselling as a career?

1. What can I expect when I see you?
When we meet, I will be interested in seeing the world as you see it.  From there, we will explore what will make it better for you. I provide short-term problem-solving and also longer term, in-depth counselling, depending on your situation.

2. Do you offer evening appointments?
Yes

3. Do you see couples together or individually?
Either way, depending on the situation and the preferences of both partners.

4. Will you just listen or provide feed-back and advice?
When any of us feel we are being heard and really understood, we can gain a lot of awareness of ourselves and our choices.  In addition to listening, I will draw on my years of experience, education and intuition to offer tools and ideas you can take from each session.

5. How long will counselling take?
You can expect to see changes within two or three sessions.  Then it depends on how much you want – similar to whether someone wants to paint one room or several.

6. Are you registered?
Yes:  RCSW (Clinical Social Worker, Registered for Private practice)
with the BCCSW (British Columbia College of Social Workers)

7. What education do you have?
BSN (previously a public health nurse )
RN  (nurse registered previously in Ontario, New South Wales & Illinois)
MSW (masters in social work)

8. In addition to university degrees, what special training do you have?

• Emotionally Focused Therapy
• EMDR Level II
• NonViolent Communication
• Imago Therapy

My training also includes but is not limited to workshops/ seminars/ retreats/ trainings in:

• Couples Therapy – Marriage Counselling
• Divorce Prevention
• Stepfamily Concerns
• Separation Counselling
• Premarital Counselling
• Recover from  Abuse & Trauma  –
• Depression, Anxiety, Stress Management,
  Panic Attacks, Low Self-esteem
• Grief, Loss
• Family Therapy
• Parent Education
• Family Violence
• Conflict Resolution – workplace, relationship
• Women’s Issues
• Addictions Counselling
• Personal Growth and Spirituality

9. In addition to your training, what counselling experience do you have?
Since opening my private practice 20 years ago, I have provided couples, individuals and families with counselling that they have said has been helpful and life-changing.
Years as a youth and family counsellor for clinics and schools in the US and here in the Victoria area have also provided me with a broad range of experience to draw on when counselling you.

10. What life experience do you have?

• married with 2 grown children, 1 grown stepson and 5 grandchildren
• was temporary foster mother to an eight year old boy
• enjoy sculpting with clay, painting, Nia and swimming
• spent years in many parts of Canada, Australia and the USA and have offered courses & service in Romania, India and Myanmar, to name a few
• very important to me to be involved in the community by volunteering with Emergency Social Services and Restorative Justice

11. What can you offer aboriginal people and other people of colour?
A listening ear and an open heart –  I have spent the last 20 years on the Saanich Peninsula making friends, volunteering  and learning as much as I can about aboriginal culture and customs. I have been invited to the homes of the indigenous people around the world, including Burmese villagers, an Aboriginee businessman, Roma homemakers and of course First Nations and aboriginal friends across Canada. These encounters have reinforced my appreciation for the similarities we share in this human family and  the unique qualities each culture has to offer.

12. Why did you choose counselling as a career?
I have had a life-long interest in counselling since reading case histories as a student nurse and realizing that people in difficult circumstances might have used their own strengths to improve their lives if even one person had noticed and offered support. I wanted to be that person. Since then, in both my professional and private life, I have had the privilege of assisting others to discover and use their own resources.