My therapeutic style is warm, genuine, and strengths-based. Together, we will work to identify your personal values, unique needs and treatment goals. We will then identify strategies that can help you move towards those goals while remaining true to yourself.
I practice using evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), including Prolonged Exposure (PE) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I also often integrate motivational interviewing and emotion-focused principles in treatment. Regardless of the approach I use, I believe a compassionate therapeutic style is essential to create an environment where you can feel comfortable owning your personal life story. Although I work with individuals experiencing a variety of difficulties, much of my current focus and expertise is on working with first responders and their families or seniors.
Aside from private practice, I currently work as a part-time psychologist in the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre (ROMHC) Youth Psychiatry Program. I am involved in the training and supervision of doctoral students in clinical psychology from the University of Ottawa and psychology residents at ROMHC. During my training, I have gained experience with mood, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders across the lifespan through my training in outpatient community mental health programs, at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Depot Medical Treatment Centre, in a specialized military mental health clinic, on a medical burn unit, and in a geriatric psychiatry program.
In addition to my clinical work, I have a keen interest in research on the accessibility of mental health services for first responders. I was involved in the first national survey of mental health needs among Canadian public safety personnel (e.g., police, EMS, firefighters, correctional officers) and I continue to regularly collaborate with the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT).