My Story

I discovered acupuncture in my late 20’s after a combination of grief and burnout initiated a year of chronic illness. One day my body just forced me to stop —

to stop telling myself that constant stress was normal;

to stop trying to numb the grief with overwork;

to stop ignoring the sadness and constant anxiety I was feeling.

At first I tried what Western medicine had to offer, which was… antibiotics.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Western medicine and antibiotics. I’m very grateful that they exist and that we have access to them. However, at that point I knew deep down that the reason I was sick was emotional. And I was right. I took the antibiotics to treat those particular symptoms but then new symptoms cropped up in their place. I was stuck in this cycle and I knew I needed to try something different.

I tried seeing a Naturopath.

I ended up with a list of foods and supplements that was so complex I had to make a chart on my fridge to figure out what to take, when. Eventually I gave up out of fatigue and overwhelm.

(Please, don’t misunderstand this: I love naturopaths and I know many who are exceptional practitioners. I regularly refer clients to them. I happened to have a bad experience with one who, I believe, didn’t have the experience to see that I was becoming overwhelmed and unable to keep up with her treatment plan. I’m putting it here because it was a step on the path that led me to Traditional Chinese Medicine.)

I saw a counsellor.

She helped me make the decision to leave my high-stress career, but couldn’t give me the tools I needed to heal my body. I was still ignoring my deeper emotions. And if you think it’s not possible to go to counselling for a year and still ignore your feelings, trust me, it is.

I finally decided to try acupuncture.

I had heard of it, but never really thought about it and didn’t really know what it was or what it was for. But I was ready to try anything. After my first session I felt deeply relaxed for the first time in what felt like years. I had forgotten what it was like. My acupuncturist recommended an herbal formula as well and since I was in try-anything mode, I took it. It was a turning point for me. My body began to recover and I was finally felt strong enough to face my grief.

I became fascinated with the connection between emotional and physical health.

Since then I’ve developed an interest in supporting healthy pregnancies (while pregnant with my kids) and pediatrics (when my kids were little). I’ve pursued additional trainings in those areas and folded them into my primary focus: the impacts of trauma, stress, and unresolved emotions on our health and wellbeing.

Now what I love best is

  • Helping others explore the relationship between their health and their emotions.

  • Supporting others in creating new relationships between their health and their emotions.

  • Encouraging people to hold themselves with greater compassion and self-acceptance.

  • Providing support to help people live with more vitality, in less pain and with greater freedom.

Training & Experience

  • Diploma in Acupuncture from the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Vancouver
    2014

  • Various trainings in TCM paediatrics with teachers including Robin Green, Rebecca Avern, and David Allen
    2016-2022

  • Various trainings in prenatal acupuncture with teachers including Yvonne Farrell and Debra Betts
    2015-2019

  • Various trainings in acupuncture for trauma and mental health with teachers such as Yvonne Farrell, CT Holman and Susie Hayes
    2017-2022

  • Movement for Trauma, Level 1, by Jane Clapp
    2019

  • Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner Training Program by Gabor Mate
    2021 *

  • 15 years of mindfulness practice in a Buddhist Lineage
    including authorization to provide meditation instruction

*Current clinical supervision: I currently engage in regular peer supervision in my Compassionate Inquiry work and plan to enter the mentorship program at the next available opportunity. In addition I am currently a volunteer in the CI training program in order to assist new learners and deepen my own understanding and skills.

 

Culturally Sensitive Care

I strive to make my practice as inclusive as possible. This includes regularly attending trainings on providing safe care for people of differing cultural, gender or sexual identities. It means listening and educating myself on the ecological and cultural context that informs the health of my clients. It involves humbly accepting feedback on how I can do these things better.

I believe that health (mental or physical) is not an individual state. We heal in relationship and in community. As such, I acknowledge that as a hetero, cis-gendered white woman, I may not be the right practitioner for every client. I commit to regularly supporting organisations that provide culturally appropriate healing from within communities.

What does it mean to be trauma informed?

I find the phrase “trauma informed” to be a bit misleading. It sounds like a state that you can achieve. As in, I’ve read a book about trauma and now I am trauma informed. The reality is very different. Yes, it does involve having knowledge about what trauma is and how it affects people, but more importantly it means having the capacity to show up for people in a way that is safe and supportive, responsive and attuned.

Being trauma informed is not what I know, it is how I practice and the things that I do daily to ensure that I am able to hold space and be present with my clients. Being trauma informed means that I:

  • Consider creating safety within our relationship to be my most important goal. If ever there is a breach I take responsibility and repair.

  • Commit to being transparent about my own capacity and the state of my nervous system. This means that I am human and I have my own feelings about things, but these feelings are mine to hold and process. I will attend to them as necessary

  • Consistently engage in the work of examining my own bias and cultural conditioning. Acknowledge that even though I do my utmost, due to my identity I may not be able to provide culturally safe care to everyone.

  • Humbly acknowledge the inherent power imbalance in the therapeutic relationship and approach each relationship with the intention to walk alongside and support. I am not the expert in you, you are.