Approach

As psychologist and registered psychotherapist my approach focuses on helping children, young people, and adults through life transitions or challenges, managing stress and uncertainty, or exploring career or vocational pathways.

I use a blend of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Solution-Focused Therapy. These are two evidence-based approaches that emphasize personal values, strengths, and practical action-oriented strategies and elicit forward momentum—whether that means aligning actions with values, figuring how to do more of what's working, or increasing psychological flexibility.

In addition to therapy, I also provide psychological assessments for children and adolescents. My approach to assessment is also collaborative and strengths-based with the goal of understanding what feels difficult and why —whether at school, at work, or in daily life—and to identify practical strategies and recommendations that can truly make a difference. In you are interested in psychological assessment services please visit Riverwise Psychological Services for more information.

The process…

Step 1:

We start with an initial meeting to review consent, gather a bit of information, and determine how the time together can be most helpful for you. You might complete some scaling questions or questionnaires so that we can get a clear understanding of where you are now and where you want to be. This step also helps identify your strengths and resources. We will check in and return to these types of measures as we go (this is called measurement-based care) - it helps us know if our time together is having a positive impact and gives us information to determine if a change of approach is needed. This is also called the assessment phase which makes sure the approach to psychotherapy or counselling is aligned with your goals and needs.

Step 2:

Together we will determine how often to meet - weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or maybe you are looking for just a session or two focused in on a specific goal or challenge. We will check in as we go, but ultimately you are in the drivers seat. What can you expect during our sessions? My approach focuses on: (1) exploring the strengths and resources that you already have, (2) helping to amplify your strengths, resources and what is already working and apply it to your current goals/preferred outcomes, (3) enhancing skills related to psychological flexibility, and (4) aligning actions with your values.

Step 3:

If your desired outcomes have been met (or you aren’t finding the process helpful) then we can either adjust our approach, connect you with another professional, or end our time together. If you want to reconnect in the future (e.g., you have a new goal or challenge) then just reach back out and we can meet again.

Fees and details…

• My hourly rate is $230 (*this is within the average rate range for psychological services in Ontario, OPA). Sessions for counselling/psychotherapy are generally 50 minutes with 10 minutes reserved for notes and resource sharing (1 hour in total).

• Psychological services are not covered by OHIP but are often covered under extended health benefits plans through your employer. The extent of coverage varies significantly depending on the specific plan and provider and it is important to verify the details of your individual plan. At this time I do not offer direct billing.

• I offer virtual psychotherapy/counselling in Ontario through a secure and convenient platform ensuring privacy and compliance.

• I offer in-person psychological services in Barrie, Ontario through Riverwise Psychological Services.