My Story

I am a Canadian counsellor who brings a breadth of experience from various fields and this is my story.

 

From an early age, I was curious about how the world works, which led me to spend a lot of time at the library. This was the perfect place to nurture my curiosity of the world. A place where I could enjoy my quiet time away from the noise while exploring and learning. I found the library to be a comforting and fun place not just because of the catalogue cards or watching the librarian stamp the cards but because of being surrounded by all those books filled with whatever you wanted to know. If you want to go on a journey instead, it was always a book away. This lead me to gain a love for research which continued into my adult years. Books continued to be an inspiration for me, as I learned about myself and the world.

 

In my teenage years, I developed an interest in counselling and wanted to help others. However, I was uncertain about which discipline to pursue. After completing university, many around me experienced a wave of loss. As I witnessed others grieving the loss of loved ones, I began to notice a pattern of either brushing the issue under the rug or receiving minimal support if any. Very few had someone to walk along side them. This is where my journey began and I started to study bereavement and grief counselling and end of life care along with volunteering. Over the years, I not only had the opportunity to work with individuals who faced loss but also with a range of concerns such as narcissism, family issues, suicide, anxiety, depression, burnout etc. Then the pandemic hit and things got worse. During this period many of us ended up experiencing a different type of loss that is less common but on a greater scale. This loss is referred to as collective grief. As a result other issues emerged such as collective fatigue and burnout. Despite the pandemic being over many are still feeling the fall out. Throughout this time, as I attempted to navigate this unique situation in my own life, I ended up gaining additional insight into the different types of losses that can impact individuals. Additionally, throughout my life I have worked in various industries and can relate to those who are experiencing work place stress and burnout.

 

I have come to understand that we all have our own issues and I am no exception. My experiences in life have taught me numerous lessons including that we get through life together not alone, that self-care is needed before we can help others, there is always room for self improvement and that there is always hope. My journey toward self-betterment hasn't stopped and it never will. I also didn’t do it alone. I am grateful for those that have helped and supported me in my life, including those that popped into my life for just a moment. Just as others have helped me I would like to help others and share what I have learned.