I'm a licensed therapist, certified thanatologist, and an emerging health scientist. My clinical work focuses on the intersections between authenticity, attachment wounding, grief, trauma, and personal growth.
I learned at an early age that deeper issues don't tend to fix themselves, and that we are all responsible for our own healing. The art of a well lived life invites us to adopt a curious, open-minded, and flexible attitude towards our own suffering.
I believe all people have the innate capacity to live an authentic and meaningful life that can be shared with others. I also attend to my own healing work and individuation process, which supports me in showing up with integrity, grit, resiliency, and compassion for those I work with.
I have pursued clinical training in modalities that work with the WHOLE person - mind, body, and soul: Attachment-based Psychotherapy; Ego States Therapy / Internal Family Systems; Expressive Arts; Jungian Psychology; Somatic Experiencing; Psychodynamic Psychotherapy; and, Transpersonal Psychology.
I am committed to examining the most up to date research in healing as both a therapist and a health scientist.
Professional Affiliations
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.
Certified Thanatologist. Association for Death Education and Counselling.
Adjunct Professor. Grief Education - OISE, University of Toronto.
Mental Health Author. Psychology Today, and Published Health Scientist.
Doctoral Training
I am pursuing doctoral training in the Health & Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program at Western University.
At this time, I have received over $25,000+ in competitive research grants, scholarships, and academic bursaries. I have published predominately in the areas of health, psycho-education, psychotherapy, and thanatology.
Completed Education
Master's of Arts in Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University
Master's of Arts in Gender & Sexuality Research, Western University
Certificate in Thanatology: Death, Dying, & Bereavement, Association for Death Education & Counselling
Certificate in Techniques of Grief Therapy: Creative Practices with Dr. Robert Neimeyer
Honours Bachelor Degree in Thanatology and Philosophy, King's University College
Ontario College Diploma in Food & Nutrition Management, Fanshawe College
Publications
(2023). Ethical principles in mental health care. Psychology Today. Co-authored with Daniel Wyzynski.
(2023). New APA book: Death as an altered state of consciousness. Psychology Today.
(2023). 4 Ways to connect with your authentic self. Psychology Today.
(2023). Can we "see" dead people?. Psychology Today.
(2023). Have you ever wondered what your dreams mean? Psychology Today.
(2023). Grief allows growth. Psychology Today Print Magazine - 21 Rules to Live By.
(2023). The shadow of mystery: Limitations of science in therapy. Psychology Today.
(2023). The hero & heroine archetypes. Heroic Minds App.
(2023). Healing soma: Integrating trauma through somatic experiencing. Psychology Today.
(2023). What is ecological grief and trauma?. Psychology Today.
(2022). A grief that never ends: Chronic sorrow. Psychology Today.
(2022). Rationality is not enough. Psychology Today.
(2022). What’s the difference between grief support and grief therapy? Psychology Today.
(2022). Beyond the corporatization of death systems: Towards green death practices. Illness, Crisis, and Loss, 30(4), 640-658. Co-authored with Dr. Elizabeth Anne Kinsella and Dr. Darcy Harris.
(2022). Understanding loss: Grief and attachment theory. Psychology Today.
(2022). Grieving when no has died. Psychology Today.
(2022). Relearning the world through grief. Psychology Today.
(2022). There is no step-by-step formula for grief. Psychology Today.
(2021). Ethical standards for mental health service providers: Case analysis I. Ethical Connections, Yorkville University’s MACP Annual Newsletter.
(2021). Ecological grief. Psynopsis - Canadian Psychological Association, 43 (2), 10-11.
(2018). A life worth living: Examined and unexamined grief. The King's Undergraduate Research Journal, 2, 1-9.
Community Education, Presentations, Teaching
(2023). People 'see' dead people: Exploring how to suport after death communications in healthcare (poster). International Working Group for Death, Dying, and Bereavement.
(2023). Introduction to grief and bereavement (fall). For Grief Education Program, OISE, University of Toronto.
(2023). Introduction to grief and bereavement (summer). For Grief Education Program, OISE, University of Toronto.
(2023). Finding grief support: When to seek professional help & when to turn to peers (oral). For grief club: The podcast hosted by Addison Brasil.
(2023). Essential knowledge - grief & loss for new clinicians (oral). For Community Counselling Centre of London, clinical training program.
(2023). Introduction to grief and bereavement (winter). For Grief Education Program, OISE, University of Toronto.
(2022). HS-CGB Course: Contexts of Grief and Bereavement Experiences (fall). For Grief Education Program, OISE, University of Toronto.
(2022). Anti-oppressive and healing approaches to grief education in times of uncertainty (oral). For Bereavement Ontario Network, annual conference. Co-presented with Dr. Karima Joy.
(2022). Creating meaning through art: A non-death loss grief support group (oral). For Bereavement Ontario Network, annual conference. Co-presented with Aisha Husseini.
(2022). Introduction to grief and bereavement (fall). For Grief Education Program, OISE, University of Toronto.
(2022). Becoming grief literate: Foundations for grief, loss, and meaningful support (oral). For Department of Human Resources, University of Toronto.
(2022). Introduction to grief and bereavement (summer). For Grief Education Program, OISE, University of Toronto.
(2022). Introduction to grief and bereavement (winter). For Grief Education Program, OISE, University of Toronto.
(2021). Coping with tragedy, death, and change: OISE Continuing & Professional Learning unveils Grief Education certificate program (media interview). For Perry King, OISE Communications Department.
(2021). Media and tragic events in thanatology (guest lecture). For THAN 1025: Introduction to Thanatology, King’s University College.
(2021). Introduction to grief and bereavement (fall). For Grief Education Program, OISE, University of Toronto.
(2021). Death has a climate change problem (media interview). For Dominque Mosbergen, HuffPost.
(2021). Call to Action: LGBTQ2IA+ Grief (written interview). For ADEC Connects.
(2021). Beyond the corporatization of death systems: Towards green death practices (oral). For Association for Death Education and Counselling, 42nd Annual Conference.
(2021). GERI-6019 Course: Thanatology (winter). For Gerontology - Interprofessional Practice Program, Fanshawe College.
(2020). GERI-6019 Course: Thanatology (fall). For Gerontology - Interprofessional Practice Program, Fanshawe College.
(2020). Green death practices (oral). For Western Universities’ Women’s Studies & Feminist Research Annual Conference.
(2020). Engaging with wisdom and mystery (oral). For King’s Mature Student’s Association Annual Meeting.
(2020). GERI-6019 Course: Thanatology (winter). For Gerontology - Interprofessional Practice Program, Fanshawe College.
(2019). Discovering wisdom in thanatology: The value of reflective knowledge (oral). For Bereavement Ontario Network, annual conference.
(2018). A life worth living: Examined and unexamined grief (oral). For King’s Undergraduate Research Conference.
(2017). A life worth living: Examined and unexamined grief (poster). For Association for Death Education and Counselling, 39th Annual Conference.
(2017). King's thanatology student and professor to be honoured at ADEC conference (media interview). For King's University College Communications Department.
(2016). Acknowledging death in order to appreciate life: death cafe's (media interview). For Wei Chen, CBC Radio.
(2016). Students host death cafe and celebrate awareness of death (media interview). For Alicia Mak, King's University College Communications Department.
(2015). Studying death to appreciate life (media interview). For Evan Boudreau, Catholic Registrar.