Therapeutic lens

Anti-oppressive

Anti-oppressive counselling is more than multiculturalism, it requires my practice to address the exploitative and oppressive power relations commonly found in the dominate culture. It is my job as a therapist to name the harm that systematic structure of power caused in order to de-personalize the shame that folks alongside often feel. Shame is the feeling of guilty or feeling not good enough but you have not done anything wrong. I have a passion for supporting folks alongside who have experienced harm and oppression due to their identity and cultural markers. I strive to provide a safe space for those folks to name the social injustice causing harm. I support them in exploring and navigating their intersectional identities while helping them regain strength, hope and empowerment while walking together on their healing journey.

Trauma-informed

In our time together, I am interested in knowing you as a person and your story, “what happened to you?” . I have years of knowledge in psychology; I believe that no one is broken. Everyone has inner strength and resources to grow and deal with obstacles in their own life. My job here is to support you and help you recognize that what kept you stuck was once a healthy response that helped you survive. I seek to meet where you are and celebrate your inner strength and gifts while working alongside you on your healing journey. The world can sometimes feel like a scary place. Therefore, we strive to provide a safe place for you to explore difficult emotions and relational problems. You will eventually feel more connected to yourself, your partners, and your life.

Attachment-based

I believe that healing is relational; in connections, love heals. Longing for a secure attachment in times of stress and threat is a human’s basic survival need. When we don’t get the support, we need when we are young, it might impact how we think of ourselves as lovable or not and how accessible our loved one is. Therefore, we might show up as attacking, protesting and angry or withdrawing, stonewalling. Pursing and withdrawing are protective moves that help us regulate our nervous system when our attachment needs are not met. I have a passion for helping people get unstuck in their repeated negative interaction patterns and build secure bonds and trust.

Repairing rupture is an essential process of building therapeutic trust because I am genuine in getting to know you as a person and your story. I strive to serve as your temporarily secure figure in our time together. You are always welcome to let me know anytime you feel your experience is improperly reflected or I have miss-attuned you.

I prioritize working with BIPOC, LGBTQ2S+ folks and people who suffer from marginalization due to their identity and cultural markers. Based on my therapeutic lens, in the past, I have effectively helped resolve the following issues: relational issues, inter-generational, racial and sexual trauma, identity explorations, sexuality and gender related issues, anxiety and depression, low-self esteem, body images, and grief and loss.

If you feel I might be a good fit to be your therapist, please feel free to connect with me to arrange a 20-min free consultation, and we start from there.