I was born and raised on the east coast of Canada. I moved with my family to the Northwest Territories during my last year of high school. After graduation I began my studies in psychology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta. I continued my studies at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland, and obtained a doctorate in psychology at United States International University in San Diego, California in 1997.
I have worked in a variety of settings as a psychologist, working with individuals, couples and families. While working as a psychologist I taught at St. Paul University, where I also began working as a clinical supervisor for provisional psychology students. I am presently an associate professor and program coordinator of the psychology program at St. Mary’s University in Calgary, Alberta. I have taught here for over twenty years. As well as teaching I have facilitated a number of retreats and workshops on addictions, forgiveness, resilience, conflict resolution, spirituality, and establishing professional boundaries. I am also a clinical supervisor assisting marriage therapists on the professional path to be fully qualified.
I have co-authored a book with Patti-Anne Kay entitled, “Forgiveness: Breaking Free And Moving On,” which was released in the fall of 2017. I have published numerous articles about forgiveness and marriage preparation. I am currently working on a book about grieving.
The big news is two months ago I moved to the Bahamas as my permanent residence. It has been quite an adjustment. I enjoy travelling so I hope to spend my time exploring the Caribbean and meeting some interesting people.
I enjoy travelling:
My Counselling Approach
I believe in a holistic approach to counselling therapy that takes into account the client’s or couple’s family and/or work life, and environment, which can provide insight, and clarity to the presenting issues. Counselling and therapy is about making changes in life. Change is not easy. Being aware of the need for change in life is important but unfortunately does not guarantee change.
I see my role as journeying with an individual or couple to offer objective insights and to assist them in discovering possible solutions and to empower them to move forward. I like to focus on personal blocks to living fully. Examples of these blocks are anger, fear, frustration, grief and low self-esteem. Clients are often surprised how a combination of blocks can lead to missing solutions to their struggles. We cannot undo the past but we can shape our future in freedom from past issues.
I am very interested in the role of spiritualty has on personal well-being. Spirituality can be a great source of strength and provide meaning to life. Unfortunately, many individuals see Spirituality being linked to religion. Individuals who have had a bad experience with religion will be understandably cautious about addressing the role of spirituality in their life. While religion can be an integral part of one’s spirituality it is not essential. I believe that spirituality is a dimension of our selves that is involved in personal meaning-making. I have also offered spiritual direction for individuals seeking meaning and a spiritual connection in their life.