About

I grew up in various urban and rural communities in Alberta. It was a desire to change my life and find some stability in my early 20s that led me to Vancouver — with hopes that fresh ocean air and healthy living would help transform me. Fast forward many years later, I’m still taking in deep breaths and trying to make healthy choices, but thankfully with a lot more peace than ever before.

I am a mother, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a therapist, a survivor of sorts, and always a student in one way or another — continuing to learn each day.

My ancestry includes hard-working Ukrainian immigrants who survived genocidal war complete with bombs, torched villages of communities (family), and famine.

I also bear survival gifts from having been a child of: divorce; neglect; incest; sexual abuse; foster care; parents with addiction/mental illness; domestic violence; and parental suicide. I use the term “gifts” to acknowledge appreciation for what I have learned and earned from my experiences — having had the opportunity to heal from them — including a sense of purpose to be here for others on their healing and wellness journeys.

My studies in psychology began over 30 years ago. This journey has included several years of deeper study into my own personal growth — much-needed healing and self-development.

A few decades ago, my life perspective was transformed through a discovery of the true history of this country: the socially sophisticated and culturally rich societies of Indigenous peoples — along with, unfortunately, all of the subsequent atrocities and injustices suffered at the hands of colonizers, clergymen, and politicians. An understanding of healing in the face of racism, oppression, and trauma in our communities took on more meaning than it ever had previously. I also recognized that First Nation’s values resonated more with my core values and spirituality than those of mainstream society.

For the past 17 years, my work in the community has been with adults, parents, families, elderly, children, and youth. For many years my heart has been with the Indigenous community, however my experience includes diverse populations both apart from as well as from within this.