When my daughter was born prematurely, my family and I were scared. The nurses who cared for her, and us, made all the difference. I have never forgotten them. That’s why I was very pleased when Dr. Kelly invited me to join the Nurse Wellness Program. Working with nurses feels personal to me, not just professional.
Healthcare asks a lot of you. Most people in your life don’t fully see it. The long shifts. The losses. The decisions that stay with you long after the shift ends. The pressure to keep going when you’re running on empty. And the strange loneliness of being the person everyone else leans on.
I understand this from more than one direction. I grew up around healthcare professionals and spent several years working in a medical setting. A big part of my career has been supporting people in urgent mental health and addictions services, first responders, and frontline healthcare workers. I’ve also been involved in research on psychological wellbeing among frontline medical staff. The point is, you won’t have to explain your world to me. The culture, the language, what it actually feels like after a hard shift. I already have a solid understanding of it.
People who work with me often say I’m genuine, down-to-earth, and easy to talk to. I think therapy works best when it feels like a real conversation, not a clinical performance. I use evidence-based approaches, but I’m not rigid about it. I bring warmth and curiosity and, when it fits, a willingness to find the dark humour in hard situations. My goal is to give you a space where you don’t have to hold it together or pretend you’re doing better than you are.
You don’t need the perfect words. You just need to show up. I will be there when you do.
Specialties
- Burnout and compassion fatigue in nurses and healthcare professionals
- Anxiety and workplace stress
- Grief and loss
- Moral distress and moral injury
- Urgent mental health and addictions
- First responders and frontline workers
- Shift work and work-life balance
- Virtual therapy for nurses across Ontario