What A Psychologist Can Do For You…

Scientific research leads us to believe that therapy conducted by a trained and experienced Psychologist helps. The average person who receives treatment is better off than 75% of untreated persons, and the longer one stays in therapy, the greater one’s gains. Specific treatment approaches appear to be more effective than others for certain disorders; cognitive and mindfulness-based therapies have been found to be the optimal non-pharmacological approaches for treating eating disorders, anxiety disorders, depression, and stress reactions (adapted from Comer, 2009).  Other types of practitioners may lack the years and years of study and rigorous testing that a Registered Psychologist must go through before attaining the very necessary knowledge required to facilitate a healthy transformation.  Psychologists do not just analyze your past, but rather help you understand yourself, set positive goals, and mentor you through the process of becoming the person you want to be.

ABOUT ME

Born, raised and educated in the US, I have lived in Canada for over 12 years now and currently reside with my young son and husband in beautiful British Columbia. As a passionate student of life with a keen desire to experience, learn, and grow, when I’m not at work, I find joy in physical and creative activities that provide me with a mind and body connection: quilting, gardening, music, sports, and, most recently, dance. I fervently believe that the practice of Psychology is both an art and a science. In me, you will find elements of both artist and scientist, someone who makes treatment decisions based on sound principles of practice, an objective clinician who also looks for and reveals what is beautiful in life and in you.

My desire to help and understand those suffering from the physical and mental anguish of eating disorders, stress, anxiety, and depression derives from my own personal experience. In my late teens, I developed bulimia, which spiraled into anorexia during my days at university. I struggled with both of these issues and their associated problems for many years. Finally I established strong, positive relationships with friends and professionals, and I learned what I needed to do to let go of my eating disorder and be the person I knew at my core I wanted to be. I now understand that starving and stuffing, bingeing and purging, can create brain and personality changes that need to be addressed in a safe, secure environment with a competent professional. My personal struggle led me to discover and implement cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness techniques, as well as insight oriented and solution-focused strategies that I now impart to my own clients. Recovery is possible for anyone.

Qualifications

I earned my Master’s degree in School and Community Psychology in 1986 and my Doctorate in Educational and Clinical Psychology in 1991 from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. My education has given me professional flexibility as both a professor and clinician, and I have greatly enjoyed both aspects of my career. My clinical work offered experience I could relate in the classroom, and my academic position trained me to access resources with which I keep up to date with the science of Psychology.  I began my teaching career at Eastern Michigan University in 1989, and established myself as a specialist in the field of Eating Disorders before obtaining a tenure-track position at Green River Community College in Auburn, Washington in 1994. While out west, I completed the requirements to become a fully licensed psychologist and continued my work as a practitioner. In 1996 I met my Canadian husband, and after moving to Vancouver in 1998, I established a private practice, took a teaching position at Capilano University in 2002, and retired from teaching in 2010 to devote myself fully to my clients and my work as a therapist.

Continuing Education

In addition to staying up to date in the field of Eating Disorders, I research and study the following subjects: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Neuroplasticity, Biological Basis of Personality, Positive Psychology, Motivational Interviewing, Applied Behavior Analysis, Psychopharmacology, Coaching and Psychotherapy.

 
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