Occupational Therapy, Education, & Mindfulness

Let’s get to know each other….

I am an occupational therapist and trauma-informed teacher of yoga & meditation living in Victoria, BC. My passion is to empower folks with the tools they need to flourish. In other words, I believe we should aim to not just “get rid of the bad” and instead focus on creating the life you want to live. There are a few ways I support folks to do that here - through OT, mindfulness, and specific support for my fellow healthcare providers (HCPs).

When it comes to occupational therapy, I am passionate about partnering with you on your journey to get back to what you need/want to do. You can expect evidence-based treatment with a compassionate approach. I myself have lived with several chronic health conditions, and I bring that understanding to my practice. While I offer general OT services, I also have been lucky to receive specialty training and supervision in the areas of insomnia, concussion, and mental health. If you’re wondering if OT might be able to help you, book a free 15-minute discovery call!

A few years ago, my career led me into creating and facilitating courses for healthcare providers and providing mentorship to other OTs . The more I did it, the more I realized how much I loved it! To see a clinician come into their own, visibly becoming more confident and excited about what they do, is really an honour to be a part of.

Meanwhile, I have been teaching mindfulness for the past decade in healthcare and public community settings. In that time, the research that has been published about the incredible power of these free & constantly available tools to boost our physical, emotional, and cognitive wellbeing has been amazing to witness. It has been an important reminder that these too are essential tools to help people flourish.

When I design my healthcare education offerings (courses, worksheets, mentorship), I think about what I have found most impactful as a lifelong learner myself. I appreciate when there is a focus on application - not just to simple and straightforward cases, but to complex cases that reflect the reality of how complicated real-life practice really is. I love courses where I leave feeling confident I can apply something the very next day in clinic. And I admit I am a huge healthcare nerd so…. I’ve been to a lot of courses and these pieces are surprisingly rare!

Speaking of being a healthcare nerd, I have received specialty training through courses and supervision in areas such as concussion management, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD (PE), compassionate inquiry, and pain neuroscience education. Even though these domains may seem widespread, in practice I have found that many of the populations I work with (i.e. post concussion syndrome, chronic pain, long COVID, anxiety, depression, trauma) all benefit from using many of these mind-body approaches to improve function and quality of life. For a full list of courses I have taken to date, check out my Mentorship page where I spell it all out for you.

Through my work with Tall Tree Integrated Health, AMP Healthcare Education, and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, I have had the privilege of creating courses, workshops, webinars, and publications on various topics in private practice, healthcare, and occupational therapy. To read more about my experience as an educator, check out the Courses page where I list out everything in detail and link courses & publications where they are publicly available for free or for purchase.

When it comes to all things mindfulness, I have been a student for many years. In fact, I started dabbling in yoga in high school and started my meditation practice in my undergrad. I took the leap and registered with Marianne Wells Yoga School to complete my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training (200hr YTT) in 2016, and I have been teaching ever since! While this training covered leading meditation, I have also practiced within a weekly sangha (community of practice) for the last several years. Currently, I find myself a student again in the teacher training program for Mindful Self Compassion (MSC), an 8-week mindfulness & self-compassion program created by psychologists Dr. Kristin Neff and Chris Germer.

I have had the privilege to share these practices in SO many different settings because of the crossover between my yoga and clinical backgrounds. I have taught yoga & meditation in studios, at tropical resorts, in hospitals, in clinics, in offices, and in people’s homes for special events! Recently I am navigating the learning curve of trying to get online to be able to share these practices with folks who may not be able to join me in-person. To read more about my teaching style and training as a mindfulness teacher, check out my Mindfulness page.

I am also passionate about accessibility, and in line with that I offer a number of free printable education resources and free online mindfulness practices.

Outside of work, I love getting outside to enjoy the outdoor playground available to us here in beautiful British Columbia. I love to kayak, hike, garden, and simply lie back and soak in the sun! Right now I am (trying) to learn to sail to take advantage of the gorgeous gulf islands that surround us here in Victoria, BC.

If any of this sounds good to you - let’s stay connected. Join my email list, follow me on Instagram or Facebook, or check out my store to sign up for the next class or course that’s up your alley!