Clinical Consultation & Supervision

Within my clinical supervision and consultation practice I specialize in trauma therapy, counselling and art therapy competency development and supervision to counsellors in working in rural, remote, Northern and indigenous communities. I work with clients in British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Alberta and Saskatchewan. All of the work I do is offered online so that you can access services easily and conveniently from your virtual office space. 

The clinicians I work with range in experience levels: from early career therapists seeking supervision hours for registration to those who are far along in their career path and are seeking to rejuvenate their practice.  

Consultation can assist with the following  professional challenges:

• Stress in agency or private practice
• Managing symptoms of secondary stress phenomenon such as compassion fatigue,      vicarious trauma and/or burn out symptoms
• Moral injury and ethical decision making 
• Early career therapists seeking support and guidance
• Support in starting a private practice 
• Managing professional and personal isolation
• Desire to advance clinical skills
• Worry about clients outside of work which can manifest as pre-occupation      distraction or even sleep disturbance
• Managing the challenges and practice issues that accompany rural and northern practice
• Art therapy supervisees often review client artwork to gain deeper insight into art therapeutic process; this may include discussion of new and unique art directives 
• Professional isolation that sometimes accompanies clinical work in northern, remote or rural contexts

• Concrete actions, resources and tools that can be immediately applied to case work
• Provision of resources, literature and psycho-educational material
• Discussion and review of protocols for clinical files and note writing 
• Advancement of skills and competency development 
• Emotional support
• Confidence, validation and a recognition of the skills that you already bring to the practice
• Increased awareness of the skill areas that may be ripe for development
• Creation of a professional development plan 
• Awareness and separation of personal triggers from client issues
• Assistance in managing burnout which can support longevity in the field
• Increased energy that can be put towards enjoying and being fulfilled in your work
• Personal growth
• ·Completion of post-graduate supervision hours for professional registration or certification
• Identification of professional develop goals and a plan to meet these goals

• A very deep well of passion and whole-hearted belief in the value of clinical supervision. I have relied heavily on work with wonderful and competent supervisors throughout my career. I found this process invaluable in terms of supporting my professional work and my own personal wellness. I believe that therapy is actually a triadic process that involves client, counsellor and supervisor; without the latter, a critical piece of the work is missing. 

• Experience teaching at 4 graduate institutions which keeps me in contact with literature on counselling and supervision research including what works and current best practices. This also helps me to stay in touch with what therapists are concerned about.  It helps me to assess and differentiate developmental levels in the learning journey and to know what therapists might need at different stages.

• I have conducted mixed methods doctoral research in which I have systematically looked into what counsellors across the career span are looking for in clinical supervision and what they report as being helpful. This supports me in working from a counsellor-focused perspective in clinical supervision.

• I have spent the majority of my own career in rural and remote contexts and I understand the unique challenges and gifts that come with these contexts.

• Graduate training in Art Therapy and in Sandplay Therapy

• Graduate course work in Transcultural Psychiatry 

• Graduate course work in Counselling Psychology 

• 20 years of front-line clinical experience working cross-culturally with complex trauma including work with immigrant and refugee families and work with indigenous communities across the northern and interior regions of British Columbia. 

• Work experience in a broad variety of contexts including Employee and Family Assistance Programs, insurance companies, government, non-profit community based and academic environments

• 15 years of experience supervising professional and para-professional mental health counsellors and art therapists in a variety of work-place settings and at varying stages of career development. 

• Experience as a contracted supervisor for multiple non-profit agencies across British Columbia.

• Experience teaching graduate counselling and art therapy practicum students in British Columbia and Alberta

• Continuing education training in Gottman Couples Therapy, Somatic Experiencing Trauma, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing

• Doctoral studies in how technology intersects with clinical supervision, clinical education and online learning. 

• Legal training to help you identify and manage risk in your practice