Curiosity was the initial spark that led me down this path. I found myself constantly wondering about human nature and about myself, asking questions like: Why do people do what they do? What experiences shape certain behaviours and mental health challenges? What does it truly mean to discover oneself, and what does healing look like? As I explored these questions, they opened me up to the incredible complexity of human nature. Curiosity opened up a whole new world for me, becoming a journey of learning, resonating, evolving, and eventually finding meaning in my work.

What excites me most about my work as a counsellor is this unique relational journey I get to take. I’m often invited into the depths of people’s lives, sharing in their discoveries, processing, and meaning-making, while accompanying them as they come to know themselves more deeply and more fully into who they are. There is something about this relational work that, in many ways, both does and doesn’t make sense to me. It can’t always be explained, yet there is something deeply meaningful about being part of this process with another person.

My hope is that they feel truly heard and seen, and whatever they brought into the session was met with compassion. I also hope that, to some degree, they leave with a sense of being able to view their own stories through a similar lens of curiosity, compassion, and acceptance, recognising themselves as active agents of change in their own journey.

Seeking therapy is a big step, and it’s important that you feel safe. Building relational trust takes time, and it’s completely okay to give yourself the space to ease into the process and find the right fit.

Once you find that space, therapy can become a place that holds so much for us, it certainly has been that for me. It can be a space that allows us to safely explore the different terrains of ourselves, with someone who can witness our experiences with care and compassion. Getting to know ourselves, facing our difficulties, taking responsibility, caring for ourselves, and making intentional changes can be difficult work at times. But it is important work that can bring insight, healing, and growth, not only within ourselves but also in our relationships.

I see this relationship as an extension of the supportive relationships in my own life. While I remain committed to the professionalism, ethics, and upholding safety and authenticity, my hope is that we can create a shared space where the full range of a relationship can unfold-one that also allows room for vulnerability, feedback, accountability, shared responsibility, and transparency. To foster collaboration, I intentionally adopt a partnership-oriented approach, take a non-directive stance, engage with curiosity, and maintain an ongoing feedback loop throughout our work together.

In my counselling work, one of my greatest learnings has been witnessing the transformative power of relationships; both with others and with oneself. It’s also been eye-opening to see how people continually respond, resist, adapt, and persevere, often without fully recognizing it in the moment. Sometimes, I see the work unfold naturally when people begin to understand and build this connection.

My strengths as a counselor is my ability to hold space for the full range of emotions and humanness, which I’ve learned to walk along with curiosity, gentleness, acceptance and compassion. I am intentional about creating a space where all parts of ourselves can show up, even the painful and wounded parts.

I have several hobbies, and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of them all. In my spare time, I enjoy pottery, knitting and sewing, reading, painting, and gardening. But on other days, I do the complete opposite-doing absolutely nothing and simply enjoying slow, lazy moments spent daydreaming, watching K-dramas and vlogs.

I am drawn to therapeutic approaches that help us develop a deeper understanding and compassion for ourselves (our parts, emotions, beliefs, bodily experiences, patterns, and protective inner systems) while also exploring the stories of our relationships, sociocultural and political contexts, and histories that shape how we understand ourselves and our lives. I see the guiding map for our lives as something that is already embedded within us, and my approach is about creating the space to reconnect with it ( our bodies, innate wisdom, ways of knowing, strengths, and values) so that we can begin to better support ourselves, make more intentional choices, differentiate what belongs to us vs others/past leanings, etc.

In my work, I use inclusive language and remain mindful that my responsibility extends beyond this, creating a space that honors their identity, knowledge, and experiences, while recognizing their specific stressors in relation to harmful normative systems. To ensure I show up authentically, I commit to ongoing education and engage in conversations and supervision.