Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprogramming - EMDR for short - is an extensively researched, structured form of therapy that has been shown to be effective and efficient in helping people recover from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, and other distressing life experiences. By focusing briefly on traumatic experiences while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (usually through eye movements or tapping), individuals experience a decreased vividness and emotion associated with trauma memories.

As a practitioner trained in EMDR, I will be able to guide you through this experience to decrease the level of distress that accompanies your memories or upsetting and traumatic experiences.

For centuries, our bodies and minds have told us what science continues to confirm - that proximity and access to nature has profound benefits on our physical and mental health, resulting in improved overall mental health, a decreased need for medication to treat physical health concerns such as asthma, high blood pressure, and insomnia, but also mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression.

In Wellness Walk Therapy sessions, we will access the healing properties of nature by literally taking the individual sessions “on the road.” Whether you’d like to sit on a bench beside the ocean or walk amongst the trees, we will meet at a mutually agreed location that provides for both confidentiality and personal safety.

And, of course, knowing that pets also support strong mental health, your four-legged friend is welcome to join us if that is helpful to you.

For many people, the idea of entering an office for counselling can be daunting. Access to transportation, physical barriers and age, among other factors, can leave us feeling like we cannot access the service we may want and need. In response to this gap, and drawing upon 20+ years of community social work, I would be happy to discuss a community based approach to our work that would make accessing counselling and support more accessible.

The human experience can be a heavy one, and sometimes we all need someone to help carry the load. This is particularly true when we, as helping professionals, act as temporary vessels to hold the pain and trauma of the people we serve.

For me, and for many others, support has often taken the form of a connection with a helping professional who can help me metabolize my experiences, mitigate the impact of these on myself and my relationships and support me in developing strategies to carry me through the long haul in a healthy, whole way.

A large portion of my work revolves around supporting frontline workers who are experiencing the impacts of work in a trauma saturated environment. However, your journey may have brought you here for any number of reasons besides (or including) this one. Some of the areas where I can provide support include:

• strategies to support you or others you love with experiences of trauma

• personal and professional relationship challenges & communication

• frustration, disappointment or anger

• depression

• anxiety or fear

• professional resilience & wellness

• social work supervision (for practicing social workers)

At Suunta Wellness, you can expect a safe, confidential and empathic space in which you can explore any challenges, barriers, or relationships that you are sensing need your emotional attention at this time. You will be guided to explore the answers that exist within you and access your deep personal knowing.

As a social worker, I will come to our professional relationship with a client centred, strength based approach. I also value a practical approach to addressing concerns, and will co-create strategies with you, drawing from your personal wisdom and experience combined with researched best practices.

Ultimately, I believe you are the expert on your own experience and my role is to walk with you as you trust me alongside this part of your journey.

Throughout my 25 year career, I have had the privilege of working in and alongside “trauma saturated organizations” - places of work that serve clients in their experiences of trauma and marginalization. This work has developed into a passion for supporting organizations to develop and embed trauma informed care and reflective practice, supporting organizations to create safe and supportive environments for both their clients and the staff who support them. By embedding best practices around trauma informed care, reflective practice and meaningful supervision and support, organizations are able to build and maintain a deeply compassionate and professionally resilient workforce.

As a specialist working with organizations to train, transition, and embed these principles, Suunta Wellness & Consulting can support an enhanced therapeutic approach to client care and service deliver in any or all of the following ways:

• Organizational/Program Review

• Document/Policy review and revision

• Individualized reflective sessions to support practice and learning

• Individual reflective supervision for staff and supervisors

• Training tailored to the organization’s staff, board members, and volunteers to enhance understanding of:

• Trauma Informed Care

• Workforce Wellness

• Professional Resilience

• Reflective Practice

• Reflective Practice Supervision