I am currently a candidate for a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and Expressive Art Therapy at Lesley University and I am proficient in both English and French. Although I’m new to the counselling field, I have over 15 years of experience as an educator in a variety of subjects to people of varying ages.

My passion lies in promoting health and wellness through the arts. I have certifications in Visual Arts Education, specialised training in dance and creative movement, including dance for older adults (particularly working with conditions like dementia and Parkinson's), and I practise Trauma-Informed Therapy to ensure your comfort and safety. I'm a Certified Yoga Teacher, with additional expertise in pre and post-natal yoga and yoga life coaching. Additionally, I hold a Diploma in Holistic Nutritional Consulting, providing a holistic approach to your well-being.

I'm dedicated to using my skills and passion to help you explore your emotions and experiences through expressive arts, fostering personal growth and healing in a supportive environment.

About Expressive Arts Therapy (ExAT)

Expressive arts therapy is a therapeutic approach that utilises various creative modalities, such as visual arts, music, dance, drama, and writing, to promote healing, personal growth, and self-expression. It recognizes the power of the arts in facilitating emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being.

The fundamental principle of expressive arts therapy is that artistic expression can tap into a person's inner experiences, thoughts, and feelings that may be difficult to articulate verbally. By engaging in the creative process, individuals can explore and communicate their thoughts and emotions in a non-threatening and non-judgmental environment.

Style of Practice

In our counselling sessions, I will follow a client-centred and trauma-informed approach, which means that your needs, preferences, and comfort are at the forefront of our work. We will start by discussing your goals and concerns, and we will proceed at a pace that feels right for you, ensuring you always have a sense of control over the process. I use creative arts activities like visual art-making (drawing, painting, sculpture, etc.), music, creative writing, and movement to help you explore and express your feelings in a way that feels safe and empowering. We are all creative in different ways, and prior experience in the arts is not at all required. In our sessions together, we can create art in its various forms or simply talk, or combine both - whatever you prefer. As we progress, we'll work together to gain insights and better understand your emotions and experiences while being mindful of any past traumas you may have experienced. Throughout the process, I'll provide support and guidance to create a therapeutic environment that prioritises your well-being. My main goal is to help you grow emotionally, increase self-awareness, and build resilience. 

Role of Therapist:

• to maintain a comfortable and private studio space.
• to provide therapeutic materials such as art materials, musical instruments, etc. (with the exception of virtual counselling, where the client must provide their own art materials of choice).
• to support healing processes using a trauma-informed lens.
• to act as a witness to clients’ healing journey and life story.
• to offer arts-based choices to the client and to interact with the client and the art that results.
• to create art together, when appropriate.
• to offer the client different strategies and ways of using therapeutic materials.
• to provide a supportive healing environment that welcomes surprises and a deepening of the clients’ creative experience.
• to refer the client to additional outside support if it is appropriate.
• to practise confidentiality and safe-guard client privacy.

Session Protocol:

The counselling process typically involves regular sessions - a commitment to weekly or bi-weekly sessions is encouraged to maintain the continuity and focus of our work.  Clients have the right to collaborate in the development and evolution of the counselling/ therapy plan. Therefore, we will  review your progress together on an ongoing basis to make any necessary adjustments to our approach. Clients have the right to seek a second opinion or consultation, to refuse any recommended services, and to be advised of the consequences of such refusal. 

Unless otherwise stated, all counselling sessions are 50 minutes long. I will schedule time between clients to avoid any overlap and to reflect on the session, make notes or process through the arts myself. The overall duration of therapy varies according to the client’s needs. In this case, we will embark upon brief therapy of approximately 5 to 8 sessions.

Therapy Rates:

As these sessions are being offered as part of my clinical supervision hours, they are free of charge. It is appreciated that the participants recognize the investment and value of the time associated with these sessions and respect appointment times and time limits.

Cancellation: 

In recognition of my time, I request 24 hours notice for the cancellation of an appointment. This can be done via e-mail to [email protected]. 

Since the appointments are virtual, there is no need to cancel due to illness if you still feel well enough to chat online. The length of sessions can also be adjusted in response to illness.

End of Therapy:

The client is free to terminate therapy at any time. In cases of termination, any data you have provided will be kept for up to 7 years and then disposed of in a confidential manner (paper files shredded or electronic files completely deleted/destroyed). Whether the termination is prior to or once a client’s goals have been reached, there is a closing process to all therapy services and therefore booking a final session is appreciated.

Risks Associated with Therapy:

As with any psychotherapeutic process, long buried feelings may emerge. This can sometimes make the client feel worse before they feel better.

Confidentiality

Your privacy and confidentiality will always be respected and maintained during our work together. The information/data you provide will be stored on a password-protected computer. I will not share personal information about you, your life story or what happens in any of our therapy sessions to anyone outside. However, I am legally required to reveal certain personal information if / when:

1. The client requests that the therapist release their personal information to an outside party. In this event a Form 14 from the Mental Health Act would be filled out and then signed by the client and the therapist before releasing the filled out Form 14 to the third party.
2. The client may be a danger to yourself or others.
3. There is a suspicion or disclosure of child abuse or abuse of an elderly or disabled person.
4. Client records are subpoenaed by court order.

Your Rights:

At any time a client may request to look at his or her own files (personal contact information, progress notes, referral notes, and art work), as per the Nova Scotia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Nova Scotia Personal Health Information Act. Upon receipt of a written request, files will be made available to the client within a two-week time period.

In keeping with your privacy needs, please let me know if, or how, you would like to be greeted if we encounter each other in a public setting.

I welcome any question or discussion related to your privacy rights.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights and privacy laws, you can contact: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Nova Scotia 

509-5670 Spring Garden Road 

P.O. Box 181 

Halifax, NS  B3J 1H6  

Phone:  902-424-4684 

Toll Free (NS):  1-866-243-1564 

TDD/TTY:  1-800-855-0511 

Fax:  902-424-8303  

Website: https://oipc.novascotia.ca  

Email:  [email protected]

Code of Ethics:

In my counselling practice, I follow the Code of Ethics set out by the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), of which I am a member. An ethics complaint may be submitted by any individual (e.g., current client, former client, colleague, employer, or concerned member of the public) who has reasonable grounds to believe that a CCPA member has not acted in accordance with the CCPA Code of Ethics (https://www.ccpa-accp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/CodeofEthics_en.pdf) and Standards of Practice https://www.ccpa-accp.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2015/07/StandardsOfPractice_en_June2015.pdf).  Should you have a complaint, you can submit a form at the following website https://www.ccpa-accp.ca/ccpa-ethics-complaints-forms/  to: 

Ethics Complaints Coordinator 

CCPA Ethics Committee – Complaints Division 

Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association 

 202-245 Menten Place 

Ottawa, ON K2H 9E8 

[email protected] 

Supervision:

The CCPA Code of Ethics states that therapists should be clinically supervised by an experienced counselling therapist. The supervisor is bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the therapist. In supervision, I will discuss general themes of a session, not personal details that would identify the client.