The length of therapy varies depending on your goals and the concerns you want to address. Some clients come for short-term support around a specific challenge, while others benefit from longer-term therapy to explore deeper patterns and personal growth.
We will regularly check in about your progress and adjust the pace of therapy to fit your needs.
The first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other. We will talk about what brings you to therapy, the challenges you are currently facing, and the goals you may have for the process.
You are welcome to ask questions about my approach so you can determine whether the therapeutic relationship feels like a good fit.
Not at all. Many people begin therapy because they want a better understanding of themselves, improved coping strategies, or support navigating life transitions.
Therapy can be helpful whether you are experiencing significant distress or simply seeking greater clarity, growth, and emotional wellbeing.
Yes. Therapy sessions are confidential and protected by professional ethical and legal standards. The information you share in therapy will not be disclosed without your consent, except in rare circumstances where disclosure is required by law to protect safety.
At the beginning of our work together, I will review confidentiality and its limits so you understand how your privacy is protected.
Yes. I provide 2SLGTQAI+ affirmative relationship counselling and welcome diverse relationship structures, including open relationships, polyamory, and consensual non-monogamy.
That’s very common. Couples therapy can help you slow the process down, understand what is happening, and make decisions with clarity and care—whether the goal is repair, discernment, or separation support.
Yes. I offer online relationship counselling for clients across British Columbia, where appropriate.
Yes. My practice is grounded in 2SLGBTQIA+ affirmative psychotherapy, which recognizes diverse sexual orientations and gender identities as valid expressions of human diversity.
Yes. I work with transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals and provide gender-affirming care assessments following WPATH Standards of Care.
Yes. Many clients seek therapy while navigating questions around sexual orientation, gender identity, relationships, or family acceptance.
Yes. I provide clinical consultation and supervision for a range of mental health professionals, including RCCs, CCCs, and other clinicians seeking reflective practice support.
Yes. Supervision can be structured to support the supervision requirements for RCSW clinical registration with the BC College of Social Workers.
Yes. Supervision can be conducted online using secure video conferencing for clinicians across British Columbia.
A hormone readiness assessment is a clinical evaluation conducted by a qualified mental health professional to support access to gender-affirming hormone therapy, such as testosterone-based therapy, estrogen-based therapy, or puberty blockers.
The assessment explores a person’s gender history, goals for medical transition, mental health and psychosocial context, and capacity for informed consent.
My hormone readiness assessments are conducted in accordance with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care, Version 8 (SOC-8) and current Canadian clinical guidelines. The process is collaborative, affirming, and grounded in a comprehensive biopsychosocial framework.
The number of sessions required for a hormone readiness assessment depends on the individual’s age, clinical history, and specific needs.
For adolescents (under 19), the process typically involves multiple sessions, including meetings with parents or caregivers, individual sessions with the young person, and clinical documentation for coordination with the BC Children’s Hospital Gender Clinic.
For adults (19 and over), the assessment process is often shorter and may require fewer sessions, while still ensuring informed consent and careful clinical consideration.
Yes. I am an approved assessor with the BC Children’s Hospital Gender Clinic and regularly conduct hormone readiness assessments for gender-diverse children and adolescents seeking puberty blockers, testosterone-based therapy, or estrogen-based therapy.
Assessments are completed in alignment with WPATH SOC-8 and provincial standards, and include coordination with medical providers when appropriate.
For children and adolescents, the hormone readiness assessment is a developmentally informed, family-inclusive process.
Parents or caregivers are typically involved in:
The assessment includes psychoeducation about risks and benefits of treatment, exploration of the young person’s goals and expectations, and careful attention to emotional wellbeing and informed assent/consent.
The goal is not to gatekeep, but to ensure thoughtful, supported, and well-informed decision-making.
A surgical readiness assessment supports access to gender-affirming surgery and evaluates emotional readiness, informed consent, expectations, mental health history, and post-operative support planning.
While a hormone readiness assessment focuses on medical transition through hormone therapy, a surgical readiness assessment specifically addresses preparation for surgical procedures and recovery.
Both types of assessments are conducted in accordance with WPATH SOC-8 and emphasize autonomy, clarity, and psychosocial readiness.
A comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment is an in-depth mental health evaluation that examines biological, psychological, and social factors influencing a person’s wellbeing.
Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, the assessment explores mental health history, emotional functioning, trauma exposure, neurodevelopmental factors, relational patterns, cultural context, and strengths.
This holistic approach allows for a nuanced diagnostic formulation grounded in lived experience and current clinical standards.
Yes. Where clinically appropriate, a comprehensive assessment may conclude with a DSM-5-TR diagnosis.
A diagnosis is offered only when it meaningfully supports treatment planning, access to care, workplace or academic accommodations, insurance claims, or referrals to other healthcare providers.
Diagnostic language is integrated into a broader biopsychosocial formulation and is never treated as the sole outcome of the assessment.
Most comprehensive diagnostic assessments involve more than one clinical session.
The number of sessions depends on the complexity of the referral question, clinical history, and documentation needs. The process may include in-depth interviews, review of relevant history, collaborative feedback, and written documentation.
A biopsychosocial and diagnostic assessment may be helpful for individuals who:
Assessments are available for adolescents and adults in Vancouver, BC and across British Columbia (where virtual services are appropriate).
Individual therapy focuses on ongoing support and therapeutic change over time.
A comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment is a structured clinical evaluation designed to clarify diagnosis, formulate clinical understanding, and provide written documentation when needed.
While therapeutic rapport remains central, the primary goal of an assessment is diagnostic clarity and informed treatment planning.
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