I have a passion for understanding people and a commitment to the care and growth of my clients. I offer an empathetic ear, knowledge born of experience, and advanced clinical training.

Work History:

My professional experience includes 35 years of work in child and adult psychiatry, child welfare agencies, hospitals and private practice.  I have a Master’s degree in Social Work as well as advanced training in:

• Couple counselling - Gottman approach to working with couples
• Trauma therapy - dealing with the effects of childhood sexual abuse
• Psychodynamics - theoretical approach to therapy

Current focus:

• Private practice since 1985, doing individual, couple and family therapy
• Coordinator of RHAP (Residential Historical Abuse Program), a trauma treatment agency for Vancouver Coastal Health
• Coordinator of PASTS ( an assessment and therapy program) which I developed and run for the Ministry of Children and Family Development

Professional Interests:

• Teaching Master’s level social work students
• Providing consultation and workshops to agencies and community groups
• Presenting at local and international conferences
• Publishing in a textbook and in social work, medical, and psychiatric journals
• Organizing and providing staff development training, most recently around dealing with sexual abuse and trauma
• Supervising other health professionals.

Professional Qualifications:

• Thirty five years experience working with children, adolescents and adults
• Senior Clinician in Child and Adult Psychiatry, both in and outpatient
• Clinical Instructor in the UBC Department of Psychiatry
• Instructor in the UBC School of Social Work Master’s Degree program
• Consultant to Simon Fraser University and the Vancouver School Board
• Coordinator of a Trauma Treatment Agency for Vancouver Coastal Health
• Developer and administrator of programs for the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the Adoptive Families Association
• Medical Social Worker with chronically ill patients and families
• MSW, McGill University, 1973.    BA, Brandeis University, Cum Laude, 1970

Conferences:

Major conferences that I chaired from 2005 to 2009:

• Advances in Trauma Therapy:  Integration of Cognitive-Behavioral, Relational, and Mindfulness Approaches with Dr. John Briere
• Personality and Psychotherapy:  Understanding how Personality affects Treatment with Dr. Nancy McWilliams
• Beyond Trauma:  Treating Child Abuse Survivors with Contextual Therapy with Dr. Steven Gold
• Trauma, Dissociation & Clinical Practice:  Treating the Adult Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse with Dr. Christine Courtois

Some additional conferences that I attended from 2005 to 2009:

• Marital Therapy:  A Research-Based Approach with Drs. John and Julie Gottman
• Couples Therapy Level II:  Assessment, Intervention & Co-Morbidities with Drs. John and Julie Gottman
• Collaborative Couples Therapy: Turning Fights into Intimate Conversations with Dr. Daniel Wile
• Evolution of Psychotherapy:  A Tribute to the Masters with state of the art faculty