Get to know Jen
Registered Clinical Counsellor in Kelowna

I bring my full humanity into the room - warmth, curiosity, an attuned, grounded presence - and together, we explore what’s unfolding.

I’m a recovering people-pleaser, a former “nice girl,” and a perfectionist in long-term recovery. Which means I know what it’s like to shape-shift, over-function, smooth things over, and slowly lose yourself in the process.

I also know how powerful it is to come home to yourself.

I believe healing happens in relationship. Not because I have the answers, but because something shifts when you’re met, honestly and consistently, without pretense. When your emotions aren’t “too much,” and you don’t have to perform strength or insight.

My work is rooted in relationship.

I practice from a model called AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), which is my therapeutic home. At its core, AEDP is based on a simple but powerful idea: we heal in safe, emotionally attuned relationships.

In plain terms, that means we don’t just talk about your experiences — we gently experience them together in a way that feels manageable and supported. We slow down. We notice what’s happening inside you in real time. We stay with emotions long enough for them to shift, soften, or deepen into something new.

You won’t be left alone with something overwhelming. And you won’t be pushed faster than feels right.

Instead, we track what’s happening — in your thoughts, your body, your emotions — and we get curious about it together. Often, when difficult feelings are met with care instead of avoidance, they begin to transform. What once felt stuck can start to move.

AEDP also believes that we’re wired for healing. That beneath defenses, coping strategies, and old patterns, there is a part of you that knows how to grow and integrate when given the right conditions.

That’s what we’re creating.

The Other Lenses I Bring

While AEDP is my foundation, I also work from relational, feminist, and body-based perspectives.

Relational means I pay attention to what happens between us. Therapy isn’t one-sided or hierarchical — it’s collaborative. If something feels off, we talk about it. If something feels meaningful, we slow down and notice it. The relationship itself becomes part of the healing.

Feminist means I don’t see your struggles as existing in a vacuum. We look at the broader systems and messages that shape you — family, culture, gender expectations, power dynamics. If you’ve learned to shrink, over-function, or be “easy,” we explore where that came from with compassion, not blame.

Body-based means we include your nervous system in the work. We notice tightness, collapse, activation, numbness. We help your body feel safer, not just your mind more informed. Sometimes insight alone isn’t enough — your system needs a new experience.

What It Feels Like in the Room

Sometimes our work is quiet and slow.
Sometimes it’s emotional.
Sometimes it’s surprisingly light.

There is room for tears.
There is room for laughter.
There is room for play.

I’m not a blank slate. I’m present. I track you closely. I’ll share observations. I might gently interrupt an old pattern as it’s happening. I might celebrate a small shift with you in real time.

Above all, you won’t be doing this alone.

I laugh easily. I cry easily. Some say I have a “loud face,” and they’re not wrong - you’ll probably know when I’m moved.

I love dancing (my daughter would say badly…I say enthusiastically), poetry, reading, and writing. I can be cheeky, and adore a good (bad) pun. I live for shoulder seasons - late spring and early fall. I am happiest near water.

I’m an introvert who values meaningful connection and requires alone time to recharge. That rhythm — depth and spaciousness — is something I honour in the therapy room too.

I’m deeply committed to this work. I’m a bit obsessed, if I’m honest. I engage in ongoing training, supervision, and my own therapy. Not because therapists should be perfect, but because we’re human, and growth matters.

Certification:

• Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #24673),
  BC Association of Clinical Counsellors

• Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC #11254311), Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (University of Victoria)

• Master of Arts in Integrated Education Studies (McGill University)

• Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (Yorkville University)

Professional Training:

• Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP): Immersion training (2025)

• Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP): Essential Skills (2026)

• AgLife Network Connector Training (Mental health awareness and suicide prevention seminar; CMHA, Kelowna, 2025)

• Psychological First Aid (CMHA, 2025)

Other professional development:

• AEDP Experiential Assistant (ongoing)

• The Learning Circle peer consultation and professional development (ongoing)

• Supervision, group and dyadic (ongoing)