Meet Danielle

 
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As a trained trauma therapist, my approach addresses the roots of your long-standing problems.

Experiences of trauma and chronic stress leave lasting impacts on the brain, body and psyche, which can not be undone by “talk therapy” alone. 

In addition to being a talk therapist, I am trained in a variety of neurobiologically-based trauma processing therapies. These techniques gently and effectively release the impacts of stress and trauma, freeing you to pursue the life you want.

professionaLLY

  • Canadian Certified Counsellor (#10003669)

  • Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology

  • Founder of Tidal Trauma Centre

  • SSHRC-funded and nationally recognized researcher and speaker on sexual assault, betrayal, trauma, and relationships.

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Additional training

  • Observed and Experiential Integration (OEI) - Lvl 2

  • Lifespan Integration (LI) - Lvl 3

  • Compassionate Inquiry with Gabor Mate

  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

  • Gestalt Therapy

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PersonalLY

I love the work I do and am inspired by the people I get to walk alongside with in therapy.

I’m passionate about:
getting to know the brain, body and soul,
giving dogs good homes, and
finding joy in the ebbs and flows of everyday life.

My Approach

Before you decide to work with me, you should know what I believe about people and the nature of change.

Relational

I believe that all humans are inherently relational. Meaning, we are at our best when we can meaningfully connect with ourselves and others. When our authentic selves can be seen, we thrive.

When we experience disconnections and disruptions in our relations, we become cut off from life. We can feel isolated, lost and alone - even if there’s caring people around us. 

As your therapist, I work to understand where your relationships have gone awry, and then walk alongside you as we remedy them. 

As a therapist, I’m also closely attuned to our relationship (Did you know that the greatest predictor of successful therapy is the relationship between therapist and client?) And while I’m responsible for establishing a therapeutic relationship, you get to decide whether I’m a trustworthy and reliable practitioner for you.

Trauma-Informed

This means that I have specialized skills and expertise in understanding and alleviating impacts of trauma. I also abide by the principles of trauma-informed care: 

  • Trauma Awareness and Safety

  • Transparency and Trustworthiness

  • Opportunity for Choice, Collaboration and Connection

  • Strengths-Based and Skill-Building

Trauma-Focused

The most effective way to deal with a problem is to tackle the root of the problem. For most of the people I work with, that root is past experiences of stress and trauma.

Being trauma-focused means that I used neurobiologically-based therapies and techniques that gently and effectively release the negative impacts of trauma.

Type of therapies I use include:

  • Observed and Experiential Integration (OEI), Lifespan Integration (LI), Compassionate Inquiry, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Gestalt Therapy, and Sandtray Therapy

Experiential

I’m guessing you didn’t think and talk yourself into your problems, so I won’t try to help you think and talk your way out of them. What has had the greatest impact on your life so far, has been your experiences, especially the stressful and traumatic ones. Thus, in order to create change, we must create experiences where you organically begin to think and feel differently. The therapies and techniques I use are designed to create transformative experiences so you can live out the life you want.

EXISTENTIAL

Although I talk a lot about trauma, the brain and the body, I recognize the complexity of the human experience and the questions that come with it.

Why am I alive?
Who am I?
How can I be myself?
How do I want to live out my life? 

These are big questions, but they’re questions worth asking. I also take ongoing training in Existential Analysis which helps people confront and wrestle with these questions, ultimately finding meaning and discovering what it means for them to live authentically.

Want to know more? Browse the frequently asked questions, read about trauma therapy or contact me to arrange a free consultation.