BIO
Sara is an accomplished clinical counsellor who has
supported growth and resolution in individuals, couples, families, and
groups for over a decade. Her years of experience have allowed her to
achieve extraordinary results in a variety of clinical settings ranging
from non-profit organizations to custody settings, to ministry programs.
Sara excels as a group facilitator and public speaker, bringing depth,
clarity and humour to even the most difficult topics, and eliciting
participation and curiosity among attendees. She specializes in the
treatment of trauma, PTSD, and acute stress.
Her warm, supportive style and professional,
client-focused approach has earned her the respect and trust of clients
and colleagues. She maintains the highest ethical standards in her
clinical work, and models exemplary boundaries and confidentiality.
Sara approaches counselling from a holistic
perspective, knowing that human health and development requires
consideration of the mind, body, and spirit. She is ever mindful of the
uniqueness of each person she counsels, and her practice is based on
respect for the diversity inherent in every person. She works from a
strength-based, solution-focused model, and collaborates extensively with
each client to determine the issues, treatment goals, and method of
treatment.
Lifelong learning is a deeply held value, and her
participation in professional development activities keeps Sara on the
cutting edge of research, theory and practice. She recently completed the
Trauma Counselling and Certificate Program at the Justice Institute, has advanced training in EMDR,
and is an approved provider for the Crime Victim Assistance Program.
Sara demonstrates her
belief in community involvement through volunteering. She actively
contributes to the health of colleagues and the public through providing
free educational presentations. Sara is available for counselling
services and public speaking.
Experience
Sara’s passion to ignite health and wellness in
people has given her vast experience over two decades in a variety of
clinical and community settings. Here are some of the areas she has
excelled in:
- empowering at-risk mothers to learn
parenting skills
-
supporting women to regain employment skills and
return to work
-
providing men with addiction treatment services in
a custody setting
-
providing clinical supervision to counsellors and
interns
-
building assertive and productive
communication between couples and within families
-
working in private practice
-
developing and presenting hundreds of trauma
recovery groups
Regardless of the
setting, Sara’s goal and demonstrated ability is to revive the human drive
to thrive. Her skill, knowledge, and compassion have brought resolution to
hundreds of people.
Education
Sara received her M. Ed. in Counselling
Psychology from McGill University in 1998, and completed
a joint major in Women’s Studies and Psychology at Simon Fraser University
in 1996. Sara treats a wide variety of issues, but specializes
in resolving trauma. She has EMDR Levels I and II, and has
completed the Trauma Intervention and Counselling Certificate with the Justice Institute. She is
currently completing Imago Relationship Therapist certification. She has undertaken
clinical supervision for all of her clinical work, and has a life-long
commitment to her own personal and professional growth.
Association
Involvement
-
Member of the
BC Association of
Clinical Counsellors, Registered Clinical Counsellor (license # 7896)
-
Member of the Canadian Counselling
Association. Canadian Certified Counsellor (license #1942)
-
Region #4 Council Representative, BC
Association of Clinical Counsellors
-
Member of the Association for
Traumatic Stress Specialists (ATSS)
-
Approved provider for Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP)
- Approved provider for Residential Historical Abuse Program
(RHAP)
-
Member of the Steering Committee of
the Feminist Chapter of the Canadian Counselling Association from 2000-2003.
