Hi, I’m Maureen!

I work with individuals facing a wide variety of concerns. These could issues in the present, from the past, or both. My focus is on helping individuals get to the root of present day issues so that meaningful change can occur and we can move towards a life where the past does not weigh so heavily.

The following are my areas of specialization which have been developed through education, lived experience, supervision, experience, passion, and on-going professional development.

• Trauma focused therapy - I specialize in trauma focused therapy, which includes both single incident traumatic events as well as complex and developmental trauma. Trauma is a wound that impacts all aspects of a person and the way that they exist in the world. My approach to trauma utilizes the tri-phasic model, which starts first and foremost with building safety in the body, mind, and external environment. We then move on to safe processing and remembrance to help the traumatic experiences become more integrated into a person’s entire life story. From there, we shift to re-connection with a person’s environment and self, so that a person can live in their world in a more integrated and connected way. I offer a wide variety of trauma specific therapeutic approaches that can support healing, post-traumatic growth, and re-connection with the self and world.

• Grief - Grief work is a significant part of my practice. I support folks in navigating the complicated terrain of grief, loss, and life transitions. My approach to grief work focuses on providing a space to process grief, and all of its interrelated emotions and experiences. My approach honours all types of loss and ways of experiencing and expressing grief. I aim to support folks to integrate loss and change into their lives in a way that honours the past, without keeping you there.

• Substance Use - I provide support for those who identify anywhere on the wide spectrum of substance use, abuse, and addiction. I view substances as a way to cope with challenging experiences, and emotions. My work focuses on helping people understand the role substances have played in their lives, and introducing new methods for regulating emotions and showing up in the world. I work from a harm reduction philosophy to help folks change their relationship to substances in a way that fits their specific vision and needs. I am also highly experienced in working alongside and in support of 12 step approaches. First and foremost, I meet clients exactly where they are, and utilize a trauma informed approach to support their short and long term goals for their relationship to substances, whether that be changing their relationship to substances, reduction of use, or total abstinence.

• Queer led & centred therapy - I provide services to folks who identify from the 2SLGBTQIA+ umbrella and want support with mental health and wellness. Further, I support those who want an understanding space to explore their identity and/or challenges navigating queer lived experiences in a world that can be unsafe and unwelcoming. I also support people who have 2SLGBTQIA+ loved ones, and want to be able to better support them. I bring lived experience as a queer person and therapist, as well as extensive training in queer theory and social justice informed practice. This framework guides my work with 2SLGBTQIA+ folks to support their goals and healing from trauma and other life challenges.