Education & Experience

I started my career in 2000 as a high school teacher! In 2003 my eldest brother took his own life and the personal struggles of my students were staring me in the face. I needed to help them emotionally not academically. I went back to university to become a school counsellor. After another six years, I realized that supporting students in the schools was more like triage. I needed to help them more thoroughly. So I went back to university again to obtain my Masters and became a counselling therapist in the community. Advocating for quality services, I instructed counselling courses at the University of Manitoba, and then set up my own psychotherapy practice using EMDR Therapy as my wheelhouse to support individuals in the community to heal - just as I had healed. After six years as a sole practitioner I dusted off my dream of a holistic Wellness Centre. One that housed therapies that could support healing - all in one place - like in the schools when I was a counsellor and with therapeutic modalities as described in Bessel van der Kolk’s book, The Body Keeps the Score. I founded Safe Harbour Therapy Centre and ran it for five years. During that time I focused on supporting clients struggling with complex trauma by becoming more embodied using Trauma Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga. I also became an EMDRIA Approved Consultant to support other therapists working with their clients. In 2022, I certified in Life and Spiritual Coaching and Reiki to support the full span of my client's journeys: body, mind, and soul. I sold the wellness centre and moved to a rural town to slow down and be more present in my own life. I enjoy walks with my dogs surrounded by nature and love paddling on the water or shuffling my cross country skis with my husband. It would be my pleasure to journey with you! Julie