My Journey

When I was young I always felt different and that I didn’t belong. I had very few friends and often felt lonely. Growing up in a Greek culture, there were limitations on what I could do. It was difficult to connect to my Canadian friends who were freer to hang out and go where they wanted – leaving me feeling excluded. My upbringing was strict, there was no room for discussion, and there was no talking back. As such, I lacked the ability to speak up for myself and had low self-worth.

Having struggled with my weight the majority of my life left me feeling handicapped socially. I felt the sting of rejection often. I struggled with low self-esteem and low self-confidence. I felt judged by my family and had a negative belief that I wasn’t good enough. I experienced a number of inappropriate and unwanted sexual assaults, leaving me feeling scared, ashamed, and confused. I hated my body, felt betrayed by it, and disconnected from it. It was much easier to focus on my mind and ignore my emotions, which resulted in several years of intense anger and rage. I did poorly in high school and was kicked out of a nursing program due to failing grades. This left me feeling lost, unsure of my identity, and struggling to find my purpose in life.

How I Got Here

Even throughout all this angst, or maybe as a direct result of it, I was always the one people turned to to talk about their struggles, worries, and fears. I felt this inner knowing that I had the knowledge to help them through it. Often speaking and saying things that didn’t even sound like me or come from anything I knew. I didn’t realize this was my intuition and connection to Spirit speaking through me.

I worked for a gastroenterologist for 16 years and listened to countless clients on the phone feeling hopeless about the pain and suffering they were experiencing. I recognized that Western medicine was not meeting their needs. They were not just their dis-ease, they were human beings, and needed to be treated mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. As a voracious learner, this led me to read and participate in several alternative healing practices and training including: becoming a Reiki practitioner and Peruvian shaman; travelling to Peru to learn from shamanic healers and participate in life-altering ceremonies; participating in Aboriginal teachings on the medicine wheel; learning about Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies; and taking several courses on plant medicine and chakras to name just a few.

Even with all this vast knowledge, I still felt there was something missing. At the age of 40, I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary with a double-major in Communication Studies and Developmental Studies. At that time, I still didn’t know what I was going to become, but knew it was a stepping stone to a master’s degree. After a serious health scare, contracting H1N1 and developing bi-lateral pneumonia in less than five days, I was hospitalized for a week and struggled with my health and immune system for a year. Along with feeling deeply dissatisfied with my 20+ years of administrative work, and getting some spiritual insight from my own Reiki healer, I finally had my big aha moment. I was a counsellor. I was the person people had been coming to for most of my life to find comfort and support. I was the one people called calming and wise. This led me to complete my Master of Counselling Psychology degree at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, CA. I completed my practicum at the Calgary Counselling Center. I then worked for a year at Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse. Finally, I completed my internship at Catholic Family Service.

My Why

These events have defined who I am today. I have taken these life experiences and built a private practice to support women through their struggles. It touches me deeply and brings me great joy and satisfaction to watch other women heal, grow, and transform themselves. This is WHY I do what I do. I want to assist women to feel confident and know they are perfect just the way they are. To walk through life knowing they are good enough, deserving, worthy, and capable.

Want to know more about what it would be like to work with me, check out my article?

Think we might be a good fit? Contact me to set up an appointment. Have more questions? Call me at 403-891-1384 to set up a free 15-minute phone consultation. I look forward to speaking with you!