Welcome

I was initially trained as a nurse and as a Nurse, worked in critical care, medicine, medical rehabilitation, motor vehicle accident rehabilitation, and psychiatry and mental health. I have worked in Family Doctor's offices, at bedside in secondary care, as a study coordinator in mental health research, as Clinical Faculty for 4th year nursing psychiatric placements, and as a Nurse Educator in tertiary care Forensic Psychiatry.  I taught as Sessional Faculty for the School of Nursing at McMaster University and also in the RPN to RN Program at Mohawk College in both Cardiology and Psychiatry. I have been working in Mental Health and Psychiatry since 2002 and was nationally certified (Canadian Nurses Association (CNA)) as an expert in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (CPMHN(C)).

I did a lot of work in a lot of areas of healthcare.

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I acted as a professional leader, educator, and change agent. I created systems, policies & procedures, and courses that are still relevant and remain in use, 20 years later. I twice presented nationally on intake systems that I developed and implemented to reduce wait time to service.

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I initiated a lot of changes and I am proud of the work I did as a Nurse and within Nursing.  I am currently registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario as a RN-Non-Practicing, which means that I am not actively nursing, right now; but I am also not retired.

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It was about in the middle of all this, that I was diagnosed - for the second time - with ADHD. 

I am old (enough, at least) - that when I was first diagnosed, ADHD was (horrifically) still called 'Minimal Brain Dysfunction'. Since I (a girl) was diagnosed during the process of identifying me as Gifted, I imagine it was tough for my parents to reconcile those 2 seemingly divergent things.  So they didn't tell me.  Or do anything about it. And incidentally, they're not that divergent.

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Which means, I am both Woman-Late-in-Life-Diagnosed, and I also was diagnosed as a child. 

My own child was diagnosed when I was in my mid-30's and when I looked at the criteria they were using - and like so many other people -

I said

... 'Heeeyyyyyy ... reading this list feels like looking in a mirror'.

That should not have been much of a surprise - ADD is more genetically predictable than height. 

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I have no regrets about following up to get a formal medial diagnosis. I recognize that doing this is not for everyone. There are pros and cons to this decision.  It has been life altering for me to know, be validated, to understand, and to be empowered to manage my own neurodivergence. 

I consider it a privilege to help you manage yours.

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Almost 10 years after I started working in primary care as a Psychotherapist/Mental Health Counsellor, the Psychotherapy Act was introduced in Ontario. Changes began to happen to the way that people received counselling and therapy.  Psychotherapy eventually became a 'controlled act', meaning that only qualified people who understand the safe and effective use of self could be Therapists. This was a good thing. I made changes too and was 'grandfathered' into the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).  That means that my training and work experience were acknowledged as equivalent to different entry qualifications to become licensed as a Registered Psychotherapist (RP).  I first became licensed as a RP in 2017 and began independent practice as a RP in 2018.

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I choose to specialize in ADD and its comorbidities. You don't have to have ADD, be dual gifted, have OCD, anxiety, Rejection Sensitivity, depression, trauma (including CPTSD from NOT being diagnosed as a child), OCPD, binge eat, suffer with chronic clutter and disorganization or be experiencing the grief and adjustment from even finding out that you are neuroatypical to connect with me for support.  But if any of that sounds familiar to you, please reach out for a free consultation about how I can help.