It's official! The "i"'s are dotted and the "t"'s are crossed. 

I am officially an Associate of Partners Counselling in Bradford (Ontario, Canada) and I am truly honoured to be part of such an amazing group of caring and wonderful individuals.  

When I was first introduced to Jon, Tina and the rest of the Partners Bradford team, what struck me as incredible was the method with which the practice is run.  

Their philosophy is simple: No waiting lists.  No red tape. 

Just the ability to reach out and get help whenever you are ready.

When crisis strikes, and you need a helping hand, waiting lists can feel endless and the idea of recovery can seem hopeless.

When I was struggling with my own self worth and anxiety, I was continually turned away from programs because I was told I was too old, statistically, to have an eating disorder since most programs are designed for adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18.  

I was 22, clearly too old to still be struggling with an eating disorder according to the system. 

I wanted desperately to be well and yet everywhere I turned, I found a lacking of available resources for someone reaching out who didn't fit the typical diagnostic mould.

When you are surrounded by pain.  When every moment of your day is spent battling your own inner demons to the exclusion of the love and joy around you.  

When you finally gather up your hope and reach out for help, being told you need to wait six months can seem overwhelming and hopeless.  

That's why it's so important to have options. Places you can go when you are in crisis and have found the courage to ask for help.

I am so excited to now be a part of a team of amazing counsellors who are dedicated to providing that help so that it is available whenever you need it. 

Because the first step - admitting you need help - can be the most difficult and most amazing step on your journey.  

And one day you'll look back in awe of the your strength because, despite everything, you are still here, reading these words and knowing that help is just a phone call away.  

Believe it or not, I never intended to start my own Life Coaching business. 

Really.  

When I attended the Life Coaching, NLP and Hypnosis course and training, my goal was simply to learn more about myself and to get a glimpse of the so-called "Wizard" behind the curtain of human behaviour.  

My own experience with this process was so transformational, so wonderful, that I just had to know the secrets. 

How could something that, on the surface, appears so simple result in such amazing changes? 

How did 3 months of life coaching result in more personal growth than over 13 years of traditional psychotherapy? 

I needed to know the Matrix code behind the system. 

And so I took the course, fully believing that I was there just to learn and then I would return to my regularly scheduled program.  

As always, it seems my unconscious mind knew me better  :)

Though I received my BA in Psychology over a decade ago, my own less-than-wonderful experiences with our mental health system left me feeling hopeless and wholly uninterested in pursuing a career in counselling.  

There are cracks in our system that a Mack truck could fall through.  Did I really want to be a part of it? 

Nope. Not even a little.

And yet here I am.  

I've always had a desire to help others; to inspire them to live a more authentic existence.  And on my way to realizing my dream I found myself taking some amazing detours that I am still a part of to this very day.

I have worn many hats in my journey including:
Bingo hall associate
Veterinary manager and assistant
Bookkeeper & HR rep
Copywriter
Marketing associate
Graphic designer
Hula Hoop Dancer (yup - you read that right!)

And now, Life Coach.  

Every step of my journey has led me to where I am today and I couldn't be more grateful for the fabulous people and lessons I have learned along the way.

Life often takes us to places we never dreamed we could ever be.  

Sometimes, it's just a matter of having the courage to follow the winding path that makes the difference.