Health at Every Size® Healthcare Provider Listing
Specialties & Areas of Focus:
- self-esteem
- anxiety
- fat liberation
- disordered eating
- identity-based violence and trauma
- emotional neglect
- boundaries
- body image
- emotional processing and regulation
Modalities & Theoretical Lenses:
- Polyvagal Theory
- Narrative Therapy
- Anti-Oppressive Practice
- Feminist Therapy
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Group Therapy
Age Groups Served:
- Adults (18 years old and up)
- Adults (18 years old and up)
Additional Populations Served & Allied Groups:
- Fat
- 2SLGBTQIA+
Languages Services Offered In:
- English
- English
My Philosophy of Care
I ardently believe that no one is obligated to pursue health, that health is determined by sociopolitical factors, that fatness is a normal part of human diversity, and that the DSM is a tool of white supremacy and colonialism.
Everyone has adapted to survive in the world, but it is my belief that there is not anything “wrong” with anyone. I believe that every single person, with every kind of need, could live a more fulfilling life if we weren’t bound by capitalism, colonialism, patriarchy, white supremacy, ableism, homo/trans-antagonism, anti-fatness, and hyper-individualism. In my work with clients, I am committed to finding the places where it is safe enough to divest from participation it those systems, and tenderly honouring the places where we still have to operate within them.
Experiences of violence, identity-based oppression, and disability or illness can make connecting with our bodies feel dangerous. I work with client to identify the edges of possibility to support them in living a more embodied, accessible life. I do my best to show up in a way that make clients feel welcomed, safe, cared for, believed, and respected. Counselling is about building a safe, supportive, and collaborative relationship, so I try to be as authentic as possible - You can’t build a relationship with a “blank slate”, and I absolutely will talk about my love of Lord of the Rings! I bring my own experiences, sense of humour, values, and dedication to justice to my work.
Everyone has adapted to survive in the world, but it is my belief that there is not anything “wrong” with anyone. I believe that every single person, with every kind of need, could live a more fulfilling life if we weren’t bound by capitalism, colonialism, patriarchy, white supremacy, ableism, homo/trans-antagonism, anti-fatness, and hyper-individualism. In my work with clients, I am committed to finding the places where it is safe enough to divest from participation it those systems, and tenderly honouring the places where we still have to operate within them.
Experiences of violence, identity-based oppression, and disability or illness can make connecting with our bodies feel dangerous. I work with client to identify the edges of possibility to support them in living a more embodied, accessible life. I do my best to show up in a way that make clients feel welcomed, safe, cared for, believed, and respected. Counselling is about building a safe, supportive, and collaborative relationship, so I try to be as authentic as possible - You can’t build a relationship with a “blank slate”, and I absolutely will talk about my love of Lord of the Rings! I bring my own experiences, sense of humour, values, and dedication to justice to my work.
About Me & My Practice
I became a counsellor because I was already passionate about fat liberation and want to provide safer care for fat folks, but also because I desperately needed a counsellor like me - someone who understands the pain of experiencing anti-fatness from infancy, someone who lives in a fat body, and someone who isn’t going to tell me to just change my thoughts when dealing with identity-based violence.
Psychology is just as anti-fat as medicine and often flies under the radar - but not on my watch!
I always strive to center the experiences of the most marginalized, especially in my individual work with clients. I believe it is violent to support a false sense of well-being in a client at the expense of anyone else. I call out the bigoted beliefs connected to my clients privilege (ie., often talk about white supremacy with white clients, talk about anti-fatness with thin clients, ableism with enabled clients, etc.) and how their beliefs/needs/expectations may be based on oppressive hierarchies.
Medical advocacy is a big part of my work with fat folks, but I also encourage my non-fat clients to advocate for fat folks as they access care (asking about equipment, refusing to be weighed, etc.).
I continually practice divestment from hustle culture, and try to nurture a slow and balanced life outside of work. I enjoy reading, playing DnD, board games, video games, walks by the water, spending time with my partner/friends/niblings, crafting (or just buying supplies), and archery.
Psychology is just as anti-fat as medicine and often flies under the radar - but not on my watch!
I always strive to center the experiences of the most marginalized, especially in my individual work with clients. I believe it is violent to support a false sense of well-being in a client at the expense of anyone else. I call out the bigoted beliefs connected to my clients privilege (ie., often talk about white supremacy with white clients, talk about anti-fatness with thin clients, ableism with enabled clients, etc.) and how their beliefs/needs/expectations may be based on oppressive hierarchies.
Medical advocacy is a big part of my work with fat folks, but I also encourage my non-fat clients to advocate for fat folks as they access care (asking about equipment, refusing to be weighed, etc.).
I continually practice divestment from hustle culture, and try to nurture a slow and balanced life outside of work. I enjoy reading, playing DnD, board games, video games, walks by the water, spending time with my partner/friends/niblings, crafting (or just buying supplies), and archery.
Accessibility Considerations
My in-person office is flat-to-entry, with an elevator. There are single-stall, gender neutral bathrooms. I have options of furniture that are all sturdy and have high weight limits. I provide a variety of snacks for clients (including allergy friendly). I have a video on my social media showing my space in detail and how to access it, including parking and bus routes.
In my virtual work, I encourage clients to be as comfortable as possible (calling in from bed is welcomed), we can toggle back and forth with video/audio settings, adjust camera angles and encourage clients to look away from the screen if it feels more comfortable, encourage them to have fidgets/crafts/etc.
In my virtual work, I encourage clients to be as comfortable as possible (calling in from bed is welcomed), we can toggle back and forth with video/audio settings, adjust camera angles and encourage clients to look away from the screen if it feels more comfortable, encourage them to have fidgets/crafts/etc.