My Story

I’ve lived many lives. Born in Riga, Latvia, I witnessed the collapse of the former USSR as a teenager, became a refugee in Israel at 17, and later immigrated to Canada with my partner and two daughters. Each transition carried resilience and possibility, but also grief, disconnection, and the ongoing search for belonging.

Like many of my clients, I’ve faced challenges that shaped me: misogyny, antisemitism, anxiety, depression, and burnout — rooted in early family experiences. As a young mother in a new country, I learned how easy it is to quietly fall apart inside. My way back was through therapy, parts work, art, clay, movement, and years of mindfulness practice.

Healing was not linear, and it continues today. This lived understanding grounds how I meet each client: with curiosity, compassion, and the belief that change is always possible.

Who I Work With

I support teens, adults, and elders navigating stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, parenting struggles, identity shifts, creative blocks, or midlife transitions. I also work with younger clients (ages 6+) for clay-based expressive therapy when appropriate.

My clients are diverse — immigrants seeking a sense of home, students finding direction, professionals longing for balance, parents carrying many roles, elders reconnecting with creativity, and those working through cultural, political, or family wounds.

I work best with sensitive, thoughtful people, neurotypical and neurodivergent — often those who hold much inside — whether it’s the weight of early wounds or the uncertainty of life changes.

How I Work

My approach blends counselling, Internal Family Systems (IFS), expressive arts therapy, and mindfulness among other methods. Sessions are trauma-informed, non-pathologizing, and shaped by what feels most useful for you.

Sometimes we stay in conversation. Other times we bring in clay, painting, writing, or movement. What matters is creating a process that feels supportive, safe, and transformative.

In my Burnaby studio, I offer two distinct spaces: a cozy counselling room and a light-filled studio with clay and art materials. I also work online across Canada.

Professional Experience

In addition to my private practice, I’ve worked as a counsellor and expressive arts therapist in a variety of clinical, community, and academic settings. My experience includes:

• Hospitals & Health Care: Vancouver General Hospital (VGH)

• Community & Social Services: PASS Adult Service Society, Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, Harmony Court, Carlton Gardens, Jewish community center

• Education & Workshops: UBC (facilitated programs for immigrant women), art-based support for Ukrainian refugees, and group sessions across the Lower Mainland

Through these roles, I’ve had the privilege of supporting people from diverse cultural, age, and life backgrounds — from newcomers to Canada, to elders in care homes, to students and young adults navigating transitions. Each setting has deepened my belief in the resilience of the human spirit, and in the power of therapy to create meaningful change.

Training & Credentials

• Bachelor in Interior Design and Architecture (Israel)

• Master’s Degree in Art, Product Design, and Business Management (Israel)

• Postgraduate Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy (Canada)

• Certified Trauma Professional (Canada)

• IFS therapist

• Additional training in: CBT, DBT, EFT, EMDR, MBSR, ADHD support (non-medication), Somatic Experiencing, clowning, trauma-informed care, somatic work, attachment, bilateral drawing, and parenting (Neufeld Institute)

Professional Memberships

• ACCT (RTC #3125)

• OEATA (#262)

I also engage in ongoing peer consultation, supervision, and my own therapy to ensure my work remains grounded, ethical, and deeply human.