My Story
I grew up not knowing that I was autistic.
And yet it made complete sense once I realized it.
I had a sensory-based eating disorder and struggled to understand and meet neuro-typical social expectations. For decades, I lived with a tremendous amount of intense chronic pain made worse by anxiety and sleep difficulties.
Despite excelling at science at university, I switched to social work because I wanted to understand people - deeply.
Later, as my children were diagnosed autistic, I saw how similar I was.
However, I still felt like an imposter.
Increasingly, I realized that in order to manage chronic pain and anxiety, I needed a positive sense of myself as an autistic adult.
Now I support others exploring neuro-diversity for themselves or loved ones.
I am a registered social worker (#14739) with a Masters of Social Work, and I have done further learning in a variety of modalities: Internal Family Systems, EMDR, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. I use these approaches because they have made a difference in my own life as a neuro-divergent person.
I am also a consultant for families navigating diagnosis and supports for their children. I help folks with challenges at home, school, and community, and overall, I hope to foster a positive sense of what it means to be neuro-divergent.
I especially welcome LGBTQ folks. I am queer and my sense of gender is influenced by being neuro-divergent. I respect the interconnections between gender identity, sexual orientation, and neuro-diversity.
I work virtually from the unceded traditional territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ and lək̓ʷəŋən peoples. I am of a mixed European- Metis descent, and I benefit from unearned straight-sized and light-skinned privilege.
I use she/her pronouns.
I invite you to join me.