Biography

The Albertan prairies will always hold a special place in my heart. After all, I was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and I grew up watching the Edmonton Eskimos football team and the Edmonton Oilers hockey team. I like to joke that I still “bleed green and blue,” the colours of these cherished sport teams (please don’t take it too literally…it’s not a visually appealing metaphor).

In addition to my enthusiasm for sports, during my childhood and adolescence I was an active member of Edmonton’s performing arts community, dancing and performing in amateur musical theatre productions. This love for the arts extended also to the written word, and I continue to be a great fan of literature. In fact, during my undergraduate studies it was a figurative coin toss that pushed me towards the social sciences rather than English and comparative literature!

After completing my initial post-secondary studies at the University of Alberta I relocated to Canada’s West Coast, where I worked in the non-profit sector. After several years, I again relocated to London, England, where I completed my PhD in Research Psychology at University College London before returning to Canada to finish my clinical training at McGill University.

In my career, I combine my counselling work with research, teaching psychology to undergraduate and graduate students, supervising mental health professionals in my areas of specialization, and serving as the Manager of Clinical Operations for the Sex and Couple Therapy Service at the McGill University Health Centre.

In my personal life, I am an avid cyclist and “bicycle tinkerer,” a great fan of cooking (I admit, I’m no ‘master chef,’ but I like to try!), and a passionate proponent of quality time with loved ones.