GET TO KNOW TERESA

Hi, I’m Teresa a Registered Clinical Specialist Social Worker here in Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia).

I support people through life’s tough moments - navigating grief, loss and change. I also support people feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or who just aren’t quite feeling like themselves. I love to witness and celebrate the joyful parts of life, the moments of hope, healing, and new beginnings with you too. My goal is to offer a relaxed and supportive space where you can talk openly, feel understood, and work through what’s on your mind. I believe that everyone deserves to feel heard and cared for. I take the time to get to know you, understand your story, and help you find what works best for you. I use a gentle but honest and practical approach that focuses on your strengths and what matters to you. People often tell me they appreciate my down-to-earth style, playful approach and the sense of ease they feel in our sessions. My best hope is that you leave each session feeling a little lighter, a little more understood, and more confident in your ability to navigate what comes next. My approach is simple: be present, listen without judgment, center curiosity & connection and work together to find helpful ways forward. I have special training in relationships, families, infant and perinatal mental health and trauma healing. In the therapy world the professional trainings I draw from are known as Somatic Experiencing® (a body-based therapy for treating trauma), Attachment Therapy, Polyvagal Theory, Circle of Security™ , Narrative Therapy, Tree of Life and Anti-Oppressive frameworks. I am also fluent in Solution Focus & Macmaster Models of Family Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I blend these modalities into a grounded, body-first framework that honors both the mind-body’s story and human connection. My expertise (learning lineage) also draws from the heart connections I have made along the way with my elders, colleagues, professional development activities, readings and most importantly, families I have walked alongside in my nearly 30-year career so far. I have been honoured to walk alongside people working in stress or trauma exposed environments like healthcare and education, families facing infertility, pregnancy loss, medical termination of pregnancy, premature birth, prenatal and postnatal transitions, perinatal wellness, general wellness for individuals across the lifespan and families living with disability, chronic and sometimes life-threatening illness. I’ve held clinical leadership and administrative leadership roles in healthcare, teach at Colleges and Universities and provide Clinical Supervision to other Therapists and Reflective Supervision in the early childhood education spaces. Whether you’re dealing with stress, relationship challenges, grief, past experiences, or simply trying to make sense of life, you don’t have to sort things out on your own. If you’d like skillful compassionate while “keeping it real” support, I’d be honoured to walk alongside you.