work bio
Back in 2009, I was pretty convinced that I wanted to be an academic. But shortly into my PhD, I felt pretty disconnected from real world problems. Sure, I could talk theoretically about what Foucault would say about power and sexuality - but I wanted to be out there actually doing something about it! After a rather painful a-ha moment, I decided to jump ship and pivot into community mental health.
Although I had already worked in a couple clinical mental health settings, my post-PhD life started out supporting queer youth who had been trafficked and/or were engaging in street based sex work downtown Toronto, Canada. One might say this was a pretty deep dive into the nature of human suffering and systemic oppression. Yet it was also profound revelation of agency and resilience, capacity and courage, hope and resourcefulness that continues to impact my career.
My work evolved from there into providing case management for adults with severe substance use issues, then counselling youth transitioning out of the child welfare system, and up to more recent times supervising youth mental health case managers and practicum students at LOFT Community Services in Toronto.
In 2021, I pivoted once again into mental health support via movement and my own coaching practice. Now I weave all these experiences together, to deliver one-on-one support and group based programming virtually for clients all over the world.
Who knew this is where the journey would take me all those years ago when I left academia! The future is always uncertain and moving in that direction is always scary. But then you get a little bit further down the road and see the culmination of the journey thus far.
It’s been incredible to see the lives changed as I continue to translate all this experience into pretty special mental health support for people - and I am very excited to see where it all goes next!
my approach
attune
It starts with building the safety to connect and validate your experience. Identify what you need to feel more resourced, supported, and connected.
embody
Next, we translate that into the felt sense. Cultivating experiential wisdom to bring you back into balance and sharpen your intuition
integrate
Finally, reflective exercises to anchor the somatic + neocortical connection. Small practices to integrate this into your real life for lasting impact.
testimonials
The tools I've learned from Chris have supported me in processing past and current thoughts and feelings in a way that felt cared for and supportive. Helping me expand my experiences into something I can understand and fully process.
Under Chris’ guidance and mentorship, I was equipped to navigate the pandemic as a professional. His strengths-based approach supported me in shaping my own social work approach, which has greatly fostered my self confidence and my clinical skills.
Chris helped me feel safe and settled to sit in meditation. Prior to working together I had a hard time feeling relaxed. He helped me find the ability to feel calm. I experience that more and more in my life, not just when I am practising with him.
OfferingTree