Hey!
My name is Heather. I'm a social worker in clinical practice based in Ottawa, ON. I've worked in mental health at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) for the past decade in the Emergency Department, Abuse and Trauma team, school-based day treatment program, Outpatient Mental Health program, and Early Connections team. I've trained and worked at other local agencies, including The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and the Youth Services Bureau (YSB). In addition to my clinical work, I'm actively involved in research in a variety of areas including depression screening, family-based treatment for teens, and online group intervention. I am also proud to be the 2019 winner of CHEO's Airdrie Thompson Guppy Award for Excellence in Social Work.
Lastly, I've been a mom of 2 during a pandemic so I know chaos! Meltdowns, sibling rivalry, anxiety--I'm right in the thick of it with you.
My approach
Through both clinical work and research, I stay on top of emerging evidence and best practices. My focus is on parenting children and teens with intense emotions, as well as trauma. I have an eclectic and practical approach drawing on my experience in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Emotionally-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, Brainspotting, Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS), and attachment-based parent interventions including Circle of Security and Connect.