My professional journey toward becoming a therapist took shape once I realized I wasn’t alone in my experiences. As a child, I often turned my struggles inward, perceiving them as too difficult to share. It was not until I began my career as a hairstylist, engaging with the public daily, that I saw how many others were also searching for meaning in their own lives. People frequently told me I was easy to talk to, and I naturally created spaces where others felt safe to share their inner thoughts and stories with me. That experience sparked something in me and set me on an educational and professional path oriented around human connection and healing.

Through my undergraduate studies and work with at-risk youth and in the gender-based violence sector, I came to understand that my personal history, once a source of disconnection, could instead become a foundation for empathy and solidarity. Over time, I noticed feelings I had once had that felt isolating transformed into a sense of shared humanity. These experiences clarified my purpose: to help others make meaning out of their struggles, just as I continuously try to do in my life.

I am fortunate to have a strong network of support around me, including both an occupational and personal counsellor, a close circle of chosen family and friends, supportive mentors, supervisors, and managers, and vibrant communities I belong to as a non-binary, bisexual individual. These relationships and spaces, from shared meals with friends and peers to cycling for a community triathlon, ending and starting all my days with cat cuddles, I rely on acting out my values within my environment to sustain my sense of belonging and keep me grounded.

I also take my own well-being seriously as a professional responsibility. I am attuned to early signs of stress in myself, such as disruptions to my routine or the return of unhelpful habits, and I take deliberate steps to address them before they escalate. I strive to move through life with curiosity, presence, and resilience, qualities I believe are inseparable from being a truly effective and compassionate counsellor.