Getting to the core of issues and challenges within classrooms. Allowing authentic connection to help us in supporting young people to move forward in healthy ways. THESE make up the cornerstones of my work as one of the district SEL teachers!

I was a classroom teacher for 14 years, including 5 in a specialized behaviour classroom for young people facing extreme challenges such as criminal activity and falling into prostitution. Also ran a private counselling practice for 7 years in downtown Kelowna, with a focus on kids, teens and families. Currently, one of my main purposes is in solving extreme behaviour challenges in classrooms, empowering teachers and CEAs to work through the true causes of these behaviours, while seeking to understand what these situations are actually telling us. When we understand these core causes, it becomes possible not only to effectively address the presenting challenge, but also to teach staff and students alike skills that will potentially help them through their entire lives!