Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read more about who I am. My name is Andrea and I am a heterosexual, cis-gender woman of Greek, Irish, English, and German descent who is passionate about supporting people in reclaiming their true nature and to build kinder, more compassionate relationships with themselves and their communities.

I currently live and work on unceded (stolen) Coast Salish territories, which includes the Lekwungen (Esquimalt and Songhees), Pacheedaht, Scia’new, T’Sou-ke, and W̱SÁNEĆ (Pauquachin, Malahat, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum) nations.

I am committed to walking a path of respect, relationship, and accountability to this land and its peoples.

On my father’s side, we are of Greek, German, and English heritage, and on my mother’s side, we come from Irish and English roots. It has been a lifelong interest of mine to learn more about my ancestry and to better understand who I am through acknowledging the places where my ancestors walked and lived. This journey has not only been a transformative path of coming to know more of who I am and where I come from, but it has also illuminated the intergenerational trauma carried by my ancestors, and how I have unconsciously and consciously carried many of these wounds in my own lifetime.

I feel incredibly privileged and grateful to have found Social Work as a pathway that helped me to align my passion with the principles of social justice, human rights, and the dignity and worth of every person. My education has helped me to recognize how historical and ongoing colonial systems have shaped the experiences of Indigenous peoples on Turtle Island and other marginalized and oppressed communities.

As well, I continue to recognize in myself and witness in others how colonization has oppressed and subjugated all of our hearts and minds.

This has inspired my dedication to practicing from a de-colonial paradigm, and I feel especially inspired by the work of Dr. Jenn Mullan who inspires other mental health workers to decolonize their practice.

I have over 16 years of experience working in the field of social work in a diverse range of settings that include community outreach, youth mental health, adult mental health, housing, and education.

For many years, I worked within health authorities, both Alberta Health Services and Island Health offering community outreach and counselling to individuals living with severe and persistent mental health challenges. This work opened my eyes to the profound structural and systemic barriers that many people face in accessing compassionate, consistent, and culturally safe care. It deepened my commitment to trauma-informed, person-centered approaches and strengthened my understanding of how social determinants of health, colonialism, and racism intersect with mental health.

These experiences continue to shape my practice and my dedication to supporting people with dignity, curiosity, and kindness.

A bit about how I practice - I consider myself a guide rather than an expert, and I like to frame our sessions by asking questions to invite you to reconsider, or at least question, how you are making sense of your experience.

As well, I consider myself a feminist counsellor, which means I can help create opportunities in our sessions to examine how power shapes different areas of your life. I am passionate about integrating empowerment and consciousness-raising into my therapeutic work, and I find it meaningful to explore how power dynamics and systemic injustices influence your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours in the world. Together, we can also discover creative ways to resist the status quo and move toward living with greater authenticity, belonging, and aliveness.

In my personal life, I am a dedicated practitioner of Insight Meditation (Vipassana) and I attend multi-day silent retreats each year. I love to travel and I love to be in nature and enjoy spending quality time with my loved ones, including my kitty, Tito! :)

It is very important for me to practice humility and curiosity as I walk the path of learning around how to be an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.

If you are curious about how we might be able to work together, I offer a free 20-minute consultation. You can click the link below to learn more.

I look forward to meeting you!

Postsecondary Education:

• Master of Social Work (MSW) ** In Progress- University of Calgary, **Expected completion, 2026

• Community Based Health and Wellness - Graduate Certificate - University of Calgary, 2025

• Advanced Social Work Practice - Graduate Certificate - University of Calgary, 2024

• Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) - University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, 2011

• Registered Social Worker - Member in Good Standing (RSW#14073) - British Columbia College of Social Workers (BCCSW)

• Diploma in Social Work - Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB, 2008

Trainings

• IFS (Internal Family Systems) Therapy Immersion: Integrating the IFS Model Across Clinical Applications, PESI, 2025

• Emotionally focused therapy (EFT): Attachment Science in Practice, Psych Wire, 2024

• Trauma Informed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Psych Wire, 2024

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - International OCD Foundation Training Institute (IOCDF). 2024

• ERP School for Mental Health Professionals - Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD - Online Training - CBT School, Kimberly Quinlan. 2023

• ERP School for Mental Health Professionals - Mindfulness School for OCD - Online Training - CBT School, Kimberly Quinlan. 2023

• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD: Foundational Training - Candace M. Monson, Ph.D., C. Psych., Phillipe Schneider, Ph.D., C. Psych. 2020

• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction –6-Day MBSR Teacher Training Intensive through the UCSD Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute. - Battavia, NY. 2019

• Introduction to Nature-based Therapy (NBT) (12 hours). 2024

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for beginners (ACT) - Psych Wire. 2022

• Completed training in Non Violent Communication with Marshal Rosenberg - Online. 2018

• Advanced Certificate in Guiding and Teaching Meditation – Australian Centre for Holistic Studies - Melbourne, Australia, 2016

Retreats/Short- Term courses attended:

• 5 day Silent Retreat - New Years Retreat - James Baraz and Rachel Lewis - BC Insight Meditation Society - Bethlehem Centre, Nanaimo, BC, 2024/2025

• 6 day Silent retreat- Radiant Mind, Compassionate Heart - taught by Celeste Young - Hollyhock Leadership Learning Centre - Cortes island, BC

• 6 day Silent Retreat - taught by Adrianne Ross and Kristina Bare - BC Insight Meditation Society - Bethlehem Centre, Nanaimo, BC, 2023/24

• 5 day Vipassana Silent Retreat - Taught by Whit Hornsberger, Earthspring Retreat Centre, Highlands, BC, July 2023

• 7 day Silent Retreat - taught by Santikaro - Cloud Mountain Retreat Centre, Washington, US, 2022/23.

• 4 day Silent Retreat - taught by Rachel Lewis and Roxanne Dault - BC Insight Meditation Society - Bethleham Centre, Nanaimo, BC, 2022

• 7 day Silent Retreat - taught by Mark Coleman- Natural Radiance: The Freedom of Awareness - Spirit Rock Insight Meditation Centre, Woodacre, California - 2021

• 10 day Silent Vipassana Meditation Retreat – taught by S/N Goenka - Merritt, BC - 2019

• Attended the 2019 and 2022 BC Mindfulness Summit - Victoria, BC

• 3 day Residential Mindfulness Meditation silent retreat with Patricia Galaczy and Mark Sherman. Bethleham Centre - Nanaimo, BC - 2018

• Completed an 8 week Mindful Self Compassion Course - Victoria, BC - 2018

• Completed two 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Courses-Victoria, BC - 2017/2018