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I am an International Mindfulness Teachers Association certified mindfulness teacher, a certified mindful self compassion teacher, a registered clinical health psychologist CPO#4531 (M.Ed. McGill University, Ph.D. Texas A&M University - College Station, APA Doctoral Residency University of Texas at Austin, Post Doctoral training Olin B. Teague Veterans Administration Hospital PTSD Unit/Texas A&M Health Science Center/Texas A&M College of Medicine) nature love, and mother of five (3 plus 2 bonus).
I have had the joy of working as an academic psychologist(Texas A&M College of Medicine Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Science) and professional discipline leader (Chief of Psychology at Royal Ottawa Health Care Group) but my first love is healing work. I currently work with a wonderful group of colleagues as Clinical Director of Ottawa River Psychology Group in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Our clinical work as psychologists and therapists is dedicated to mindfulness, compassion and evidence based treatments commonly described as Third Wave Psychology.
I was drawn to mindful self compassion practice and MSC teacher training as a way to support the natural development of wisdom qualities of the heart-mind once focus and equanimity are established in mindfulness training. I love the body and the cultivation of embodiment (RYT200 yogi - I do not teach in studios) through movement, with mindfulness yoga teacher training from Spirit Rock Meditation Center (Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation Teacher training 2 year program). In my own mindfulness practice I rely on Theravada Buddhist-based and secular mindfulness practices that help us re-member own good nature and our deeper inter-connections with the natural world. Mark Coleman, author of Awake in the Wild and senior Spirit Rock teacher, is my teaching inspiration for embodied mindfulness practice and a deep love of the natural world. I have completed Mark's Awake in the Wild Facilitator program which involved two years of wilderness retreats and mindfulness teaching with a fabulous community of other wilderness loving yogis from around the world. At present I am in the Work That Reconnects facilitator training developed by eco-philosopher and buddhist teacher Joanna Macy.
At home in Canada, I teach several Mindfulness Integrated CBT, Compassion Focused Therapy, and Mindful Self Compassion 8 week courses per year, and lead Mindfulness in Nature retreats. Individually, I accompany others in the journey of awakening through Compassion Focused Therapy, Mindfulness Integrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy (MiCBT), CBT-E for the treatment of eating disorders in adults, and Maudsley Family Based Therapy for the treatment of eating disorders in adolescents.
I hope we have an opportunity to practice together.
"Wake up. Fall in love. Stay there."
For me compassion practice extends to the more-than-human world, and expresses itself as an active wish to nourish and protect the waters of our local eco-systems. I meditate in motion through frequent rowing with our local Ottawa Rowing Club, flowing with the Ottawa River (Rivière des Outaouais to French Canadians, Kitchissippi to the Algonquin people). I offer daylongs and longer mindfulness in nature retreats through Wild Blue Mindfulness, which is dedicated to cultivating mindfulness and compassion in connection to nature. Find more about my environmental and mindfulness in nature work on www.wildbluemindfulness.ca and the Wild Blue Mindfulness page on FB.