I thrive when I am of service.

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I am a two time cancer survivor, an animal lover, a gardener, a lover of all forms of art and a person who strives to meet others from a place of shared humanity. I thrive when I am of service. 

A few years ago I realized it was time to refocus my priorities and I have been semi-retired since 2022. I choose to work less and give more at this stage of my life.

I completed this degree while working on Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission supporting the work of the Truth Commissioners and meeting the needs of survivors and witnesses at the Northern National TRC Event. In year two of my degree I completed  two contracts in Uganda where I worked with Survivors of Conflict Rape. My MA journey followed my studies in interest-based mediation and marked a commitment to a new direction in my career. I decided to focus my professional work on the psychosocial needs of those experiencing conflict and natural disaster.

Since completing the degree I have worked in Serbia, Ukraine, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Vietnam, Jamaica, Gaza and the South Pacific Island Nations.

This was my introduction to the study of social justice issues and the post-colonial, post-industrial structural factors that impact every living being and natural system on our planet. 

I worked with children and families for 10 years in Canada with professional highlight being collaborating with and training colleagues in integrated case management. This work across professional boundaries was a natural development of my personal beliefs about the wisdom of diversity. I was lucky to find my way into this way of working. 

Collaboration, based on respect and self-awareness, remains central to my approach to Social Work.

Group work and facilitation have always been my preferred tools of social work. I learned the theory in Social Work school, refined it during my training in conflict management and group mediation and I became known as an international expert when I was contracted by the UNICEF to train Social Workers all over the world from 2014-2022.

My career has taught me that wisdom is richer in groups than it is in individuals and that we are all on a learning journey. 

In my experience, true self-knowledge comes when we can appreciate the diversity around us. In my work, I am always trying to remove barriers between us so we can interact from our most true self.

Now as an elder in the Social Work field I strive to embody the inclusiveness and the spirit of collaboration that Millenials, Generations Z and Alpha have illuminated for us.