About meg

she/her

Hi, I’m meg!

I live in beautiful Nanaimo, BC, with my two dogs, two cats, my loving partner and his two children.

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I am grateful and privileged to live here and spend as much time as I can connecting with the land. I love to hike in the forests and swim in the ocean. One way I love to connect with the wild and more animal nature of my body is to dance- to feel the beat of the music and let my body move as it wants to move.

I love taking old furniture
that might otherwise go unnoticed or even wind up in the dump and turning it into something beautiful and unique that has new life.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet clients through the work of restoring furniture, so shout out to the dresser I painted that facilitated a wonderful client connection.

BIG TALK ONLY
I’m not one for small talk

I’m not really one for small talk, so when I ask you how you are, I want to actually know how you are, not that you’re “fine” or “good”.

So, time for some real talk.

From Anxious to Aligned

I know firsthand what it’s like to be nervous, anxious, or afraid.
It may feel like you’re living on autopilot or stuck on the rollercoaster of survival mode.

You may be doing the work and trying different therapies, but still feel like something is missing.

It may feel like there is more to do when it comes to regulating your nervous system to stop looking around and seeing everything as alarm bells and start feeling peace in your own body. 

From Survival Mode to Safety

In our sessions, I seek to create ease and show you ways to find compassion and kindness for yourself. To know that your trauma is not you and you can stand strong in who you are.

To find your own sense of power and unique ways of healing (whether or not that includes forgiveness).

I invite you to focus on your body, often where energetic patterns of survival energy are stored.

To cultivate a more curious and intimate connection to your physical body: think instinct, intuition, or wildness. These authentic parts of ourselves can get shut down and ignored when we are fatigued, stressed, or living with a chronically dysregulated nervous system.

Polyvagal Nervous System Theory

The work of Dr. Stephen Porges, is embedded in all aspects of my work. Following experiences that are overwhelming (think too fast, too much, too soon, or no ability to escape), your nervous system can get stuck in flight, fight, freeze, or uncomfortable combinations of these states.

This often causes distress and can lead to physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual illnesses or challenges. Sometimes it leaves us with a very big question mark because spoken language often doesn’t have the capacity to describe what it is we are experiencing on the inside.

THE GOOD NEWS IS…

You can get un-stuck!

Working with mindful attention to the body gives us space to notice sensations, impulses, and intuitions, which are the language of the body.

We always work at the speed of trust, both from the mind and the body, and work from the outermost layers in. This way the body slowly releases that stuck survival energy and we can more easefully process distressing thoughts, feelings and emotions related to the past.

I want you to feel safe all the way to your bones.

And, I recognize that this does feel, or maybe isn’t, possible for everyone. We all come to this work from our unique contexts: our families of origin, cultural backgrounds, experiences of safety and acceptance or of oppression and marginalization. The experiences in your life thus far that have culminated how you perceive and understand the world.

1.

Some experiences that have informed and shaped my perception include enduring a relationship with a highly abusive narcissist in my early twenties, being diagnosed with ADHD at 40, and living with the invisible disability of Rheumatoid arthritis.

2.

When I finally found the courage to leave that harmful relationship, it took a long time to trust myself again. But it was like a rebirth. Even though these experiences have been difficult, uncomfortable, and painful, through them I developed a deep capacity for compassion and empathy. My healing wounds became the motivating forces behind my desire to support others in their journeys.

3.

My approach is anti-oppressive,

trauma-informed and resilience-oriented. It is always my intention to hold you in your power. I want to uplift your own capacity-building experiences, your skills and expertise to find the healing methods that you feel work best for you, because you are the expert of your own life. You know yourself better than anyone, and each of us has our own ways of knowing and being. I utilize a collaborative approach that includes a variety of techniques and frameworks, including but not limited to:

Over the course of several sessions we work to help you feel more connected to yourself, your strength, your voice, your power. To feel seen and heard in all of your emotions. To create healthy boundaries without shame and guilt. To find clarity, acceptance and love in who you are.

Start prioritizing yourself and your nervous system with a

free 15-minute consultation.

A note on inclusion

I identify as a cisgender, neurodivergent white settler living as an uninvited guest on the stolen traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw Nation, part of the Coast Salish peoples. I honor their stewardship of these lands and waters since time immemorial, and recognize the enduring presence, resilience, and contributions of the Snuneymuxw people to this region. May we strive to build meaningful relationships and work towards reconciliation, guided by the principles of respect, reciprocity, and understanding. May we work towards a world guided by anti-oppression, equity, and human rights for all, and the decolonization of structures and systems. 

Disability education, awareness, and justice are also interests of mine as someone who lives with invisible disabilities.

Certifications

Bachelor of Social Work, University of Victoria, 2022

  • Somatic Experiencing Practitioner

  • Transforming Touch Practitioner

  • Reiki level2

  • TRE (tension releasing exercises) Provider

  • 1000+ hours of training in various styles of yoga

I am a member in good standing with the BC College of Social Workers and engage in continuing education both in accordance with college requirements as well as my love for learning and professional growth. I will be starting my Masters in Trauma-Informed social work in May, 2024.