About my experience as an athlete and coach
In my teens I learned how my mental health impacted my performance, my relationships, and overall well-being.
Following the example of my mother, a physical educator and counsellor, and my father, a lifelong volunteer coach, I grew up valuing the connection between mind and body. At age 12, after watching Canada’s men’s national basketball team, I set a goal to one day represent my country in the sport I loved.
That goal fueled a strong work ethic. From ages 15 to 19, I played for Team BC, winning a national championship, and earned a Division I NCAA scholarship to the University of Utah. Our team reached the NCAA Tournament twice, including the 1997 Elite Eight and the 1998 Final Four and championship game. I later transferred to Idaho State University after an abusive coaching experience, where I rebuilt my confidence and love for the game.
Soon after, I was selected as the youngest player at the time on the Canadian national team, helping the team qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. When Steve Nash returned to the NBA, I stepped into the starting point guard role before suffering a serious knee injury. After a year of rehabilitation, I returned to play at ISU, earning Big Sky Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-Conference honours. A second ACL injury the following season ultimately ended my playing career.
The lessons of resilience, perseverance, and relationship-building in sport kept me connected to the game. In 2001, I became a graduate assistant coach at Idaho State University while completing a master’s degree in Physical Education, where I mentored Division I athletes and youth in goal setting, visualization, and resilience habit development.
I went on to coach high school teams and mentor youth, then returned to Canada after earning my teaching degree. Since 2004, I have taught in the Okanagan, Shuswap, and Revelstoke, coached high school programs, and worked with the BC Centre for Performance.
Today, I stay active as a backcountry skier, mountain biker, volunteer trail builder, and regular hiker and dog walker, continuing a lifelong commitment to an active, community-focused lifestyle.
As a counsellor I find direct parallels between sport, activity, mental health, relationship building, fun seeking, and lifestyle creation. If you are a motivated young athlete in pursuit of lofty goals or a recreational adventurist, your mental health matters. The lessons learned in your sport or activity of choice, on your favorite trails, or your unique mountain adventures can last you a lifetime and create the life you want to live. I have learned to nurture oneself in the midst of the lows sport and life can bring, celebrate and temper the exhilarating highs or wins, and find a middle path of balance in life. Your middle path, or sustainable mental health balance can lead you to your goals, create the relationships you want to nurture, and nurture the life you want to live.
Athletic Therapeutic Counselling
Whether you're working through performance blocks, seeking to maximize your athletic potential, or looking to build mental resilience.
I provide support in the following areas:
- Self Talk, Sport Performance, and Your Mental Health.
- Learn to Manage Sport Performance Anxiety and Fear of Failure.
- Visualization, Meditation, and the Subconscious Mind Meets Performance.
- Emotion Regulation in Sport and Life.
- How Your Values and Goals in Your Sport Can Create the Life You Want to Live.
- Build Relationships on Your Team to Support Your Team and Your Individual Goals.
