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Hi! I'm Daisy.
Maybe you’re here trying to see if this could be a good fit for you.
Research shows that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is strongly associated with positive outcomes in therapy, across modalities.*
Consider this a research-informed vibe check.
*(Flückiger et al., 2018; Norcross & Lambert, 2019).
For some clients, feeling human among other humans is the beginning of recovery.
- Irving Yalom
Specialized Clinical Training
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
Level A Certification
University of Ottawa
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy
Self-In-Relationship Psychotherapy
(SIRP)
Institute for Self-in-Relationship Psychotherapy
Trauma Informed Care
Crisis Trauma Resource Institute (CTRI)
Self-Reg Foundations
The Mehrit Centre
Formal
Education
M.Ed. In Counselling Psychology
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, ON
2020 - 2022
M.Sc. in Psychology
Trent University
Peterborough, ON
2017 - 2019
BA (Hons) in Psychology
Trent University
Peterborough, ON
2013 - 2017
You’re entitled to enough information to make an informed decision.
You are entitled to enough information to make an informed decision about your care. Therapists often debate how much of themselves should exist in the room. What is useful. What is ethical. What actually helps. For me, the answer is grounded in something simple and human. Safety is not created by removing all traces of who I am. Trust is not built through distance. If I am asking you to bring your full self, your history, your questions, your pain, then you deserve to know the human you are trusting with that story. Therapy matters most to me when both of us can be present, genuine, and human, within a professional and ethical relationship.
I understand the weight of asking for help.
If I invite your honesty, I owe you some of mine. There was a time in my life when I tried to manage everything alone, until I could not. Turning to community resources taught me what it means to need support and how difficult it can be to find it. It showed me that care is a privilege, not a guarantee, and that asking for help takes courage long before it brings relief. That experience changed how I listen. It shapes how I hold space. It reminds me never to take your trust lightly.
I don’t shy away from complexity or intensity.
I’ve spent years supporting people through some of life’s most difficult moments, and I bring a steady, compassionate presence to that work. My professional background includes roles in community mental health, non-profit settings, and crisis support, including work as a youth counsellor, crisis responder, and foster care support worker. Those environments taught me how to offer thoughtful, trauma-informed care even when resources are limited and situations are emotionally demanding. In my private practice, I carry that same grounded, practical approach—one that is evidence-informed, ethically sound, and deeply respectful of the trust clients place in me. Whether we’re working through trauma, navigating life transitions, or making sense of long-standing patterns, my goal is to offer a therapeutic space that feels safe, collaborative, and genuinely human.
Community care and accessibility are important values in my work. I offer sliding-scale options and am building my practice with the intention of including pro bono support where possible.
This work is informed by a belief in care that is attentive, humane, and grounded in professional integrity.
Pain doesn’t always need to be solved or silenced. Sometimes, it’s asking to be seen; to be welcomed without judgment, to be held with compassion, to be honoured for the story it carries.
This understanding shapes my therapeutic approach.
If you reach out, the work can begin without pressure to have everything figured out. Therapy, as I practice it, makes room for questions, uncertainty, and strength — often all at once.
You’re invited into a space shaped by care, respect, and professional responsibility.
Our Work Together (Psychodynamic & Experiential)
We Don’t Start by Retelling Everything
You don’t have to rehash your whole story. Jumping into trauma too fast can increase distress and dysregulation (Schnyder et al., 2015; Cloitre et al., 2012).
We Start With What’s Happening Now
The first focus is the here and now, what’s unfolding between us. A strong therapeutic alliance is one of the most reliable predictors of outcome (Norcross & Lambert, 2019).
Why the Present Moment Matters
Patterns that appear in session often mirror earlier attachment experiences (Safran & Muran, 2000). Noticing them together helps us understand what you’ve learned to expect in relationships.
Slow, Supported, Regulated
Slowing down supports emotional integration and nervous-system regulation, key ingredients for trauma recovery (Ogden et al., 2006; Siegel, 2010). This is where old experiences and present feelings finally meet and change becomes possible.
When Something Feels “Off”
(Rupture + Repair)
You Don’t Have to Pretend Everything’s Fine
If something feels off between us, I aim to create enough safety and attunement that we may slow down and name it. You don’t have to push past it.
Why This Helps
Talking openly about these small disconnects—called ruptures—can actually strengthen our therapeutic bond (Safran & Muran, 2000; Eubanks, Muran & Safran, 2015).
Your honesty isn’t a risk here. It’s part of the healing.
Research Snapshot
1. What’s a rupture? They can look quiet (pulling back, pleasing) or more direct (frustration). Most are the quiet kind (Eubanks et al., 2015).
2. Ruptures help when named. Naming and exploring them deepens connection (Eubanks, Muran & Safran, 2018).
3. Repair matters. Working through a misstep can support better outcomes than having no tension at all (Safran & Muran, 2000).
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