Education and Experience

I earned my Masters degree in psychology at Concordia University, Montreal. I specialized in the neurobiology of addictions, and did ground breaking research on Ibogaine, a natural substance similar to a psychedelic. I then worked at a hospital outpatient clinic where I learned practical skills from a team of psychiatrists and psychologists. I also worked at a maximum security prison, in a regional high school in Quebec creating new approaches to youth mental health. We moved to British Columbia in 1996, where my focus shifted to First Nations. We lived and worked on two reserves, near Lillooet.

Seven years immersed in that environment, learning from Elders and shamans, helped consolidate a world-view that sees people as integral in the natural world, and capable of accessing wider perspectives that are inherently healing.

The next ten years, I worked for a government agency, leading a team of psychologists and other professionals, as we helped children and families struggling with an array of complex and extreme problems.

As is the way of things, I eventually retired, and now maintain a small private practice. All along, I have been a learner, constantly upgrading my skills and adding to my toolbox.