About
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Hi, I'm Sarah. A passionate educator and clinical counsellor with a fire for sharing the practice & art of mindfulness, self-compassion, and self-love. I support people to cultivate fierce self-compassion and self-acceptance - so that they can come to know the immense power of their inner presence, value, joy, and gifts in this world. When we shift our relationship with ourselves, positive transformation can unfold from the inside out.
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Welcome. I'm so glad you're here.
I'm a Vancouver native who has travelled the world, the mind, and the spirit, seeking to understand the human experience. Although I've reached no definitive answers, I have witnessed and experienced the unending capacity for people to heal, connect, love, and grow – even through some of life’s greatest challenges. In my own healing and human journey, nothing has impacted me more profoundly than learning to embrace myself with self-compassion and self-love.
Since 2007 I've had the privilege to study psychology, counselling, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and energy healing modalities with teachers from BC and around the world. A little over 9 years ago, meditation awakened an inner stillness and calm that I now know forms the foundation of who I am. No matter how chaotic the moment may seem or even feel on the surface, this is an inner space I can return to again and again. Despite these profound initial inner changes and transformations, however, I still felt like something was missing.
I came to the practice of self-compassion first and foremost because I needed it. Desperately. Not long ago, I often found myself meeting challenges and disappointments with self-criticism and judgment, rather than the kindness and compassion I deeply longed for. Like so many others I've met, I thought I needed to prove myself worthy not only of the love of others, but also of my own love and approval. Accepting myself had become something that was, more often than not, conditional: I approved of myself based on how well I thought I had met my own ideals in my relationships, work, self-image, and even in my spiritual life.
I knew I needed a major dose of self-love. And yet, when I was faced with my flaws, imperfections, and human vulnerability, I struggled to know how I could meet myself with unconditional love.
Little by little, I learned the tools to shift my inner dialogue from one of criticism to one of kindness, compassion, and love. I began to discover the relationship with myself - and with others - that I was longing for. To be clear, cultivating Self-Compassion and Self-Love didn't make all my problems go away; but it did give me the gift of learning how to meet my most challenging moments of pain and vulnerability with acceptance, tenderness, and care. This is where the greatest transformations lay.
I learned how to motivate myself with kindness, rather than with criticism or shame. I learned how to care for myself when I felt the most down and out. I developed greater courage and strength to take meaningful risks in love, career, passion, creativity, and self-expression. I began knowing and feeling that I am worthy of my dreams. And I learned that, ultimately, all of me - the weak and the strong, beautiful and ugly, chaotic and clear - is welcome and has a place in the great dance of life.
By no means is this a straight line or a perfect process. There have been and still are stumbles and moments of forgetting along the way. (And when noticed, offer yet another opportunity to practice self-love!) And yet, committing myself to this path of fierce self-compassion and self-love has transformed my life from the inside out in countless ways.
Now the best news is, self-compassion is something we can each learn at any stage of life. No one is ever too late or too 'un-self-compassionate' to begin this practice. Everyone is invited to and can benefit from this practice.
Inspired by the impacts of developing greater self-love and compassion in my own life, I now teach the Mindful Self-Compassion program developed by Drs. Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, facilitate workshops on self-compassion and self-love, and coach individuals in cultivating greater mindfulness, self-love, and self-compassion.
My highest aim and commitment is to show up with grounded presence, with great respect for the experience and wisdom that each person brings with them already, and with the knowledge that this is a shared and life-long process for each of us.
If you want to explore cultivating greater self-compassion in your life, then I warmly invite you to join me for an 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion training, for one of my workshops, or for individual counselling.
When I'm not teaching and studying, I love to roam the shorelines, mountains and woods of the wild West Coast, practice yoga, dance, and learn as much as I can on human development, consciousness, healing, and wellbeing.
I look forward to sharing this journey with you!
I'm a Vancouver native who has travelled the world, the mind, and the spirit, seeking to understand the human experience. Although I've reached no definitive answers, I have witnessed and experienced the unending capacity for people to heal, connect, love, and grow – even through some of life’s greatest challenges. In my own healing and human journey, nothing has impacted me more profoundly than learning to embrace myself with self-compassion and self-love.
Since 2007 I've had the privilege to study psychology, counselling, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and energy healing modalities with teachers from BC and around the world. A little over 9 years ago, meditation awakened an inner stillness and calm that I now know forms the foundation of who I am. No matter how chaotic the moment may seem or even feel on the surface, this is an inner space I can return to again and again. Despite these profound initial inner changes and transformations, however, I still felt like something was missing.
I came to the practice of self-compassion first and foremost because I needed it. Desperately. Not long ago, I often found myself meeting challenges and disappointments with self-criticism and judgment, rather than the kindness and compassion I deeply longed for. Like so many others I've met, I thought I needed to prove myself worthy not only of the love of others, but also of my own love and approval. Accepting myself had become something that was, more often than not, conditional: I approved of myself based on how well I thought I had met my own ideals in my relationships, work, self-image, and even in my spiritual life.
I knew I needed a major dose of self-love. And yet, when I was faced with my flaws, imperfections, and human vulnerability, I struggled to know how I could meet myself with unconditional love.
Little by little, I learned the tools to shift my inner dialogue from one of criticism to one of kindness, compassion, and love. I began to discover the relationship with myself - and with others - that I was longing for. To be clear, cultivating Self-Compassion and Self-Love didn't make all my problems go away; but it did give me the gift of learning how to meet my most challenging moments of pain and vulnerability with acceptance, tenderness, and care. This is where the greatest transformations lay.
I learned how to motivate myself with kindness, rather than with criticism or shame. I learned how to care for myself when I felt the most down and out. I developed greater courage and strength to take meaningful risks in love, career, passion, creativity, and self-expression. I began knowing and feeling that I am worthy of my dreams. And I learned that, ultimately, all of me - the weak and the strong, beautiful and ugly, chaotic and clear - is welcome and has a place in the great dance of life.
By no means is this a straight line or a perfect process. There have been and still are stumbles and moments of forgetting along the way. (And when noticed, offer yet another opportunity to practice self-love!) And yet, committing myself to this path of fierce self-compassion and self-love has transformed my life from the inside out in countless ways.
Now the best news is, self-compassion is something we can each learn at any stage of life. No one is ever too late or too 'un-self-compassionate' to begin this practice. Everyone is invited to and can benefit from this practice.
Inspired by the impacts of developing greater self-love and compassion in my own life, I now teach the Mindful Self-Compassion program developed by Drs. Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, facilitate workshops on self-compassion and self-love, and coach individuals in cultivating greater mindfulness, self-love, and self-compassion.
My highest aim and commitment is to show up with grounded presence, with great respect for the experience and wisdom that each person brings with them already, and with the knowledge that this is a shared and life-long process for each of us.
If you want to explore cultivating greater self-compassion in your life, then I warmly invite you to join me for an 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion training, for one of my workshops, or for individual counselling.
When I'm not teaching and studying, I love to roam the shorelines, mountains and woods of the wild West Coast, practice yoga, dance, and learn as much as I can on human development, consciousness, healing, and wellbeing.
I look forward to sharing this journey with you!
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Sarah has worked in the field of mental health and holistic healing for 8 years, and has 7 years of experience in leading meditation and mindfulness groups. She has worked in schools, universities, social agencies for youth and adults, and community spiritual health initiatives. Sarah has an MA degree in counselling psychology from Simon Fraser University, where she also interned providing counselling to university students, and researched women's experiences of learning and integrating self-compassion. In her courses and workshops, Sarah cultivates space in which others can come to know the power of their own compassionate voice, presence, and gift.
Professional training: -Trained Teacher for the 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Course – University of California San Diego, Center for Mindfulness -M.A. in Counselling Psychology – Simon Fraser University -B.A. (Honours) Psychology – University of Victoria -Co-Teacher for the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR) – The University of Victoria -Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance International – The Vancouver School of Yoga -Healing Pathway Holistic Energy Healing - Mentoring with Leslie Black, 2007-present -Reiki Master – Westcoast Reiki Specialized Psychotherapy Training: -Gestalt Therapy Intensive -Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Immersion -Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) -Internal Family Systems (IFS) -Somatic Therapy -Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for anxiety & depression -Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for trauma |
