About Paula

As an immigrant to this land, I care about the spirit of Reconciliation, and acknowledge that I live in the beautiful and unceded Territory of the Coast Salish people including the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm - Musquem, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh-Squamish and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ -Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

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The transformative power of meaningful conversations beckoned me from a young age. As a curious child there was nothing I relished more than being allowed to cozy-up in  a corner of my grandma’s kitchen in order to witness adult conversations. It was in that kitchen that I was first introduced to a generous range of human emotions, to misunderstandings, to empathy, to self-expression, to reconciliation and to the power of human connection. What I learned was that we all need to feel heard, seen and connected with in order to find peace and purpose. I also learned not to be afraid of human emotion, no matter how loud or distressing, since emotional flow has the energy needed for healing. As I matured, I learned to embody meaningful ways of relating with other people, with nature, and with myself. When I first read Rumi’s encouragement  “let the beauty of what you love be what you do,” I knew that counselling psychology was the work I needed to do, so I dedicated time to learning the skill set that allows me to embody what I believe in. I see my life’s work in counselling as a spiritual beckoning, as an honest privilege.