Thirty years ago, I started a career in the fitness industry as a group fitness instructor and personal trainer. I worked in many sectors of the industry including non-profit, for profit, community centres and eventually my own personal training business. I became a Master trainer of fitness leaders, opened a fitness education school and taught others to become personal trainers and group fitness instructors. I was on the board of directors for the BC Recreation and Parks Association and was the first Canadian Woman to be part of the advisory board for the American Council on Exercise. I authored two books and developed over a dozen fitness resource manuals and I have presented at fitness, health, and wellness conferences all over the world.

As the years went by my clients and even some of my students would speak to me about their mental health struggles. Struggles with body image, eating disorders, low self-esteem, inner critics, trauma and much more. I really wanted to be able to help these individuals, but I recognized their issues were outside my scope of practice, education, and knowledge. Not satisfied by this limitation and wanting a new challenge for myself, I decided, at age 46, to go back to school and add a Master’s degree in counselling psychology to my tool kit. While I love fitness and will always remain involved in the industry, I am happy to make this career shift and truly be able to bring together both mind and body in my work. I am proud to say that I have graduated with a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology from Simon Fraser University and I’m a registered clinical counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors.