Mental health has always been a significant part of my life. In high school, my mental health declined rapidly. At this point, I was given access to various counselling and mental health services that have forever had a positive impact on my life; I was so inspired by those who helped me that I decided to study psychology in university in hopes of becoming a counsellor myself. As someone with lived experience in mental health struggles, I aspire to be a counsellor who can support struggling adolescents by providing them with the tools they need to help them cope. By pursuing counselling, I hope to become an inspiration to future youth and prove to them that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to mental health.

​

      In becoming a counsellor, I highly value integrating diversity and inclusion into mental health treatment. We have so much to learn from people of different cultures, religions, and identities, and creating a space in which they can freely express themselves is crucial to helping them heal. I also highly value empathy and openness, and hope to create a safe space in which people are free to communicate their needs without fear of judgement. While I have experience in motivational speaking to youth with mental health struggles and participating in mental health workshops, my most significant experience in this field came from doing a counselling practicum with UFV. Here, I was able to practice and learn about counselling in a real-world environment.