My approach to supervision is strongly influenced by my experiences of teaching and conducting research in developmental and educational psychology. Prior to being a psychotherapist, I was responsible for training and supervising research assistants to conduct clinical interviews with adults with personality disorders in a longitudinal study. These home visits were challenging for interviewers who required sensitive emotional support and confidence to process their clinical decisions and assessments. In my supervision approach, I prioritize the importance of creating a safe welcoming environment where colleagues can feel comfortable to share their concerns and obtain helpful information and structured approaches of their own choice.

I look at mental health through a developmental lens with a recognition of the importance of the multiple interrelated contexts that influence human development. During my graduate studies at Boston College, I spent five years conducting home visits with families that involved interviewing parents, children, and siblings about their experiences living with a child with a disability. These visits helped me to understand the age-related patterns of disorder and competence in children and the critical role of family dynamics. I take a strengths-based approach drawing on the natural resilience that is integral to each person. I was fortunate to be supervised by many mental health professionals such as psychologists and psychiatrists while working at McLean Psychiatric Hospital in Boston and the Hotel Dieu Mood Disorder Clinic in Kingston. These experiences were formative in my approach to supervision.