Areas of Focus

Life transitions can be positive or negative, planned or unexpected. Whatever the circumstances, major transitions cause us to leave behind the familiar and force us to adjust to new ways of living, at least temporarily. Whether the change is an exciting choice we’ve consciously made or something devastating that is thrust upon us, we can experience any of the following:

• Feelings of stress and anxiety
• Feelings of overwhelm and depression
• Tension in relationships
• Problems eating, sleeping, or with day-to-day functioning
• Ineffective or harmful coping strategies
• Physical health symptoms
• Problems at work

Caring for a child with food allergies means vigilantly managing an invisible, unpredictable, and potentially life-threatening medical condition which takes significant effort and presents difficult challenges that parents must navigate on a daily basis. Food allergies can affect every facet of family life – school, extra-curricular activities, playdates, eating out, travel, holidays, parties, and even co-parenting relationships.

Regardless of one’s best efforts to maintain control and safety at home, children with food allergies are also exposed to unfamiliar people, places, and routines when they are outside the home or at school, where severe food allergy reactions can also occur.

I am committed to helping parents devise strategies to better cope with allergy-related stresses with a view to finding a balance between remaining vigilant and enjoying life. I work collaboratively with clients to explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours so that they may live more peaceful and happier lives. I offer individual counselling to parents affected by food allergy anxiety. I create a supportive virtual space in which parents can focus on the food allergy issues they struggle with in their families.