About Joni

Joni is a compassionate and kind-hearted professional who strives to provide gentle guidance to children and families as they navigate life’s challenges. Her approach involves walking alongside clients at their own pace, while creating a supportive and empathetic environment throughout therapy sessions. Originally from New Brunswick, she brings the warmth of those roots into every aspect of her work, from fostering secure family attachments to finding solace in nature. 

     In her practice, she has a therapy dog (Penny) who loves tagging along and can be requested to attend a session if you'd like to meet her. Together, Penny and Joni create a comforting environment where children and families can explore, heal, and grow. It has been shown that a child’s core needs of security, safety, and connection can be built on through traditional therapy experiences, and these needs often evolve further with animal assistance.

    As a professional, with over two decades of experience in Fort McMurray, Joni thoroughly enjoys working in this community, especially with children and youth. Her career began as a teacher in 2001, where she developed a great passion for working with children. Joni also has experience working with adults and teens during her time spent within an employee assistance counselling agency and addiction services. Since then, she has transitioned back to the school setting and has been able to integrate seamlessly with school staff to support student needs in the classroom. 

     Joni is a Registered Psychologist and Certified Play Therapist, which allows her to easily blend clinical expertise with a nurturing approach to help clients thrive. Her extensive experience working with youth has provided her with great understanding of their unique challenges and ways to navigate through them. Joni can integrate a collaborative approach to incorporate various modalities and allow each client to establish an individual and effective therapeutic plan. She is proud to be a professional member of the College of Alberta Psychologists and can now provide supervision to counsellors advancing through their certification programs.

     Whether you are seeking support for yourself, your child, or family, along with the option of acquiring guidance in educational settings, Joni is here to assist and is committed to supporting the well-being of her clients. Therapy can provide insight, action, and healing for all members in the family unit. It would be a privilege for her to help you through these needs with an effective counselling approach. Please reach out to schedule an initial consultation with her and get started on your journey towards healing and resilience.