Eileen is the youngest of 11 children and grew up with her brother John who had a severe brain injury, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy caused by meningitis when he was eight months old. This lived experience enabled her to relate to individuals and families that experience similar trials and tribulations. This significant relationship, along with the selfless example of her mother who tenderly and painstakingly cared for John all the days of his challenging life, propagated a burning desire within Eileen to help those who had difficulty getting the help they needed.

 

Eileen apprenticed with a psychologist for four years who specialized in working with adults with organic brain dysfunction and severe behaviour and boundary disturbances, and since 1988 has been working with people with disabilities, behavioural concerns, and mental health issues.

She is a past Vice President of the Brain Injury Association of Alberta, past liaison Vice President of the Sydney Association for Community Living and has worked in group-homes and institutionalized settings.

 

She holds a Master of Education from the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta and has worked as a private practitioner in behavior management in Alberta since 1995. She founded Dreamcatcher™ Nature Assisted Therapy in 2003 to allow for a non-threatening and motivating therapeutic environment for people to find guidance, comfort, and joy.

 

Although her career started with adults with severe neurodevelopmental issues, she shifted into working with children and youth shortly after. Today, she focuses on helping people of all ages and from all walks of life who have had difficulty getting the help they need. This includes people with complex trauma, multiple mental health diagnoses and neuroatypical conditions including brain injury and other neurodevelopmental conditions. She is well versed in specialized therapeutic modalities such as EMDR and Animal and Nature Assisted Therapy, and is one of the leading professionals in Animal Assisted Therapy in the country.