Joy brings diverse education and experience to her role as a coach for Kaizen. Her teaching and counseling background makes her both an empathetic listener and a skilled executive functioning coach. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Joy taught English in South Korea for seven years. There, she discovered her passion for teaching and developed her pedagogical approach. She believes teachers are not merely bearers of information but collaborators who help students experiment with new skills and achieve their best. This philosophy guided her as she transitioned to college instruction and later to corporate training for several prominent Korean companies, where she made significant contributions to building English skills and intercultural understanding.

Upon returning to Canada, Joy pursued further education at the University of Alberta, earning her Bachelor of Education degree. She now has over 15 years of Canadian teaching experience, working in both rural Alberta and Calgary. Her extensive experience includes teaching language arts, social studies, drama, and learning strategies. Joy believes learning is most successful when students actively engage in and reflect on the learning process. She recognizes that all students are unique and have potential, and she delights in guiding and supporting them as they make meaning of new concepts and skills.

Joy’s commitment to lifelong learning led her to complete a Master of Counselling degree from Gonzaga University. As a Certified Canadian Counselor (CCC), she has experience in individual and group counseling with both adults and children. In her role as an ADHD coach for Kaizen, Joy’s counseling skills help her empathize with students navigating the education system. She helps students develop emotion regulation and distress tolerance strategies to manage stress effectively. Understanding that attention and concentration improve with emotional calm, she helps students access their brain’s executive functioning skills. Joy recognizes that students with ADHD need to feel heard, understood, and accepted. She believes academic success is achievable through skill-building, support, and proper guidance. As a coach, her goal is to empower and support students as they both accept themselves and work toward positive change.