About Kelly | KMW Psychology

Approach

Kelly works with clients to match the therapeutic approach to their personality and goals. She approaches each client with an integrative approach, using elements of many different modalities. However, Kelly has specific training and interest in the following:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

At the core of ACT is the goal to increase psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility is the ability to be fully present in the current moment, accepting the situation as it is, while choosing and persisting in behaviour that are driven towards your own values. ACT explores how people can get into internal battles with language (their thoughts and beliefs), while teaching clients how to make healthy contact with elements they may have been avoiding – thoughts, feelings, memories, and physical sensations. It is empirically-based and its use for a variety of concerns is supported.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

Interpersonal Psychotherapy is empirically supported to help individuals from ages 9 – 99+ with a variety of concerns. It focuses on exploring interpersonal issues which can be the cause of psychological distress. It is a time-limited therapy that targets symptom resolution, improved social functioning and increased interpersonal support.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

This approach explores how your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes impact your feelings and behaviours. It is an empirically-validated approach that has been used successfully on a wide variety of concerns. It targets the thoughts, beliefs and attitudes to understand and alter thinking patterns that are causing distress.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills (DBT)

Skills such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotional regulation help clients engage effectively in their lives and with the people around them. Kelly is trained and versed in the use of DBT skills to provide targeted skill support to help mental health and wel-being.

Emotion-Focused Approaches

This approach is typically used with parents and/or caregivers to help them learn ‘Advanced Parenting Skills’ to support their child (even their adult child) through their mental illness. It is based on interpersonal neurobiology and emotion-focused therapy, working to teach parents to become emotion coaches, behavioural coaches and engage in relationship repair (when necessary).

Integrative Play Therapy

Play and Art approaches are used to specifically help children in the therapy process. Play therapy uses the modality of play to help children express concerns and learn to use skills in-the-moment. This evidence-based approach works with the developmental level of each child to create change. For more information, explore the Canadian Association for Play Therapy (www.canadianplaytherapy.com) or contact Kelly for more information.

Background

I have spent most of my life working with children and adolescents. I have often enjoyed seeking out work opportunities that challenged me both personally and professionally. From working at a zoo without ever owning a pet, to being employed in a correctional centre as a young undergraduate student, I have always valued the wisdom that people have regardless of their age or life circumstance.

Prior to becoming a psychologist, I worked as a teacher and school counsellor in Edmonton and surrounding area for many years. My experience in mental health settings began while completing an undergraduate psychology internship at the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre in the department of psychology. It was here that I found that I both loved teaching and psychology, as the focus of my work was to provide psychoeducational programs to both male and female offenders focusing on life skills, such as anger management, stress reduction, relapse prevention for addictions, and grief recovery.

I completed my after-degree in Education and worked as a Junior High and High School teacher and school counsellor for 9 years. This provided me with extensive experience working on the front-lines with children, adolescent, their parents, and their teachers. I have a strong knowledge base to help advocate for clients within the school system while collaborating with physicians, other physical and mental health supports, and other agencies. Although I love teaching, I found that my passion focused on the mental health of students and I began my Master in Counselling designation during this time. I completed my Master's practicum at an inner-city school in Edmonton, working with Junior High students from a variety of backgrounds and concerns. This included consultation work with school staff and external agencies to provide holistic mental health supports to students and their families.

My current practice is focused on working with children, adolescents, and adults with a variety of concerns. I see individuals from 3 years of age and up. I became a Certified Play Therapist with the Canadian Association for Play Therapy and use this as a primary way of helping children. I have a particular interest in helping students find success in school, working with children, parents and siblings who have pervasive medical concerns, assisting clients through grief and loss, and supporting children through separation and divorce.