top of page

Our psychology team provides counselling and assessment services  to children, youth, and adults. 

Psychology Team 

About Lisa Picassi 

Therapy for children, youth and adults 

Hello, my name is Lisa and I have over 10 years of experience working with children, adolescents, teenagers, adults, and families in school, community, and clinical settings. My areas of specialty include anxiety, depression, self-esteem, behavioural issues, school issues, life transitions, parenting, and family conflict..

I work collaboratively with children and families. Some of the approaches I may use include cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, solution focused therapy, and play therapy.

Family challenges can be complex and overwhelming. I will work together with you and/or your family to achieve your goals so that life can feel at ease again.

About  Christina Ferber

Hello, my name is Christina Ferber, and I am passionate about working with children, youth, and parents. I am a registered psychologist in Alberta, and I have worked in schools, clinics, and private practice settings for the past 20+ years. I have training and experience in Synergetic play therapy, sand tray therapy, and using creative techniques to engage children and youth. I use an attachment lens to help families and I incorporate principles from Emotion Focused Family Therapy, NeuroRelational Framework, Gottman Emotion Coaching, and the Circle of Security program.

 

I enjoy working with clients of all ages and a with a variety of concerns (depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma, etc). I love helping people tap into their inner strength and resources to find hope and build resilience when facing challenges or uncertainty. I have a special interest in positive psychology and mindfulness practices, which I have experienced the benefit of in my own life.

 

I have experience and training in EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Solution-Focused Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, among others. I use a client-centred approach as a foundation to explore your concerns with you, to provide interventions that address your specific goals and needs. I look forward to connecting with you to discuss how we can partner together on a journey toward greater well-being.

Therapy for children, youth and adults 

Aleksandra is a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. She has earned a bachelor’s degree of Arts in Psychology and a master’s degree in counselling.

Aleksandra provides individual counselling to children (ages 8+), youth, and adults who are experiencing frequent patterns of distress. She guides individuals who are struggling with symptoms such as chronic stress and overwhelm, emotional dysregulation, loss of connection, dependency on devices, persistent feelings of sadness, excessive worrying, difficulty sleeping and difficulty setting boundaries. She aspires to help clients gain new perspectives on the origins and influence of these patterns, giving voice to previously unexpressed experiences, and ultimately discovering more functional and satisfying ways of existing in the world.

As a Registered Provisional Psychologist, she has gained wide experience working with children, youth, and adults, including students and first responders. Aleksandra has worked extensively with individuals who have experienced developmental trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief and loss. She has worked in various settings, including addictions and recovery center, outpatient treatment center, employment and family assistance program, and private practice. She has facilitated groups such as: trauma processing, recovery management, psychoeducational CBT and DBT, creative expression.

Aleksandra aspires to help her clients achieve their individual goals while gaining a more profound understanding of themselves and their connections with others. She strongly believes that establishing a genuine connection between the client and therapist is one of the most vital components of successful therapy. She places great importance on building connections with each of her clients, leveraging these connections to create a safe environment that allows for significant insights to be addressed, distressing relationship patterns to be examined and challenged, and therapy to be tailored to your specific needs, abilities, and aspirations at each stage of your therapeutic journey.

Aleksandra creates a safe and welcoming environment by fostering authenticity, compassion, and humor in the therapeutic process. With an interactive, transparent, and collaborative approach, she recognizes that there is no single approach that fits all clients in psychotherapy. Although she primarily works from a psychodynamic- informed perspective, she frequently incorporates insights and techniques from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), while also utilizing elements of mindfulness, self-compassion and somatic therapy. This allows her to develop practical and straightforward strategies for deeper exploratory work, which can better address concerns such as anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma and relationship issues. Aleksandra warmly welcomes individuals of all walks of life to her practice. In her free time Aleksandra enjoys spending time with her family. Gardening, reading, meditating and traveling.

About Aleksandra

Therapy for youth and adults 
IMG_0759_edited_edited.jpg

About Lisa Curial 

Assessment for children and youth 

Lisa Curial  (B.A. University of Alberta ‘08) (M.Ed University of Alberta ‘12) has been a Registered Psychologist in Alberta since 2014. Lisa has worked all over the province supporting some of Alberta’s most complex and diverse students. First working with the Calgary Board of Education, Lisa travelled province-wide supporting students in rural communities as well as throughout Calgary. Following, Lisa moved to a position with Edmonton Public Schools working with diverse children in Edmonton. 

Lisa brings her assessment expertise to our team in order to assist families understand more about their child's learning needs. Services Lisa currently offers individuals at Alberta Therapy Co include: 

  • Psychoeducational Assessments 

  • ADHD Assessment (child and adult) 

  • Autism Diagnosis (child and adult) 

  • Learning Disability (reading, writing, etc.)

 

Lisa has worked with children with a wide range of differences and ages. She has extensive experience working with children with differences such as autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, behavioural difficulties, ADHD, ODD, gifted students and those with social/emotional difficulties. She has also worked with children who are non-verbal. She has particular interest in reading and completed her master’s thesis in reading disabilities. 

 

Lisa has worked with the College of Alberta Psychologists as an oral examiner of future psychologists. Lisa also has run workshops for parents looking for additional behavioural strategies for their children, is a regular guest blogger for local influencer Life of Dr. Mom, and has appeared on podcasts talking about topics such as childhood anxiety and common childhood behavioural challenges. 

 

In her spare time, Lisa enjoys being with her husband and two small boys. As a family they enjoy being outdoors, skiing, and travelling.

Screenshot 2023-12-02 at 12.24.09 PM.png
unnamed-13_edited_edited.jpg

About Jessica Henschel 

Therapy for children (8 years+), youth, adults and Assessment of children and adults 

Hi, I’m Jessica! I’m a Registered Provisional Psychologist here in Alberta. I know from personal experience that asking for help and prioritizing your mental health is really hard. Facing the difficult aspects of your life is scary and it’s much easier to stay in the same patterns that have kept you afloat and helped you survive. But if you find those patterns aren’t working for you anymore, it can be worth it to take that leap and reach out - and I'd love to take that step with you! I often work with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and those dealing with anxiety, depression, personality disorders (specifically borderline personality disorder), relationship issues, trauma/PTSD, and complex trauma. I enjoy working with teens (ages 13+), adults, and couples. I also offer various functional/vocational assessments, including Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD diagnosis. I operate from a person-centred lens, which means I believe that you are the expert on your own life. You're steering the ship in our sessions, and I’m there to support you by offering a compassionate, down-to-earth, and candid style of therapy (laughter also guaranteed). I have training and experience in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), among others. I love connecting with people from all walks of life and cultures. I believe in accepting people for who they are in the moment they sit down in our space. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

IMG_2764_edited_edited.png

About Lauren Pitchforth

Counselling for youth and young adults
*Reduced rate*

Hello, I'm Lauren Pitchforth, and I'm deeply passionate about helping adolescents and their families navigate through the many of challenges life can throw our way. With a master's degree in Child and Youth Care, I've dedicated over seven years of my career to supporting young people and their families in hospital and mental health school settings.Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working with diverse groups of adolescents and families facing a wide range of struggles. My goal is to empower young people to recognize that their problems are separate from their identities, and that they possess the resilience to overcome them no matter how difficult it may seem. I specialize in supporting individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, family separation, and complex trauma. To address these challenges, I utilize a variety of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), exposure therapy, narrative therapy, and play therapy, tailoring my approach to meet the unique needs of each individual.I firmly believe in creating a safe and supportive environment where clients can explore their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. My approach is grounded in empathy, compassion, and a deep understanding of the developmental needs of adolescents.Continuing education is important to me, and I make it a point in my life to stay informed about the latest research and best practices in mental health. Outside of my clinical practice, I enjoy going to the gym, practicing mindfulness and spending quality time with my loved ones.I am excited to meet you and support you in becoming an even more remarkable version of yourself.

IMG_3676.JPEG

About Justine Jacques

Therapy for youth (12+) and adults, couples and vocational assessments for adults 

As an attachment focused and trauma informed therapist, I work with individuals and couples to identify how traumatic experiences, grief and loss, experiencing neglect or abuse, and other distressing experiences may be keeping you stuck in a pattern of distress. Unresolved trauma can maintain feelings of depression, anxiety, self criticism, difficulty regulating or expressing your emotions, difficulty in feeling close with others, as well as difficulty in setting boundaries. It can also contribute to PTSD, phobias, disordered eating, and a number of other mental health challenges.I use approaches such as Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Being trauma informed means that I understand that it may take a while for you to feel safe and ready to change, while I will gently point out times where you may be getting in your own way.You may have identified some great ways of coping with distressing feelings. I work with you to build on your current strengths and to develop further strategies to cope and heal. Feel free to reach out with any questions or to book a complementary consultation so that you can find the best fit for your individual goals. Cheers!

About  Katie Gruszecki 

Therapy for children, youth and adults
*Online only at this time*  

Katie is a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologist. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education and a Masters of Counselling Psychology.

Katie provides individual counselling to children, youth and adults who are facing life challenges and mental health concerns. She has gained a variety of experience with children and youth as both an elementary school teacher and mental health counsellor. Katie has worked extensively with individuals who have faced trauma, anxiety and

depression, autism spectrum disorder and behavioural concerns.

For the past 3 years, Katie lived and worked in Indigenous communities in Northern Alberta. She faciliated youth community engagement sessions and assisted in suicide prevention initiatives. In addition, she has assisted individuals during times of crisis and provided therapy.

Katie utilizes a variety of therapeutic approaches to meet the unique needs of each client. She has training in play therapy, narrative therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and solution focused therapy. Katie also provides couples therapy and utilizes the Gottman approach.

In her free time, Katie enjoys exploring the outdoors with her French bulldog, Ivan, cooking, yoga and working out!

bottom of page