Donna brings extensive experience, knowledge and skills using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy in her work with individuals, families and groups over the past two decades. She supports clients who struggle with depression, anxiety, and relationship problems. She particularly enjoys the challenge of helping with the complex behaviors related to Borderline Personality Disorder. Responsible for pioneering new programming for the treatment of BPD in the Alberta public health sector, she is a passionate and dedicated expert on how complicated mental health issues are treated in the province. She founded Inner Solutions™ in 2003 and has since built a strong team that is committed to guiding clients to wellness and helping them build a life worth living.

 

She provides training, supervision and consultation to mental health professionals in the application of the DBT program. Donna is also highly regarded for her capacity to provide workshops and education sessions on a multitude of mental health topics. Please contact her directly if you wish to have her do a keynote at your convention or Annual General Meeting.

Jessica is trained in both Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She is particularly adept with the DBT–A model of therapy. She provides individual psychotherapy and also facilitates both the DBT-A (Adolescent) Multi-Family Skills Group and the Parenting Group. She works with clients of all ages, and especially enjoys working with adolescents and young adults. Jessica also specializes in working with parents of teens and young adults, addressing the issues within the family. She believes a key agent of change includes involving the family in the therapy process when it is needed, with the multi-family skills groups we offer.

 

Jessica provides education and information via co-facilitating workshops hosted by Inner Solutions™ and talks to school counsellors and mental health professionals on the topic of BPD in Adolescents and treatment with DBT.

 

When not at work she enjoys outdoor activities such as camping and hiking with her husband, daughter and dogs.

Sheena’s background in counselling comes from her work in community mental health as well as her work in frontline care. She is trained in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy as well as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

 

Her areas of interest include: trauma, anxiety, depression, substance abuse/addiction, self-esteem and stress management.

 

She has valued working with a diverse range of clients and has worked with both individuals and couples. She entered into counselling because she is passionate about helping people create lasting and meaningful changes in their lives.

 

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her young son and husband. She likes to travel and be outdoors whenever possible. She also enjoys art, museums and making crafts with her son.

Jennifer is committed to using a multi-faceted approach to the therapeutic relationship to enhance growth and to promote healing, having received training in DBT, CBT and Expressive Arts therapies. Her empathetic and collaborative approach aids her in understanding the unique perspective of her clients. Appreciating creativity and sensitivity Jennifer enjoys using the arts while working with her clients. Jennifer has worked in rural mental health with a wide range of clients of all ages on a variety of issues, including depression and anxiety, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, past trauma, self harm and challenges with identity and self-esteem.

 

Currently, she primarily works with individuals that have Borderline Personality Disorder or Emotional Dysregulation; working to highlight the strengths of her clients and to teach them skills in the areas that they struggle.

 

In her spare time, Jennifer loves to travel. She enjoys concerts, ballet, art and museums. A native Calgarian, Jennifer enjoys going to the mountains whenever possible. When not travelling, enjoying the mountains or local culture, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Melanie comes to Inner Solutions with over 15 years of experience in a not-for-profit agency supporting children, adolescents, and parents with complex needs.  She is passionate about families and engaging clients to manage their emotional and behavioral struggles and find ways to form meaningful relationships and build lives worth living.

 

Melanie helps clients to develop strategies to cope with their problems and increase their confidence and ability to resolve their difficulties in a safe, confidential, trusting, and caring environment.

 

It’s important to Melanie that when working with a family their values, resources, and capacity for choice are respected.

 

Melanie works with children, adolescents, and adults providing individual therapy and facilitating group therapy and psychoeducation sessions.  She has been trained in CBT, DBT and Systemic Family Therapy with a trauma-informed focus.

 

When Melanie isn’t at work; you will find her with her own family, cheering on her three children in various hockey arenas and softball diamonds around Alberta.

Karin is a former journalist who returned to school mid-life to put her interviewing skills to what she says is more meaningful use in a therapeutic setting. As a writer, she takes a narrative approach with her DBT training, having seen first-hand how transformational the telling of one’s life stories can be.

 

Certified in a process called Guided Autobiography, Karin’s interests lie in how major life events and even just lifespan changes (trauma, how we were parented, divorce, job loss, empty-nesting, aging) create patterns of disruptive thinking and dysfunctional behavior. She works with adults and teens, both in group and individual sessions, specializing in women’s mental health issues, parenting, BPD and stress management (as it relates to our biological beings).

 

When not working, Karin can be found writing for some project or another, or pining for her two now adult boys who never call, never write. She is completing a PhD in Health Psychology.

Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in psychology from the University of Lethbridge, a Master of Counselling from City University of Seattle and is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologist (CAP). Ashley is currently completing Foundational Training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and has a knowledge of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).

 

Prior to working with Inner Solutions™, Ashley gained valuable experience working for a non-profit agency working with diverse populations with a variety of presenting issues. Ashley also previously worked in a residential setting working with adolescents diagnosed with multiple childhood disorders experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.

 

Ashley especially enjoys working with teens and young adults. Her areas of interest include work with eating disorders, body image, self-esteem, Borderline Personality Disorder, emotion dysregulation, and anxiety disorders including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

 

In her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time with friends and family, riding her bike, swimming, and running. She also loves reading, painting  and photography.

Andrea works with children, adolescents, and adults providing psychological assessment, consultation, and psychoeducation. Andrea has worked in public and rural schools, not-for-profit agencies, and mental health clinics with a wide range of clients of all ages and with unique strengths and areas of need. She has extensive training and experience in the assessment of learning disorders, intellectual ability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mood and anxiety disorders, language disorders, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. With her training and experience in educational psychology, Andrea is able to provide consultation to your child’s school for individual program plan (IPP) development or effective strategies for the classroom.

 

Andrea especially enjoys working with young people and their families who are searching for an answer as to why they are struggling at school, at work, or in their daily experiences. She takes a comprehensive, systems-approach to assessment, seeking input from families and schools to fully understand the individual and their experience.

 

Outside of work, Andrea is completing her PhD in School and Applied Child Psychology. When she gets a spare moment, Andrea enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, staying active, knitting and crafting.

Jana has a passion for nutrition and how it impacts overall well-being. She believes in evidence-based practice and collaborating with the client and their healthcare team to provide best possible client and family-centered care.

 

Jana has helped develop the Eating Disorders Program and co-facilitates the Eating Disorders Skills Group here at Inner Solutions™. She is also a Certified Facilitator for Craving Change™ which is a Cognitive Behavioral Program designed to help discover the "why" of our eating behaviours.

 

Jana has a professional interest in working with disordered eating. She also works in the areas of weight management, chronic disease management, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) symptom control, and sport specific nutrition planning. She will always work with the client at a pace they are most comfortable with to help them work towards recovery, balanced eating and building a healthy relationship with food.

 

Jana was a highly competitive athlete for many years in both basketball and football. She continues to train and lives an active lifestyle. She enjoys cooking, trying new foods, and spending time with friends and family.

Mark is a Stress Reduction/ Positivity professional with over 15 years of experience specializing in skills to manage the effects of stress and increase positivity and thereby increasing success in all areas of life.

 

He has worked with notable clients such as The University of Calgary, Tom Baker Cancer Center, Calgary Board of Education, Bow Valley College, The City of Calgary, and Inner Solutions™, and YogaMCC.

 

Mark’s formal teacher training in mindfulness based interventions (MBI) began in 2003 with the 7-day Professional Training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction in Mind-Body Medicine through the Omega Institute at the Crossings in Austin Texas, with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli; followed in 2009 by the 8 week practicum in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the UMass Medical School Center For Mindfulness.