Psychological Services at Docere Wellness Centre
A psychologist studies the science of the brain/mind and behavior to better understand how people think, feel and behave. Psychotherapy is the art of applying this knowledge along with many techniques, to help people change distressing thoughts, feelings, behaviors and relationships. In Alberta, psychologists must be registered to practice and follow standards to provide you with the safest and most effective care. You and your psychologist/therapist will work together in a supportive relationship where you can talk openly and safely about concerns. A meeting with a psychologist/therapist involves an assessment and use of talk therapies to create change in problem areas such as discontent with who you are, life transitions, relationships, separation and divorce, depression, extreme mood change, stress, anxiety, coping with trauma, addictions, and workplace stress to name a few. The assessment and approach to your plan is based on your individual, unique goals, needs and personality.
You can call a psychologist/therapist at Docere if you are:
- feeling overwhelmed and helpless to change some of your problems and cannot seem to improve them despite trying and getting help from family and friends,
- feeling dissatisfied with who you are, how you are living and your purpose in life,
- struggling to carry out daily activities including parenting, self care, work tasks and others,
- worrying to too much, expect the worst and find it hard to be hopeful about the future
- are struggling to express and meet your needs in relationships and feel you often have relationship disappointments,
- and your actions are harming yourself or others including being too angry, using to much of a substance or actually trying to hurt yourself physically
Psychologists develop specializations or areas of interest through ongoing education, work experience and their own life experiences. At Docere the two psychologist/therapists have over 30 years of combined experience. They are pleased to provide individual, couple, family and group therapies to help with many different problem areas. Please see individual profiles or call us to book an appointment or have a phone conversation to discuss how we can help. If another program or person would serve you better, we can help you make that referral. The average length of time for therapy depends on the problems but it is always up to you to decide how much and what kind of therapy is right for you. It is important to have the right match with your psychologist/therapist so you can feel comfortable and safe. We are happy to talk about this with you.
At Docere, the psychologist/therapists are pleased to offer some therapy groups. The idea of talking to strangers in a group can seem frightening but group therapy is equally as effective as individual therapy. It is the group leadersí job to ensure that the group is safe and helpful and group members usually quickly feel helped by knowing they are not alone in their problems. Group therapy may be a more cost effective way to have therapy than individual treatment.
There are four groups in development at Docere. We try to include information and strategies that meet the unique needs and goals of each group member.
- Insomnia Group: This is an 8 week practical education and behavior change group for coping with Insomnia without medication. This group provides strategies for changing your frustration about not sleeping and retraining your mind and body to sleep effectively.
- Anxiety and Stress Management: This is a 6 or 8 week practical and behavior change group for managing anxiety and stress that provides strategies for calming your body tension, changing your worrying to stress-reducing thinking, and other lifestyle changes that can prevent ongoing excessive stress and worry.
- Emotional Eating and Weight Loss Support: This is an 8 week practical and behavior change group for managing emotional eating and supporting life style changes for healthy weight loss, improved self esteem and self care, and improved ability to cope with stress.
- Self Esteem and Personal Growth: This is a 12 week interpersonal group for personal growth, self esteem and communicating your needs to others. The focus in this group is talking about you and using the support of the group as a place to learn more about yourself and to practice ways to be more successful in relationships.
Please call us at (403) 452-6262 to discuss your questions about or interest in any groups or individual therapy at Docere Wellness Centre or about costs. Some fees can be negotiated.Please be aware that we are not an urgent centre and if you feel your mental health concerns are an emergency, please see your main health care provider or contact the Distress Centre at 403 266-1605.
