Welcome
Mental Health Counselling & Therapy Grounded in science and compassion
Professional counselling and therapy to help you reach your potential and grow through adversity
About Blue Tree Psychology
Who We See & What We Offer
We are a boutique psychology clinic offering individual counselling for adults between the ages of 18-65 years in Southeast Calgary. Counselling sessions are typically one hour in length. We strive to help our clients gain greater self-awareness, improve coping strategies, grow in their relationships, lead more fulfilling lives, and improve overall well-being. Blue Tree may be the right place for you if you are experiencing:
~ Depression or other mood concerns
~ Anxiety, Stress, Overwhelm
~ Issues in your relationships
~ Trauma (including PTSD)
~ Substance Use and/or Addictions
~ Family Issues
~ Difficulty reaching your personal or work goals
~ Grief and Loss
Holistic Approach to Mental Health
We take a holistic approach to mental health, recognizing that physical, psychological, and spiritual health are interconnected. Krista has extensive training in Mindfulness practices, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, trauma based approaches including EMDR (Eye Movement De-sensitization & Re-Processing), and Solution-Focused Therapy. These approaches are integrated and tailored to fit your unique needs and goals.
We strive to help clients feel safe, supported, and heard during their therapy sessions. Counselling is collaborative, whereby the client and therapist both bring expertise and wisdom to the process to help you reach your goals.
Meet Your Psychologist
I have been a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists since 2005. I am also a member of the Psychologists' Association of Alberta, and follow the ethical and legal guidelines governed by the College.
I am originally from Winnipeg and completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Manitoba. I moved to Montreal for graduate studies at McGill University, and then settled in Calgary to establish my career in mental health. My experience includes the University of Calgary, Renfrew Educational Services, Alberta Health Services, Landmark Collaborative Health, and private practice.
More About Me
I am a compassionate person driven by a deep sense of empathy and warmth. With a natural curiosity about what it means to be Human, I seek to understand others' stories and experiences, believing that each person has a unique narrative. This curiosity fuels a desire to connect with others on a deeper level, forging meaningful relationships built on trust, understanding, and mutual respect. I support others in their journey to live authentically by encouraging vulnerability, self-awareness, acceptance, and growth.
A true advocate for personal growth, I am passionate about helping others live their best lives. I believe in the power of human connection to foster healing, resilience, and transformation. I strive to help others discover their full potential and live with purpose and fulfillment. My own struggles have taught me that psychological health comes from embracing both the hardships and triumphs we experience, and that we have the power to bounce back from adversity with renewed strength and clarity.
A wanderer at heart, I am a passionate traveller, nature lover, and adventurer. I love discovering new places, people, cultures, and foods. Every experience has a valuable lesson and an opportunity for growth. My most healing and invigorating moments often happen near water. The peaceful stillness of a lake, or the flowing energy of a river or ocean is rejuvenating and renewing. I appreciate quiet moments of solitude combined with exhilarating experiences that make me feel truly alive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's in a Name?
What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?
What's in a Name?
Blue symbolizes many different things spiritually, emotionally, and in the natural world. It is also associated with certain personality types. For me, it represents healing, calm, soothing, and relaxation. It brings to mind sky and water, our connection to nature and its healing powers. Blue also represents trust, stability, peace, and tranquility. Last but not least, it has been my favourite colour since childhood!
Trees represent strength, growth, interconnectedness, wisdom, expression, prosperity, healing and protection. Trees are also a wonderful metaphor for our journey through life. We sprout and grow from our roots...... developing, evolving, and becoming stronger over time. As we weather the elements, we build resilience through hardship. Sometimes bursting with life, and sometimes dormant and resting. Sometimes surviving. Sometimes thriving.
Alternatively, the tree is also a metaphor for us as human beings with each branch a representation of a life experience, emotion, relationship, or aspect of our personality.
Fees & Insurance
What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?
What's in a Name?
Individual counselling sessions are typically booked for one hour in length at the rate of $240/hour. Fees are pro-rated depending on session length (eg. 1.5 hour session would be billed at $360). Fees are payable at the end of each session by credit card, e-transfer, or cash.
Psychological services are covered by many extended health benefit providers/insurance plans. Please inquire with your provider for details about your specific coverage for mental health services. We are not set up for direct billing insurance at this time. You are provided with a receipt to submit to your health benefits provider for reimbursement.
What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?
What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?
What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based therapeutic approach focusing on the relationship between our thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. CBT explores how to change negative/unhealthy thought patterns, recognize the connection between certain thoughts and emotional states, and regulate our emotions. CBT also examines behavioural patterns that either help promote well-being and mental health , or hinder us in achieving overall wellness. This approach is fairly structured and goal-oriented. Clients develop new coping skills whereby they learn to change their own thinking habits, problematic emotions, and behaviour.
What is EMDR?
What is Emotion-Focused Therapy?
What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?
Eye Movement De-sensitization and Re-Processing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and PTSD symptoms, as well as anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and other highly distressing life experiences. EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages the client to focus briefly on a traumatic memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memory. In turn, the client's distress surrounding the event/memory is decreased, and their overall level of coping is improved.
What is Mindfulness?
What is Emotion-Focused Therapy?
What is Emotion-Focused Therapy?
Jon Kabat-Zinn defines Mindfulness as "awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally". Over 30 years of research has shown the benefits of mindfulness practice for a variety of psychological, physical, chronic, and terminal health conditions. Furthermore, Mindfulness and MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) have shown to have positive benefits on stress and anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, resiliency, and chronic pain (among many others). The practice of mindfulness, both formally and informally, can help regulate our nervous system, shift our relationship to our own experiences, and improve overall well being.
What is Emotion-Focused Therapy?
What is Emotion-Focused Therapy?
What is Emotion-Focused Therapy?
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) is an evidence-based approach designed to help clients become more aware of, and make productive use of their emotions. Although it explores the interplay between thought, emotion, and action (similar to CBT), it primarily examines how emotion informs and guides us. An emphasis is placed on helping clients to better identify, experience, accept, transform, and develop flexibility in managing their emotions. Clients learn to discern when they need to use emotions as a guide, when they need to change an emotion, and/or when their emotions need to be regulated. EFT explores the moment-by-moment processing of emotion, and supports clients in transforming distressing emotion into healthier adaptive emotional states.