Welcome to my website! I’m Lauren, a Registered Psychologist from Calgary, Alberta.

My career began in September 2017 when I started an internship with the Calgary Counselling Centre. I’ve provided counselling services to many different folks during my journey to complete my hours to become a fully Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) in 2019. Since then, after a brief experience working with concussion & brain injury rehabilitation, I settled into work in primary care where I continue to work full-time today (hence my limited availability for private practice work).

I’m extremely passionate about the work I do. Working in primary care, I often tell people that I don’t see myself as an expert in anything. Rather, just like your family physician, I know a little bit about a lot of things and can treat common ailments (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression, etc.) very well. When more specialized knowledge and expertise are required, my job is to help refer you to the right specialist. As a jack of all trades, master of none, I place great importance on being a lifelong learner. I am always challenging myself to take part in continuing education to stay on top of changes in the field.

When it comes to how I practice and what my sessions look like, my favourite modality (i.e., type of therapy - there are many different types) to work with is IFS. When I started my career, I provided Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and over time, began to feel that for some of my clients, the approach wasn’t getting the results they were looking for. Then, I found IFS. IFS is an extremely compassionate approach that allows for flexibility depending on the unique needs and complexity each person brings to a session. I was fortunate to be first taught IFS by Derek Scott through a program briefly offered by Adler Graduate Professional School. Since then, I have continued to engage in continued learning, participating in trainings by Frank Anderson, the IFS Institute (IFS Online Circle), Dr. Risa Adams, and most recently, Dr. Kendhal Hart.

In addition to IFS, I have also found a great benefit of using ART or CPT as alternative approaches for treating trauma. Similar to how there are different styles of learning, different people need different approaches to therapy to be successful. In our initial sessions, I’ll help you figure out the best approach for you.

Outside work, I enjoy spending time with my family. I am a mother to two beautiful young children and a wife to my husband, Sean. I have a mixed-breed rescue dog named Zoe, who may make an appearance in online sessions from time to time!

One of the benefits of working with a therapist who is truly passionate about this work is that I spend a lot of my free time reading and learning about the latest research and approaches in psychology. I can’t get enough of this field! In addition to learning and developing my skills, I also attend therapy as a client myself, so that when I show up in our sessions, I bring the most grounded and calm version of myself to you.

I believe we are all a work in progress. Life continues to challenge us from start to finish, and there is an opportunity for growth in each of those moments of chaos. It is not easy to grow when all you want to do is crumble. It can feel impossible to reach out for help when you just want to hide. I can tell you from experience, though, that while it may not be easy, it’s possible to wade through the mud and come out the other side stronger.

If you want to get to know me more, you can find me on Instagram at laurensladepsychology.