We offer a variety of assessment services aimed at answering specific questions.

A typical assessment process involves a no-charge consultation to discuss the questions you are hoping to answer. Follow-up appointments may include an in-depth clinical interview, psychological testing, and various rating scales. These will all be tailored to you and aimed at providing robust information to answer the questions that brought about the assessment. We will discuss the findings and recommendations and provide a comprehensive report.

Some common assessments include:

• Psychoeducational assessments are aimed at answering questions about cognitive, academic, social, emotional, behavioral, and adaptive functioning. These assessments can be helpful for children six-years or older and especially when the child is feeling frustrated, depressed, anxious, or engaging in uncharacteristic acting out behavior. For older youth and adults, a psychoeducational assessment can support an individual’s academics and employment by providing suggestions and recommendations on how to be most successful. A psychoeducational assessment is $2500.00 and is covered or partially covered by most insurances.

• Clinical assessments are aimed at understanding a specific diagnosis such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and involves a detailed process of understanding symptoms and to also rule out other causes. A clinical assessment is typically $1500.00 and is covered or partially covered by most insurances.

• Assessment for autism spectrum disorders is a specialized process that involves psychological testing and clinical observation to better understand one’s way of interacting and communicating. This type of assessment ranges from $3500.00-$5000.00 and is covered or partially covered by most insurances.

Talk therapy is based on a collaborative relationship between a highly trained therapist and a client. At Central Alberta Psychology Group, we have therapists trained in different approaches to meet your needs. Some of the approaches used include:

• Supportive counselling is a relationship in which an individual is free to express and receive support from an unbiased professional. A typical supportive counselling session starts with the questions: “what would you like to talk about”. Outcomes are many but can include a sense of feeling heard, validated, and ultimately “lighter” following the session.

• Solution focused therapy (SFT) is aimed at identifying specific areas of concerns and then collectively brainstorming strategies to help an individual feel more confident as they move towards and through the concerns. SFT might include specific interventions such as the miracle question which asks individuals to image what life would be like without the problem that brought them to therapy and then working backwards to understand what can create the conditions towards such change

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is aimed at helping individuals to identify connections between thoughts, feelings, sensations, and actions/urges and then to systematically alter thinking patterns and behaviors to improve emotional and mental wellbeing. CBT is often considered a short-term, goal-oriented approach that focuses in on present-day-problems. CBT is particularly effective for a range of mental health disorders including stress, adjustment, depression, anxiety, OCD, and bipolar disorder.

• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is aimed at helping people live a more meaningful life through a process of increasing psychological flexibility. ACT is considered a good fit for those who are interested in acknowledging the thoughts and feelings that bog them down while also mobilizing efforts towards living a life based on their values. ACT has good evidence for such concerns as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and phase of life problems.

• Psychodynamic therapy is aimed at helping people better understand patterns and how past experiences influence their present behavior and relationships. Psychotherapy therapy might be of help for those who struggle with the “whys” of life and have found other approaches to be less helpful.

• Play therapy is not just for children but does make use of imagination, creativity, and play to help process emotions, develop coping skills, and improve overall wellbeing. Play therapy might be a good fit if you find that there just aren’t “words” to explain one’s experience.

Family therapy is a unique approach that places the family at the center and the relationship between family members as the focus of intervention. This involves a process of enhanced understanding of patterns within the family including those that contribute to breakdowns as well as organizing activities to enrich relationships. A typical initial family therapy session involves:

• Encouraging each member to talk AND listen

• Asking each family member about their concerns and hopes for family therapy

• Clarifying words and feelings so that everyone understands each other and that family therapy is about repairing relationships and not “fixing” individuals

• Helping family members to understand the impact of words and behaviors

• Suggesting strategies to change problematic patterns that lead to dysfunction and incorporate strategies to improve overall family functioning

Mental training is a highly reflective process and focuses on developing an individual’s thinking and learning processes. A coach aims to help clients enhance their cognitive skills like self-awareness, understanding, and problem-solving abilities. This approach can be especially helpful for athletes and others who are striving for betterment and excellence and can be targeted towards the individual or team.