Karen Kirkpatrick

registered Psychologist

I am a Registered Psychologist and for the past 5 years, I have worked in a diversity of settings with families, couples, adults and have extensive experience with youth. I have gained wisdom through my lived experience, formal education and listening closely to the stories of individuals and groups. My work is attachment-based and trauma-informed grounded in theory and research. The modalities I work from include cognitive behavioral therapy, solution focused therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and I practice from a Health at Every Size, Body Trust and non-diet approach. I am continually improving my practice by completing additional training and consulting with other psychologists.

Having a diverse background and training has equipped me with the flexibility and skills needed to guide clients through a broad range of concerns and with the changes they want to make in their lives. I support clients to heal wounds, recognize unhelpful patterns, build skills to cope with painful and overwhelming emotions and thoughts, discover strengths and harness resources. I can offer a different perspective and facilitate any learning and unlearning wanting to be explored.

areas of practice

The areas I focus in include relationship tension and communication (couples, friendships and families), trauma, grief and loss, depression and anxiety, sexuality and gender, emotional regulation and life transitions. I am passionate about supporting clients heal their relationships with food and their bodies. Also, I am a sex positive, queer & questioning, trans, and poly friendly therapist.

With me, you can expect authenticity, genuine curiosity and collaboration in your journey. I believe in the power of relationships and my intention is to build one with you founded in trust, respect and empathy. Being a therapist is an immense privilege and I would be honored to share this journey with you.

For more information,
or to schedule a session:

Call: 780-460-0022

Text: 780-460-0022

info@riversedgecounselling.com

more about my specialites

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Gender and Identity
Do you identify as LGBTQ+? Whether you’re single or in a relationship, do you feel down, confused or muted, perhaps by external and internal oppression? Or, are you more than happy to defy heteronormativity but struggle to navigate the complexities and intersections of LGBTQ+ identity, dating, relationships and intimacy?...read more

... As a queer affirming therapist, I will never question or judge your identity or experience. I take a sex-positive approach, which means that I am non-judgmental and open to whatever you want to share or explore. I have considerable experience working with LGBTQ+ clients and have studied human sexuality its many forms. I believe a therapist’s orientation and identity should have little to do with their effectiveness, more importantly their training, education, and empathy. Come as you are, not as someone else expects you to be and learn to love your life.

Couples
Are you feeling disconnected, stuck, and distant from the most important person in your life? Do your disagreements and communication leave you feeling unheard, disregarded, and misunderstood? Are you exhausted from being caught in this familiar loop and long to feel close again?...read more

...I create a safe space for couples to explore their thoughts, emotions, and needs. I can teach you new ways to communicate and help guide you in identifying the patterns that keep you trapped so you can feel like you’re on the same team. Successful couples fight, however, they do something that most of the population doesn’t know how to do. They know how to repair the rupture quickly and effectively. They have a tool chest of habits that enable them to take total responsibility for their actions, especially when they make mistakes. If and when their partner is having a hard time, they know the skills and tools needed to manage the situation and not escalate it. Therapy helps couples learn these tools and habits. It is through gaining and utilizing better tools that most couples improve. Making the decision to begin couples counseling doesn’t mean that you’ve failed. It means that you’re committed to helping your relationship grow to its full potential.

Trauma
Trauma can result from a variety of adverse life experiences. After bad things happens like sexual assault, getting hurt, or experiencing abuse in childhood, it is common for people to feel guilt, shame, always on edge, or sudden mood swings...read more

...What defines trauma is not the content of an event itself but the psychological or emotional response to it. People process these experiences differently due to their perspective, or the lens through which one views the world through, which is dependent on their previous life experiences. I understand how painful that can be to live with. As your therapist, I will join you on your journey through healing and growth; you will not be alone. Initially, I work on developing a strong, secure treatment relationship built on trust. Integral to this phase of trauma treatment is building security, stabilization, and consistency in the treatment process. I will help you feel strong, safe, and free from the burden of shame or negative beliefs about yourself that can develop after bad things happen. I actively engage with you in the therapy process. We work on accessing, developing, and cultivating positive internal resources, and containing and modulating overwhelming and dysregulated affect, and re-grounding and anchoring from dissociative experiences. Harnessing and utilizing these strengths becomes a vital anchor in working through trauma. Together we experiment, we get curious, we notice, and we explore and find ways for your body and mind to heal and move forward with life after trauma. One of the tools I use to treat trauma is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). It is possible that as treatment progresses I may help you on ‘working through’ painful traumatic memories in ways that access your strengths and re-build the neural networks associated with your memories. I work with you to generate a new understanding and cultivating neuroplasticity. I believe strongly in the concept of ‘post-traumatic growth’ and work with clients to build this growth through thoughtful work.

Pre-marriage counselling
Has the possibility of marriage come up in your relationship? Or, are you already engaged and looking forward to the big day? The purpose of premarital counseling is to help you better understand yourself and your partner and to give you the best chance of succeeding in your relationship...read more

...My work with engaged (or almost-engaged) couples is short-term, and focused on helping you identify and resolve issues that might be obscured. You will explore issues such as attitudes about finances, sexuality, family, expectations, values, and work. These sessions will help you both understand possible trigger points for future conflict and how to mitigate potential future conflict in a goal-oriented and caring manner. Though you already know your partner well, I take a neutral perspective and can see the strengths and challenges of your relationship in a unique way. This perspective allows me to provide feedback and teach you skills that will enhance your interactions for many years to come. Premarital counseling gives you the skills needed to learn more about your partner and proactively create a plan for a sustainable relationship.

Webinars

Featured

Wellness Matters Webinar - Sex Therapy

Karen Kirkpatrick, Registered Psychologist, demystifies sex therapy in her wellness webinar, addressing challenges, treatments, and providing tips for a more comfortable and enriching sexual journey. Aimed at leaving viewers curious, excited, and hopeful about their own sexuality.

Your Body is Not a Problem

Everyone has a different and complex relationship with food, their body and exercise, it’s personal. We weren’t born hating or disliking our bodies or viewing them as something to be managed, changed or controlled; your body is not a problem! In this webinar, we will explore the ubiquitous cultural messages that contribute to body dissatisfaction, dieting, restrictive eating and excessive exercise as a signal of distress, and the role food plays in our lives. Hopefully, by the end of this talk, you will have a new perspective and compassionate strategies to challenge the harmful/unhelpful body messages and negative self-talk.