As a registered psychologist working with individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds, I believe that emotional healing and cultivating deeper self-acceptance is a profound lifelong journey — one that often can involve navigating complicated and challenging relationships with both others and ourselves. My aim is to provide a safe and respectful space for working alongside you so that you feel more empowered in developing greater self-awareness and insight, while building further on your innate strengths, to face life’s challenges with more confidence and resilience.
Kerry Bezzanno
Areas of Practice SpiritualityAbuseAnxietyBlended FamiliesDepressionGrief/LossLife Adjustment/TransitionParentingPersonal Development/GrowthPre-Marital CounselingPTSDRelationship ProblemsSelf-Esteem/Self-CompassionSeparation and DivorceStress/BurnoutTraumaHealth/Medical ConcernsWomen's Health Counseling
Child-Parent Relationships||Career/Vocation|Communication|Infidelity|Loneliness/Isolation|Panic Attacks|Pre-Marital Counselling|Sleep problems|
Approach
My counselling approach involves an empathic, integrated, and collaborative style rooted in compassionate listening where clients are supported in exploring their own self-discovery and growth to become their best selves. With each person, I incorporate tools and techniques that are tailored for their own unique needs, including drawing upon a range of therapeutic interventions such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), compassion-focused therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and solution-focused therapy (SFT). I am also a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) and an EMDR-trained clinician with advanced level training.
Kerry’s approach integrates:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
EMDR
Gottman Method
Solution-Focused
Trauma-Informed
Background
Prior to embarking on her psychology career, Kerry worked for several years in leadership roles in communications/PR providing consulting services to clients across the private, public, and non-profit sectors in Canada and the United States. She has also served on volunteer boards including the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Stollery Women’s Network (SWN), as well as in mentorship roles supporting young professionals and students. Through her two decades of corporate experience, and training with Dr. Gary Namie from the Workplace Bullying Institute, Kerry also brings a nuanced perspective regarding the complex issues impacting people at work and how to cope.
- Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (with distinction) — Yorkville University
- Bachelor of Arts — University of Alberta
- Bachelor of Commerce — University of Alberta
- College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP)
- Psychologists’ Association of Alberta (PAA)
Favorite Quote
“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
How Kerry works with…
Adolescent / Teen
Adolescence is a time of big transition that can often bring with it feelings of confusion and overwhelm along with many-sided pressures—from friends, family, school, and society. This stage in life can also seem like it comes with rapid change on many fronts. I work with teens facing a wide range of challenges including identity, friendship dynamics, family relationships, academic concerns, anxiety, and questions about the future. And I aim to provide a supportive space where teens can explore their thoughts and feelings, develop greater self-awareness, build confidence, and gain skills for better coping and communicating.Couples
In couples counselling, I am dedicated to helping partners strengthen their connection, deepen their understanding of themselves and each other, bridge communication gaps, and foster greater clarity and compassion within their relationships. Drawing on Gottman Method and solution-focused therapy, I help couples build on their strengths, identify underlying patterns of relating and conflict cycles, as well as address intimacy challenges and the impact of negative past experiences on current functioning. I aim to provide couples with the practical tools to develop healthier ways of communicating, problem-solving, and relating.Trauma/PTSD
Healing from traumatic experiences is not about forgetting the past or simply moving on but rather reclaiming your present life and reconnecting with who you truly are. I provide a safe, supportive space to help individuals calm their nervous system and emotionally process their experience to untangle the ‘stuck’ parts with the aim to move from a place of surviving to a greater sense of peace and empowerment. I have worked with individuals who have experienced a wide range of traumatic events, including abuse, traumatic childhood experiences, interpersonal violence, global conflicts, traumatic grief and loss, workplace bullying, as well as life-threatening medical and health traumas. As a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) and EMDR-trained clinician, I integrate evidence-based therapeutic approaches to address the emotional, physiological, and cognitive roots of trauma.
Pre-Marriage Counselling
Now that you’ve planned for the wedding, let’s help you plan for the marriage. In providing couples premarital preparation prior to the big day, I help couples lay the groundwork for the days and years to come. I support couples transition through the ‘honeymoon phase’ and gain the resources for building the foundation of a strong, long-term partnership. In our work together, I provide tools for exploring shared values, reaching comprise when navigating conflict, as well as exploring personality styles and communication. Together, we’ll identify and build on strengths to foster deeper connection while pinpointing challenge areas to prevent them from becoming more engrained patterns over time.
Grief
Grief and bereavement can happen in many forms. It can involve the loss of a loved one or mark a major life transition that can change our sense of self, such as job loss or the re-evaluation of a career path, retirement, or questioning the future direction of a relationship. I support individuals in navigating grief and loss at their own pace and assisting in helping them work through complex, and sometimes complicated, emotional experiences. Healing is fostered through connection, empathic understanding, and compassion. And I strive to provide a supportive space where clients feel seen, heard, and understood in exploring loss and finding ways to make meaning of their experience and build resilience.We’ll help you find the right fit.
Our client care team works with each new client to ensure they are matched to the right therapist.
It’s essential to find a therapist who aligns with your unique needs and preferences. If you’re unsure where to begin, you don’t have to figure it out alone.