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Dr Karen Massey  403-390-1815

Stop struggling and suffering with upsetting emotions, call for help– now. When your house is on fire you call the Fire Department. When you are emotionally overwhelmed, call Dr. Karen at Emergo Counselling Services for the support and solutions you need.

Counselling for Individuals, Teens, & Couples

Whether you are in a troubled relationship or are a stressed-out individual or teen– don’t wait, it gets harder to put out the fire. Gottman research, for example, shows that couples wait on average 7 years before calling for help.

Get the support and solutions you need at Emergo Counselling Services. Emergo Counselling helps you gain awareness and identify choices. You can then make positive changes and gain confidence in your ability to handle new difficulties. Through compassion, you emerge into action.

Like most therapists, Dr. Karen uses the traditional therapy approaches. In addition, she offers a range of unique approaches to help you resolve emotional problems. Within the therapy community it is common knowledge that we all have the answers to life’s challenges within us. We just need assistance in finding ways to discover these answers.

Dr. Karen brings to every therapy session a dedication and integrity that is driven by a desire to help you change and heal. And, the healing is done as quickly as possible so that you can learn to make better choices and have a healthier life style. If you have stress or relationship problems due to upsetting situations or due to traumas such as abuse, bullying, vehicle accidents, she specializes in this area through use of EMDR and clinical hypnosis. Dr. Karen is one of a few registered psychologists in the Calgary area who has the higher EMDR designation of “Certified therapist in EMDR. “

The World Health Organization (WHO) new practice guidelines (as shown below) indicate that trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and EMDR therapy are the only psychotherapies recommended for children, adolescents and adults with PTSD. World Health Organization (2013). Guidelines for the management of conditions that are specifically related to stress. Geneva, WHO.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): This therapy is based on the idea that negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours are the result of unprocessed memories. The treatment involves standardized procedures that include focusing simultaneously on (a) spontaneous associations of traumatic images, thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations and (b) bilateral stimulation that is most commonly in the form of repeated eye movements.

Like CBT with a trauma focus, EMDR aims to reduce subjective distress and strengthen adaptive beliefs related to the traumatic event. Unlike CBT with a trauma focus, EMDR does not involve (a) detailed descriptions of the event, (b) direct challenging of beliefs, (c) extended exposure, or (d) homework.

Therapy for Teens, Individuals & Couples

Dr. Karen helps individuals, teens and couples deal with challenges such as

  • Stress
  • Depression
  • Anxiety/Panic Attacks/OCD
  • Finding the source of Anger and Reactivity
  • Trauma such as from an accident or abuse
  • Handling life transitions eg. separation, divorce
  • Job and Career changes
  • PTSD/Trauma Assessment
  • Retirement issues
  • Understanding your spirituality
  • Sleep management-overcoming insomnia
  • Grief and loss
  • Emotional eating
  • Emotionally managing physical pain

Dr. Karen helps couples deal with:

  • Renewing love and respect
  • Communicating from the heart and soul
  • Improving conflict resolution skills
  • Setting emotional boundaries

Dr. Karen works with Lawyers and Insurance Companies. Dr Karen also provides PTSD/Trauma Assessment and Report Writing for Lawyers, and for Disability Claims.

Dr. Karen is tendered as an expert witness for trauma counselling in the Alberta Provincial Court, Family & Youth Division. She is also a Certified Therapist in using Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR).

If you would like to find out more about how Emergo Counselling Services can help you create solutions to your problems and make positive changes in your life, call 403 390-1815 or contact her through this website.

Why the nature pics?

Our practice has one office at the western edge of Calgary in the West Springs community which serves southwest Calgary, and  another office in Bragg Creek which serves the Bragg Creek and West Springbank area, as well as Cochrane. The prairies, foothills and mountains, with their mix of rich farmlands and rugged wilderness, are ever-present and provide a stress-free outlet away from urban rush-rush. We hope you enjoy the mood created by the images around our website. Most of these images are by Calgary photographer Mark Ruthenberg.

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