"My therapeutic focus is to facilitate a sense of congruence of one's self, as well as collaborate to help empower people their selves with self-worth, acceptance, confidence, and freedom from disabling conditions."
Amadew Walt
MACP, Registered Provisional Psychologist
Sliding-Scale $160 - $200
Occasional special pricing for high-need & low-income.
Person-Centred Therapy
Solution-Focused
Therapy
My natural approach is a Client-Centred Humanistic based approach to counselling. Carl Rogers, the father of this therapy inspired me with his humility, tuning into the client with nonjudgment. With an attitude of genuine and vulnerable humility, together, we shall follow a path that leads us to greater awareness in a safe place where you have full acceptance as you are, and support to get you closer to where you would like to be.
Solution-Focused Therapy is fun. I use it to help with goal-setting, with couples, and as an intervention. It is amazing how the human mind defaults to being problem-oriented, and how what we focus on expands! And how when you get your mind out of the "gutter", the problem itself, and look at the solutions, movement actually starts to occur.
EMDR: Eye Movement & Desensitization Reprocessing
This therapy is endorsed for treating serious trauma responses such as PTSD, it is, in fact, said to be the new gold standard for treating it, but treats Social Anxiety, Depression, and is even being used for things such as somatic pain & somatic responses. I will always use this therapy if I can, as nothing has proved as efficient and effective in the short-term. It is still expanding with constant new developments and new protocols and methods to effectively bring relief and renewed neutral-positive responses. This is an unusual therapy for some in the beginning but results often come quickly, which is putting it mildly in my opinion - relative to other approaches, even psychiatrists are starting to use this. It actually removes the trauma formed on a neuronal level in the brain. It treats phobias, and fear or trauma-based symptoms, as well as childhood beliefs, attachments, and changes in how that is experienced now, and symptoms created because of the original seed of hurt. Nothing has been equally effective for me, and it's amazing to watch people transform into an empowered version of themselves.
Some argue it's like CBT without homework (and with the addition of uncommon bilateral activities, such as eye movements or tapping). It might seem a little unusual at first, but once you see the results and experience this approach, you'll likely want more. And even more so after a few targets. It's the most efficient therapeutic tool I have encountered, in my personal and clinical experience.
CBT - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy & Prolonged Exposure
Mindfulness
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a widely used therapy and accepted as the "gold standard" for some time now with a focus on changing thinking to change one's experience and eventually core beliefs and sense of self. Exposure therapy is used to desensitize conditioned fears, easier ones first (generally). CBT addresses unhelpful thinking patterns (Black and white thinking, for example ("How do I move from here?" -> "move to the grey zone)". CBT takes care of how our minds make our realities, but also our behaviours inform our minds, and both inform your emotional/somatic experience, and vice versa! Exposure Therapy and Response Prevention is sometimes a necessary step, fortunately EMDR often does the job instead of the challenge of facing fears head-on.
Mindfulness (which includes the formal practice of meditation) is an asset to this practice of being present in order to be aware of reality-checking in CBT. Mindfulness helps one to empower oneself self by choosing to work with your mind and way of being in the body while interacting with the external world. From here it becomes more possible to detach in a healthy way and become more aware of moment-to-moment changes with a greater ability to harness acting on impulses and responses with stress. Mindfulness is not as much a technique as it is a way of being, accepting, nonjudgmental yet curious stance towards life, and is an ongoing process that requires active in-the-moment presence in an ongoing way. Done regularly, it even changes your brain and even, allegedly, your biological age! It is a valuable tool for living in today's rushed social climate.
More About Amadew
"I am very accepting, non-judging, warm, and genuine, not easily shocked, but sensitive to subtleties. It is my mission to support meaningful changes in a space where you feel safe, secure, and accepted."
Towards the end of my undergraduate studies, I had the privilege of working with a wonderful team of volunteers at the U of A University Sexual Assault Centre, supporting survivors and advocating for those who needed them.
I later volunteered with street youth at Human, utilizing various art forms and finding ways of connecting to be of service. Before that, I had a tenure as an intern at the Edmonton Remand Centre where I designed a program to help reduce recidivism by helping inmates plan for success after release.
I also served as an Addictions Counsellor II at a local and globally renowned First Nation residential treatment facility Poundmaker's Lodge. There I had the privilege of exposure to various cultural and spiritual teachings and witnessing the after-effects of the residential schools and inter-generational traumas that speak to my heart. While also helping various persons and peoples to find freedom for that which created bondage for them. All of this while addressing general problems related to and resulting from Substance Disorders.
Since that time and continuing further education, I have trained in different therapies and will continue to. I have done practicums at The Family Centre and the Pride Centre, which were growing opportunities I loved. And before now, I spent a couple of years at a booming private practice, Insight Psychological, in their Edmonton locations, where I practised on my usual topics but explored more on sexuality under my supervisor and delved into exciting and efficacious EMDR psychotherapy under the EMDRIA leading trainers/practitioners.
I begin my humble practice amongst a fantastic team of independent psychologists and healers!! Most importantly, I continue to follow sources of learning to augment my growth and development, spread my wings and bring even more tools to the table. Ultimately, it is all about constantly evolving to be an effective, efficient, and empathetic mental health psychologist and support to you.
I am honoured to be of service to you!
Amadew Walt,
MACP, Registered Provisional Psychologist, 2800p
