Fostering Mental Health Through Care, Collaboration, and Compassion
In an increasingly stressful and fast-paced world, more people are feeling overwhelmed and left behind. The challenges this presents to Alberta’s children, families, couples, and individuals demand more than just resilience—it requires expert guidance and support from professionals who understand the “why” of the issues people are facing and can introduce the “how” that leads them to happier, healthier lives.
Since 2008, The Family Psychology Place (TFPP) has delivered exactly this kind of expert guidance, offering mental health resources that provide valuable support, assessment and treatment for a wide range of issues. TFPP started with three clinicians dedicated to building a practice on the three Cs: Compassion, Caring and Collaboration. The Family Psychology Place protected this brand as it expanded to include a second Calgary location and has become the largest private psychology clinic in Western Canada. With 24 clinicians offering diverse expertise, TFPP ensures that clients seeking answers can also implement the recommended treatments.
“A child’s difficulties or parents’ issues impact the whole family, and that’s why we work with the whole unit to help the individual.”
“The vision was to have a collaborative approach to private practice, so instead of having each of us individually responsible for recruiting clients, we wanted to work together. We each have clinical specialties and refer to each other based on our expertise, and we use each other’s expertise to offer great family-centred care,” says Dr. Cheryl Gilbert MacLeod, Ph.D., senior psychologist and TFPP co-owner.
A team of psychologists, social workers, educators, and a speech-language pathologist, supported by knowledgeable administrative staff, work together to address patients’ varied needs. From the first phone call to the final therapy session, TFPP strives to put people at ease.
Whether patients seek treatment for ADHD, OCD, phobias, and anxiety disorders or are undergoing marriage, depression, or grief counselling, there is a specialist in-house to deliver holistic care.
TFPP is also known for strong psycho-educational assessments for school accommodations as well as evaluations and assessments surrounding autism, ADHD, behaviour, legal capacity, personality and broader mental health challenges.
Additionally, TFPP provides comprehensive career assessments for young people mapping their futures or individuals who are dissatisfied with their careers. These assessments identify compatible careers and the barriers that stand in the way of pursuing them.
Whether it’s assessments or therapeutic sessions, TFPP employs evidence-based measures to achieve the highest likelihood of success. Despite its continued growth, the practice’s focus on evidence-based treatments built on the three Cs is still the foundational element of the brand. It is what ensures that patients get the mental health supports they need as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Dr. Gilbert MacLeod emphasizes the importance of evidence-based treatments. “We know that EMDR works for trauma. We know virtual reality therapy works for lots of phobias and anxieties,” she explains. The practice also relies on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and mood disorders, and exposure therapy for OCD. “We want to use those treatments that work,” she adds.
To achieve successful treatment plans, TFPP often involves trusted outside medical professionals when appropriate, incorporating their insights about a patient’s history into the practice’s comprehensive approach.
With the complexities of today’s mental health struggles, the team also weaves the patient’s social network into the process to decide the best path to wellness for all parties involved.
“We know that people do not operate in a vacuum. A child’s difficulties or parents’ issues impact the whole family, and that’s why we work with the whole unit to help the individual,” says Boris Lesar, senior psychologist and TFPP co-owner.
This collaborative family approach informs everything the team does and is a key component of the practice’s brand and business model.
Dr. Gilbert MacLeod, who specializes in children’s mental health, anxiety disorders and OCD, and Lesar, who focuses on assessments as well as adult, couple and parenting issues, work together well and take pride in developing strong relationships with patients and healthcare professionals within the practice and outside of it.
Every day, these doctors invest in their relationships as they live the three Cs of caring, compassion and collaboration to make TFPP a great place to work and a place where people feel comfortable asking mental health questions and taking action toward mental health and wellness.
The Family Psychology Place is a sponsor of this publication. This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition that affects children, adolescents and adults. It can make it difficult for you to stay still, you may feel like you need to fidget, and paying attention to or focusing on day-to-day tasks can be challenging. Individuals with ADHD often report acting without thinking, having trouble with staying organized, being forgetful, and that the ability to control their emotions can be challenging.
OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a mental illness causing intrusive, often uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts that are unwanted (obsessions) and behaviors that feel necessary to repeat (compulsions).
Anxiety disorders and phobias: Worry or anxiety is something you may deal with every day, but when worries, anxiety, or fears are taking control of your life by interfering with your thoughts and activities on an ongoing basis, you may have an anxiety disorder. There are several different types of anxiety disorders.
