HeidI Watson, M.S.W. (ACSW: 13798) R.C.S.W. (CLINICAL: 07306)

Heidi has been working with distressed children, teens and adults since 2015.  She has a solid background in helping people deal with grief and loss, depression, anxiety, stress, mood swings, identity challenges, trauma, impulsivity, and motivational challenges.  Heidi has assisted many people who seek inner healing, in developing and strengthening their sense of personal self, and generating self-confidence.  Heidi has training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), the recommended treatment approach for depression and anxiety.  Heidi utilizes the Hakomi Method to work with clients who are struggling with their inward sense of self and wellbeing.  She can transition to using Dialectical Behavior Therapy for clients who are dealing with more severe psychological challenges of major depressive disorder, clinical anxiety, addiction disorders and Borderline Personality tendencies.

Children (ages 6 and up)

 She has an extensive background working with children and adolescents who struggle with interpersonal and behavioural challenges.  She is comfortable working with children and teens in a one-to-one setting, and in therapy with their parents/caregivers.  Heidi has worked with children who live with their parents, extended family, in foster care and in group home settings.  Heidi has excellent engagement skills.  Heidi has significant experience in working with children who are shy, worried, or struggling emotionally as demonstrated by inward withdrawal, outward aggression, disobedience, or creatively getting others into trouble.  Heidi provides a calming and safe space for children to explore their feelings.  She helps them to connect their emotions, body, and thoughts so that they feel more in control of themselves and their surroundings.  

As children settle into therapeutic work with Heidi, they become better able to explain their feelings, hopes and needs to their parents/caregivers.  Heidi also works with the parents to help them to connect in different ways with their children, enabling a deepening and mutually enriching relationship.  To achieve the goals Heidi relies on her advanced training in play therapy, and attachment-based treatment approaches.

Adolescents

Connecting to adolescents can be a challenge.  Heidi’s calm and patient nature provides emotionally distressed teens a place to explore and express themselves.  Heidi is well versed in managing the explosive outbursts that are not uncommon with distressed adolescents.  Through the use of various art, clay, and journaling approaches, Heidi provides multiple means for teens to channel their emotions into constructive activities that help them to gain insight and emotional balance.  Heidi has helped many teens work through depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and suicidal ideation, self-harming behaviours.  She is well versed him assisting teens to deal with bullying, peer rejection, family breakdown, academic stress, and relationship difficulties.

Adults

Heidi’s work with adults includes helping individuals overcome with workplace/family/life stress, general anxiety, grief and loss, depression, planning and organizational challenges.  She often helps adults who are struggling to figure out sense of self and life direction. She has a particular interest working with adults who are struggling with relationship breakdown and loss.  The distress may be from family breakdown/parental loss during the adult’s childhood or teen years, or from loss of relationships in adulthood.  Heidi also works extensively with adults who are victims of domestic violence, relationship trauma, and childhood distress.  Through the use of Narrative Therapy, trauma and attachment informed treatment approaches Heidi helps her clients regain a sense of competence, value and purpose.

Families

Heidi brings considerable experience to working with whole family units that are struggling with parent-child relationship challenges.  Depending on the age of the children, she may utilize family play therapy, family art therapy, or family group therapy to help identify, work through and heal family relationship and attachment difficulties.  Heidi has worked with multiple families who are dealing with multi-generational parent-child relationship breakdown.  This means that she is often helping parents learn parenting and attachment skills from the ground up.  Heidi firmly believes that families are highly resilient and are able to overcome prior relationship distress if they are able to see that old patterns can be changed, that they are able to practice making those pattern changes, and are given recognition for moving from old, distressing interaction ways, into relationship approaches that are positive, mutually supportive, and healing.

Couples

Heidi has completed the foundational training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).  EFT is the only research proven couples counselling approach that has been shown to be very effective in assisting 70% of all couples worked in achieving improved communication and understanding of their partner.  EFT helps each person in the couple develop deep listening skills, improve their ability to say clearly what they are feeling and thinking, and to increase emotional availability and resiliency.

Professional Background

Heidi is a Registered Clinical Social Worker with the Alberta College of Social Workers.  Not one to rest on her laurels, Heidi is now actively pursuing her Certification in Play Therapy. She has completed all her coursework and is now moving into her last portion of supervision hours.

Heidi has worked in various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) as a front-line therapist, and primary resource for children and teen social skills coaches.  She has considerable experience running therapeutic treatment groups for complex children and teens.  

Heidi works out of our Sherwood Park Office