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An initial phone consultation usually takes around 10-15 minutes in which we discuss the services we offer, how we can personalize our approach to meet your unique needs, and it gives you a chance to ask questions (i.e., how to get started, what to expect from initial therapy sessions, the steps to completing assessments). There is no fee for an initial consultation, and no obligation to move forward with us in any way. We are happy to help you make the decision that's right for you going forward.
Research shows that virtual therapy—also known as teletherapy—is as effective as in-person sessions for many mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and stress-related difficulties – to name a few.
Notably, virtual therapy offers advantages such as improved accessibility, flexibility, and convenience. Clients can attend from the comfort of their homes, remove geographic and transportation barriers, and often access care quicker due to reduced wait times. Satisfaction rates and completion rates in virtual therapy can be even higher than in person for some individuals because of those factors.
To bridge the gap between virtual and in-person work, we enhance our online sessions with interactive tools like screen sharing, collaborative note-taking, and real-time digital activities. These elements help make therapy meaningful and enriching.
An ADHD assessment is a thorough evaluation conducted by a psychologist to determine whether someone meets the criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The process involves a series of sessions that include discussing consent and the overall approach, gathering detailed information from the individual and an observer about behaviour, attention, and executive functioning, and reviewing past school records and childhood history to gain a complete understanding of the individual’s experiences.
The psychologist analyzes this information to identify patterns and symptoms consistent with ADHD. A diagnostic interview is conducted to explore symptoms, clarify the diagnosis, and importantly, to rule out other potential causes, such as anxiety or mood disorders, which can present with similar symptoms to ADHD. If needed, a detailed written report is prepared, outlining the findings, recommendations, and strategies for managing ADHD.
Some individuals also receive a more concise letter to share with healthcare providers. A final session may be offered to review the results, answer questions, and discuss next steps, including possible accommodations or strategies for support at school, work, or home. Throughout the process, the assessment is tailored to each person’s unique needs and circumstances, ensuring a supportive and responsive experience.
You can refer yourself for an adult ADHD assessment without a doctor's referral. Knowing you have ADHD can be life-changing. In Canada, human rights legislation, including the Canadian Human Rights Act and provincial codes like the Alberta Human Rights Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code, require employers to accommodate disabilities, including ADHD, up to the point of undue hardship.
A formal diagnosis can open the door to workplace accommodations like flexible deadlines, quiet workspaces, or assistive technology. In post-secondary settings, a diagnosis allows you to register with your school's accessibility services for supports such as extended time or note-taking help. Most importantly, understanding your brain builds self-awareness, helping you advocate for what you need and approach challenges with confidence instead of self-blame.
As part of the assessment, and if ADHD fits, you'll receive a diagnosis letter you can share with your physician to discuss next steps, including medication management if that's an option you wish to pursue.
This is one of the most common questions we hear, and for good reason — ADHD and anxiety share several overlapping symptoms, including difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and trouble sleeping. It can be genuinely hard to tell them apart without a professional assessment.
A few distinctions can offer clues. ADHD symptoms are typically lifelong, showing up in childhood even if they weren't recognized at the time, while anxiety can develop at any age, often in response to stress or life circumstances. ADHD-related difficulties tend to persist regardless of mood or stress level, whereas anxiety-related focus problems often intensify during periods of worry and ease when the person feels calm. It's also common for the two to occur together — anxiety can develop because of long-standing, unmanaged ADHD symptoms, which can make self-diagnosis especially tricky.
The only reliable way to know for sure is through a comprehensive psychological assessment that considers your developmental history, current symptoms, and rules out overlapping conditions. If you're unsure which is driving your struggles, that uncertainty is itself a good reason to book an assessment.
ADHD doesn't disappear with age, but it often looks different in adults than it did in childhood. In children, ADHD is frequently identified through visible hyperactivity — fidgeting, interrupting, difficulty staying seated. By adulthood, that outward hyperactivity often becomes more internal: a persistent sense of restlessness, racing thoughts, or an inability to relax rather than obvious physical movement.
Adults are also more likely to struggle primarily with executive functioning — things like time management, organization, prioritizing tasks, and emotional regulation — rather than the classroom-style inattention children display. Many adults have spent years developing coping strategies or masking their symptoms, which can make ADHD harder to recognize, even by the person experiencing it.
This is also why many adults are diagnosed later in life. Their symptoms may have been overlooked in childhood, misattributed to something else, or simply managed well enough in a structured school environment that the difficulties only became disruptive once adult responsibilities — work, finances, relationships — added complexity. A comprehensive assessment considers your full developmental history, not just your current presentation, to understand how ADHD has shown up across your life.
It depends on your specific situation, but in many cases, yes — a diagnosis can support a request for accommodations. Across Canada, human rights legislation (including the Canadian Human Rights Act federally, and provincial and territorial human rights codes, such as the Alberta Human Rights Act here in Alberta) generally requires employers and educational institutions to make reasonable efforts to accommodate disabilities, which can include ADHD, up to the point of undue hardship. What qualifies as "reasonable" and how accommodations are implemented varies by employer, institution, and jurisdiction, so a diagnosis doesn't automatically guarantee a specific outcome.
What an assessment can provide is thorough documentation of how ADHD affects your functioning, which is often what schools and workplaces require to consider accommodation requests.
Beyond documentation, part of my work with clients is identifying practical strategies to support executive functioning challenges — whether that's task management systems, workplace adjustments, or academic supports — tailored to how ADHD shows up for you specifically.
A career assessment is a structured process designed to help individuals discover which jobs or career paths align best with their personality, strengths, values, interests, beliefs, and previous experiences:
Our career assessment process is active and participant-driven; it identifies suitable career options and empowers individuals to plan practical steps toward achieving their professional goals.
LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning) inclusive care involves a commitment to providing treatment and support that is sensitive to the needs and experiences of gender and sexually-diverse individuals, their families, and communities. This type of care involves creating a welcoming and supportive environment for LGBTQ clients, and providing care that is informed by an understanding of the specific health concerns and disparities that LGBTQ people may face.
One important aspect of LGBTQ+ inclusive care is using language and terminology that is respectful and affirming. This includes using preferred and validating names and pronouns, and avoiding assumptions about an individual’s sexual or gender identity. It is also important to provide a safe and confidential space for LGBTQ patients to discuss their health concerns and experiences.
Advocacy is another important component to LGBTQ+ inclusive care. We support clients by sharing community resources for gender and sexually-diverse clients, making support recommendations to teachers and schools that promote safety and inclusivity, and by promoting advocacy efforts in the community.