ABOUT

Shawna Benoit is the owner of True To You Psychology, a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists, Psychologists Association of Alberta and Canadian Psychological Association and Registered Play Therapist with the Association for Play Therapy.

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Shawna has fourteen years of experience working with children, adolescents and adults in the area of psychological health and wellness. Her passion is working with children and their families to better understand strengths and challenges that play into the search for wellness. Shawna works with clients to understand and develop self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship skills and responsible decision making.  Shawna’s clinical training is primarily based in cognitive behavioral therapy, however, she draws from a number of approaches including Play Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Trauma-Informed Practice and Solution-Focused Therapy. Shawna also specializes in psycho educational assessment of children with learning challenges, intellectual delays, emotional difficulties, behavioral difficulties and developmental delays. 

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Shawna earned a Master's degree of Education in School and Applied Child Psychology (M.Ed.) from the University of Calgary in 2013 while working full-time with children and adolescents in the Edmonton school system.

Shawna is a certified trainer for several evidence-based mental health and wellness programs. She has completed certified training in the use of therapeutic play skills,  specialized certificate training in sand tray and is pursuing additional training in advanced theory and techniques in Play Therapy.

Shawna believes that therapy is a journey that may be taken during times of difficulty and also during times when a higher expression of health and wellness is desired. She hopes that through the therapeutic journey clients can access their inner strengths and develop new strategies to face concerns. Shawna believes in creating a caring, safe, collaborative, and non-judgemental environment for clients to explore individual growth and change. She believes that clients have strength, resiliency, and resources to work through life’s challenges, as well as the ability to learn new perspectives, skills, and resources when necessary.

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Specialties:

• Anxiety & Mental Health

• Depression Counselling & Treatments

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

• Grief and Loss

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Cognitive Therapy

• Self-Esteem Issues

• Solution Focused Therapy

• Stress Management

• Trauma

• Cognitive, Academic and Behavioural Assessment

• Art Therapy

• Play-Based Therapy

Comfortable Working With:

• Child, Adolescent & Teen Issues

• Anger Management

• Childhood Developmental Issues

• Emotional Abuse

• Grief, Bereavement, and Loss 

• Insomnia

• Issues Related to Bullying

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Physical Abuse

• Self-Harm

• Social Anxiety Disorder

• Panic Disorder

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)