Our Core Principles
The name of Healing Paths Psychology evolved from an understanding that there are many paths to healing. Counselling is one such path with many paths diverging from its centre. Despite the many branches there are core principles shared by all.
Safe enough
Healing requires a space where you can experience feelings of safety. Safety is defined by you the client and there are different levels of feeling safe. By engaging in trauma-informed practices it is our goal to create a safe enough space for healing to occur.
Holistic Approach
We are all part of a web of family, community, cultural, spiritual/religious and societal systems that reach from the past and into the present. We need to understand how this can heal or hinder us. This principle also requires a willingness to work with other professionals from diverse areas of interests.
Our Self - The 8 Cs of IFS
As therapists we seek to bring our best Self to each session. Based on the principles of Internal Family Systems (IFS) our best Self will demonstrate compassion, curiosity, calm, clarity, courage, connectedness, confidence and creativity. By doing so we provide an invitation for our client's to do the same. This is where healing happens.
Ms. Katharine Heimbigner-Tenor
Registered Provisional Psychologist (#P7737)
Couples Counselling, Free Consultation, Individual Counselling / Psychology, Mental Health Workshops, Psychological Assessment, Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) & Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP)
Areas of Interest
Hello! My name is Katharine. I have two primary interests – trauma and neurodiversity.
The experience of trauma is sadly far too common leaving many of us struggling with our mental and physical health for years. I became a therapist to support individuals and couples in finding their unique path to healing from all forms of trauma.
Secondly, I am passionate about supporting neurodivergent individuals (ADHD, AuDHD, autism, gifted etc.) Discovering you are neurodivergent in adulthood can be a profound experience. It creates a new lens to see your life experiences through and an opportunity to chart a new path forward.
To support these interests, I provide individual and couples counselling, formal assessments and mental health workshops.
Approach to therapy
My approach to therapy is a collaborative and based on your goals.
Broadly speaking my clients are often looking for two things – symptom relief and support while they address long-term concerns. These concerns may come with a variety of labels which may include: PTSD, C-PTSD, trauma, anxiety, depression, dissociation, neurodivergence etc.
For many deeply rooted concerns I use an approach called Internal Family Systems (IFS), My interest in IFS goes back many years and I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to complete Level 1 training directly from the Internal Family Systems Institute. With IFS, I often incorporate somatic supports including listening therapies.
Based on the individual, I may also suggest mindfulness and meditation, neurodiversity affirming dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Additionally, with training in spirituality, I understand the supportive or traumatic role that spirituality and / or religion may play in your healing and can incorporate this understanding into therapy if desired.
Couples
Couples that I work with bring their individual challenges plus communication challenges and sometimes a history of infidelity. When working with couples I primarily uses the Gottman Couples Therapy approach as I have completed Level 2 training in this approach.
Formal Assessments
I continue to focus on trauma and neurodiversity with my formal assessments. Currently, I am trained to complete PTSD and other trauma related disorders, mood disorders (e.g. depression), anxiety disorders , personality concerns, psychoeducational assessments, ADHD assessments, screening for autism and others. With these assessments I may prepare a variety of reports.
A Lifetime of Experience
With 31 years of marriage, adult children, and aging parents, I also appreciate the influence that past and present families have on our wellbeing.
I consider it an honour and privilege to accompany clients through the therapy journey.
Land Acknowledgement
Healing Paths Psychology is physically located on the land known as Mohkinstsis where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. This is the land in which we are all a part of Treaty 7. This is the traditional territory of the Niitsitapi or Blackfoot people: the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. As well as the land of the Tsuutina and the Stony Nakoda people which include the Chinkik, the Bearspaw and the Wesley First Nations. The City of Calgary is also home of the Metis Nation of Alberta.
As owner and operate of Healing Paths Psychology, Katharine would also like to acknowledge more broady what many Indigenous Peoples call Turtle Island. Like many settlers, Katharine's ancestors have lived and benefited from coast to coast since first arriving hundreds of years ago. Her ancestors arrived seeking safety and new beginnings in a place people had gathered for time immemorial. Her ancestors failed to respect that history, its People or the commitments made. History cannot be changed but it can be acknowledged, learned from and form a basis for finding a new and good path forward. For all who read this, you are invited to join Katharine in discovering and walking that path together and when we become lost and the path is obscured that we commit to finding that path again and again together.
An Affirming Space
We are committed to providing a safe and affirming envrionement for all clients, including those who are 2LGBTQI+ and transgender.
