About Me
Professional Qualifications

Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists

Bachelors Degree with Distinction in Psychology from the University of Lethbridge and a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology from McGill University

Specialized training in Grief, Trauma and the Body, Somatic Attachment, EMDR, Inherited Family Trauma, Sex Therapy, Mediation and Family Conflicts, Clinical Supervision, Mindfulness, Breathwork & Reiki.
My Story

I believe that often we discover the truest sense of ourselves and uncover our souls purpose in the face of the most challenging and painful experiences in our lives.
When I was 21, I lost my father to cancer. He passed away exactly one year after he was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. I consider myself very fortunate to have had that time to say the things I needed to say and ask the questions I needed to ask. That final year with him was one of the most difficult years of my life, but perhaps the most special as well; I cherish every moment we had to sit in silence together, every step I got to walk with him, and every word we shared.
While I am able to experience gratitude for those moments now, that perspective has only come from many years of working through my grief and making sense of this challenging, and yet, beautiful life.
The first year was a blur. I attempted to pull myself through the pain by operating under one basic principle: that life was short and needed to be lived. I travelled, chased adventure, and studied hard. But as soon as I stopped long enough to actually sit with how I was feeling, I found myself drowning in fear, emptiness, sadness, anger, and guilt. My grief had a palpable weight that only seemed to get heavier with every attempt to “move on.” I found myself longing for him; searching for elements of him in just about everything. My suffering had stolen something from me that I would forever chase and unsuccessfully regain.
I continued to struggle through the days and people did not understand. Everyone kept telling me that he wouldn’t want me to be sad anymore, which I believed to be true, but I truly did not know how to get through the pain. It felt like the rest of the world had sunny blue skies and I was being followed by a single black cloud, dulling all light and color in my world. It was an isolating feeling, I felt like a burden for being emotional, and sometimes I had very little hope that I would ever get through this. This was the first time in my life I understood that the rational mind could not take away this pain by convincing myself that it was “okay”. The pain was there and it was begging to be felt.
My healing began when I recreated the connection my father and I had. I started a ritual of waking up early and having coffee with the sunrise to feel connected to him (this was something we did together when he was alive). I began speaking openly about him, as if he still had a vital role in my life. I explored spirituality through yoga and meditation. I reflected deeply about my existence, which at times came with fear and anxiety, but mostly fueled a deeper appreciation for my life and the people around me. I committed myself to working on my relationships; trying to be a better person and friend, and opening my heart to connect to new people. I sat with the stillness of grief, and struggled my way through feelings of loneliness until I was able to discover solitude and comfort in that place… I had to drop all ideas of what I “should” be doing and learn to listen to what my heart and body needed from me.
These efforts did not come without their own unique challenges. While I felt inspired and connected to my dad, I also felt empty at every failed attempt to fill that space in my heart. Through much of my own personal work, I have come to recognize the power of integrating the void of that loss into its own unique and beautiful part of who I am. Acceptance that this void could never be filled created a dramatic shift for me. Grief changes us, and the reality is, time is not what heals. Healing requires us to be vulnerable with ourselves, to feel, to allow ourselves to be human, and to open our hearts to see the simple beauty around us.
There are still days that I cry. I cry when I think of the fear he must have experienced facing his own death and leaving his children behind. I cry because I simply miss the sound of his voice and the comfort of his hugs. I cry because he is not here to experience my future with me… But most days, I am deeply grateful for this life he has given me. I am humbled by the kindness of others and I cherish even the smallest of things in life, like a cup of coffee in the morning. Life is more beautiful now; more vivid; more intense; more colorful; more meaningful; and insanely full of love. Life is precious and challenging. I get through the most difficult days by allowing myself to feel what I need to feel, and doing my best to focus my energy on gratitude and love.
Dad, you have left me with a special scar; from the bottom of my heart, with tears and laughter, thank you.
Heart 2 Heart.
With warmth and gratitude,
Katrina
Therapeutic Approach
The therapeutic approaches Katrina commonly uses in her work includes: Person-Centered Therapy (Humanistic), Emotion-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Constructivist Therapy, Mindfulness-Based approaches, Existential Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Attachment and Somatic Theory, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, and Experiential Based therapies.
Professional Affiliations
College of Alberta Psychologists
2015 – Present
Psychologists Association of Alberta
2015 – Present
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
2016 – 2017
Association for Conflict Resolution
2016 – 2017
British Psychological Association
2015 – 2016
A Couple Words From Me
My Services

Grief and Loss
Learn to manage physical and emotional health, and find new meaning in your life.

Transform Your Life
Discover courage, peace, acceptance, and wisdom to live a more fulfilling life.

Finding Balance
Find solutions, clarity, and calm in working through
thoughts, feelings, and other challenges.

Relationship Counselling
Reconnect, heal, learn to deal with transition, or find new passion in your relationship.
Visit My Location
Located on the second level of the Shoppers Drug Mart building. Entrance to the building is on the north side of the building, on 24th Avenue SW. Come to the second floor to suite 210.
There is underground parkade in the back of the building, as well as paid street parking and some free 2 hour parking around the area.
Phone: 587-353-3445
Email: katrina@shawpsychology.ca
Address: Suite 210, 333 24 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB, T2S 3E6