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Our Team
DENNIS PUSCH PhD, RPsych
Dr. Dennis Pusch is a registered Clinical Psychologist who completed his B.A. in Honours Psychology at Trinity Western University (graduating summa cum laude) prior to completing his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Calgary.
Dennis brings years of training and experience in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to his clinical work, but adds other therapeutic models and perspectives to his work according to the needs of his clients, including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness, motivational interviewing, existential therapy and relapse prevention. He is committed to using therapeutic strategies that have been consistently proven to be effective, but believes that those strategies are most helpful if they are offered in a therapy relationship that is supportive, friendly, and respectful. Dennis’ clients are generally adolescents and adults (including seniors), and he is pleased to offer services to people from all faiths, races, and orientations. He works with clients who are struggling with depression, anxiety in all its forms (e.g., panic, OCD, social anxiety, phobias, generalized anxiety), work stress, trauma, addictions (including drug and alcohol addictions as well as behavioural addictions like sex addiction, gambling, Internet, video games or shopping), and death or loss. He also provides marital therapy, as well as assessments for educational and vocational purposes. Dennis has been qualified as an expert witness in court, and maintains memberships in the College of Alberta Psychologists, the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta, the Canadian Psychological Association, and the Canadian Association of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
While his first passion remains his work as a therapist, Dennis has maintained a broader range of professional interests. He has been a field supervisor for the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Calgary and has trained graduate students and psychology residents in assessment and therapy, as well as supervising a number of provisional psychologists. He has served as a member of the Adult Mental Health Advisory Council for two years. He was instrumental in developing and leading the Behavioural Health Consultation program in Calgary, and he has served as the project lead and chair of a working group that developed a clinical pathway for depression in primary care. He is also collaborating with Dr. Keith Dobson (University of Calgary) in leading a multi-year research program designed to assess the impact of childhood trauma on physical and mental health outcomes later in life, and to develop treatments that can be offered in primary care settings for adults who experienced traumatic events in childhood. His work has been presented at numerous conferences and in peer-reviewed academic publications.
ALSHABA BILLAWALA
Alshaba Billawala is a registered psychologist, with a BSc in Psychology from the University of Calgary and an MA in Counselling Psychology from Western University. Alshaba is a member of the College of Alberta Psychologists, the Canadian Psychological Association, and the Psychologists' Association of Alberta.
Alshaba has received training in Counselling Psychology and provides individual, couples and group treatment to adolescents and adults. Her primary therapeutic approach is cognitive behavioural therapy but she also draws from acceptance-based therapies, narrative therapies, motivational interviewing, and client-centered therapy. She has also received specialized training in Gottman's Couples Therapy. Alshaba’s main areas of clinical practice focuses on individuals with anxiety disorders, mood disorders, marital and relationship difficulties, grief or loss and experiences of abuse. Other areas of focus include: stress management, self-esteem, family difficulties, anger management and cultural adjustment.
Alshaba is committed to providing a safe and supportive space for clients. She works with clients to identify the goals they have for improved mental health and functioning and works with them to create individually tailored treatment plans. Alshaba believes that therapy is a collaborative process and works with her clients each step of the way towards improved mental health and well-being.
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JENNY PEETOOM
Jenny Peetoom is a registered psychologist with a master degree in counselling psychology. She is a member of the College of Alberta Psychologists and the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta.
Jenny approaches therapy as a collaborative process between client and therapist. She understands that sometimes we find ourselves struggling or stuck in life; that painful emotions, thoughts, events, or ways of interpreting the world get in the way of living a valued life. Having a safe place to be oneself, to risk change, and to hear a compassionate, outside perspective can foster new insight, promote healing, and create fresh ways to tackle difficulties. Jenny tailors her clinical practice to meet the needs of her clients while rooting herself in Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behaviour therapy (CBT), and Emotion Focused therapy (EFT). Jenny works primarily with adult and adolescent clients and provides individual, couple, and group therapy. She focuses her clinical skills treating the following concerns: anxiety (including social anxiety, panic disorder, and phobias), PTSD, OCD and other compulsive disorders, depression and mood disorders, and interpersonal relationship difficulties. Other treatment areas include low self-esteem, adjustment issues, trauma, grief and loss, emotion regulation, and behaviour change.
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CHANTELLE KLASSEN
Chantelle is a registered counselling psychologist with a B.A. in psychology (First Class Honours) from Simon Fraser University and a M.A. in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia where she was trained in clinical assessment and evidence-based models of therapy. She has specialized training in various interventions including CBT, ACT, mindfulness and relaxation training, trauma-focused approaches to adults, children and youth including EMDR, trauma-focused CBT as well as dynamic experiential approaches to treatment such as play-based therapy, parent-child therapy, and couples therapy. Common areas of referral include stress, generalized anxiety and panic disorder, mood concerns including depression, past trauma, PTSD, complex PTSD, adjustment concerns related to grief and loss, divorce, workplace challenges, parenting consultation, relationship issues including communication struggles and ways to establish a more effective attachment bond. Chantelle considers it a privilege to collaborate with her clients to develop specific and meaningful treatment goals. She uses a combination of compassion, useful insight, practical information and relevant skill-building to assist her clients in achieving their desired outcomes.
A particular area of focus over the last decade of her career has included addressing the widespread issue of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Her passion in this area has enabled Chantelle to present nationally and internationally on the importance of screening and treating ACEs by creating greater understanding of the scope of the problem and specific skill-building within key identified areas of one’s life to offset the impact of adversity. Chantelle strives to achieve inclusivity in her practice for all individuals and aspires to the core values of curiosity, warmth and kindness to help her achieve this goal. Currently, Chantelle’s overall happiness in her professional life is fed jointly by her love for her inspiring family and friends, time spent outdoors on the water or on a nature trail with her exuberant dog, Bailey, or by challenging herself with learning something outside her comfort zone. Chantelle is proud to be a member of the College of Alberta Psychologists, the Psychologists Association of Alberta, and the Canadian EMDR Association, and regularly participates in clinical consultation and professional development training to better serve her clients.
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JAE CHANTLER
Jae Chantler is a registered psychologist with an M.A. in Psychology from the American Public University, Charles Town, West Virginia, graduating summa cum laude. She is a member of the College of Alberta Psychologists, and the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta.
Jae is easy to connect with and creates a safe and supportive space where her clients can experience steady, genuine care. She fosters a compassionate, collaborative relationship with her clients, tailoring therapeutic practices to their unique challenges, circumstances, and goals. While rooted in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), she may integrate techniques from a variety of evidence-based theoretical orientations including client-centred, rational emotive behaviour therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, interpersonal therapy, existential therapy, narrative therapy, inner family systems, and solution-focused therapy.
Jae enjoys working with adolescents, adults, couples, groups, and families. She also welcomes persons of all cultures, races/ethnicities, faiths, abilities, identities, and orientations. Clinically, she supports her clients with the following concerns: emotion regulation, relational conflict and trauma, anger, anxiety, depression, ADHD, injury and sports counselling. Her other areas of focus include burnout and life transitions/adjustment, stress management, impostorism, perfectionism, issues around eating and body image, self-esteem, shame, sexuality, spirituality, and personality-related problems.
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ANDREW LUCENO
Andrew is a registered provisional psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. He has completed undergraduate studies in psychology and education, and graduate-level studies in international counselling and educational psychology.
Prior to moving to Calgary 3-years ago, Andrew worked internationally as a special educator and school counsellor for 12-years. His experiences as a classroom teacher, special educator, university admissions counsellor, social-emotional counsellor, and provisional psychologist span the globe from Toronto, Calgary, Istanbul, Amsterdam, and Hong Kong where he held a split role as Counsellor and Learning Strategist.
Andrew has a passion for social justice, and has dedicated his research efforts to examining how educators facilitate safe and inclusive school environments for gender and sexually-diverse youth. Andrew has worked with individuals (and their families) of all ages, and will focus on applying cognitive-behavioural techniques while building supportive and collaborative relationships with his clients.
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LORRI, Clinic Coordinator
Lorri is your first point of contact at Southport Psychology. Lorri comes from a long Alberta Health Services career in both hospital Pharmacy and Public Health. After retiring from AHS in 2018, she worked as a Healthcare Navigator, helping clients across Canada access the care of specialists more rapidly, before finally joining the Southport Psychology team in May of 2019. It is important to Lorri that anyone that who enters our office feels welcome, comfortable and safe in our space. Lorri values and maintains your confidentiality while also working to normalize the process of seeking out mental health assistance. She wants your experience, from initial call to final visit, to feel as natural and comfortable as any other appointment you may have in your life. Lorri truly enjoys people and you can often hear her say “Feel free to call me, I’m here to help.”
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LINDSAY McLACHLAN
Lindsay is a registered psychologist and member of the College of Alberta Psychologists who brings a wealth of expertise and experience across all stages of development in the lifespan. Her early career experiences include seven years working with children and youth with concurrent behavior disorders and their families in specialized mental health classrooms, residential settings and outreach treatment programs. She completed a Master of Arts Degree in Counselling Psychology and continued to work with children, youth, and families, while expanding her areas of competency to include adults and couples over the last 6 years. Lindsay also has a passion for supporting individuals with executive functioning deficits, who may or may not have already received a diagnosis of ADHD.
Lindsay incorporates various evidence-based approaches in her work with clients that are tailored to her client’s specific needs. Therapeutic modalities often used in her work include but are not limited to: cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and solution focused therapy. She also enjoys providing more formal assessments of children, youth and adults as needed, including adult ADHD assessments.
Some of Lindsay’s core values in her work with clients include integrity, humility, compassion, confidentiality, collaboration, empathy, cultural sensitivity, respect for autonomy, and sensitivity to difference. Lindsay is truly passionate about supporting others to cultivate increased self-awareness and confidence on their journey toward living a more authentic and fulfilling life. Outside of work she enjoys the simple things in life! As a social person, she spends a lot of time with family and friends or planning her next travel adventure.
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MARY MAKOWSKI
Mary is a registered psychologist with a B.A. in Psychology (Honours) from the University of Victoria and a Masters of Education in School and Applied Child Psychology from the University of Calgary. She offers psycho-educational assessments and psychotherapy to people of all ages. Mary has many years of experiencing working with children, teens and adults with diverse abilities and complex needs, and has worked as a Custody Supervisor, a Support Worker and an Employment Mentor prior to becoming a psychologist.
Mary specializes in working within the family unit and supporting parents to understand their children’s needs. She actively works to help parents understand the challenges, joys, and complexities that go along with parenting. Mary primarily uses a combination of Cognitive Behaviour techniques and a Narrative lens to focus on: co-parenting in different households, behavioural support for children and adults, parent support and consultation, in addition to providing therapy for anxiety, depression or other mental health concerns for children and adults.
Mary believes strongly in inclusion and helps people view themselves with understanding, compassion and acceptance. Mary helps her clients create value and find joy in their daily lives. If you work with Mary, you can expect that she will bring her passion for life, enthusiasm and compassion to every session. Come as you are, and you will be accepted.
When not in the office, Mary fills her bucket by attempting to walk every street in Calgary, crafting, and exploring dog parks with her hyper pup, Sansa.
