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Questions Parents Should Ask Before Booking a Child Assessment

A Parent's Guide to Making an Informed Decision

Every parent wants the best for their child. When concerns about learning, behaviour, emotions, attention, or development begin to emerge, deciding to seek professional help can feel overwhelming. Questions such as “Does my child really need an assessment?”, “Which assessment is right?”, and “How do I know I’m choosing the right provider?” are incredibly common. […]

What Happens After a Diagnosis? Next Steps for Families

What Happens After a Child's Diagnosis? A Step-by-Step Guide for Families

Receiving a diagnosis for your child can be one of the most emotional moments in a family’s journey. Whether your child has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or  Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a Specific Learning Disorder (SLD), anxiety, developmental delay, or another neurodevelopmental or psychological condition, it’s completely normal to experience a mix of […]

Autism and ADHD Together: Why Dual Diagnosis Is More Common Than You Think

Autism and ADHD Together: Understanding Dual Diagnosis

For many years, autism and ADHD were treated as entirely separate conditions. Clinicians were often trained to diagnose one or the other, and families were left trying to make sense of challenges that didn’t fully fit into a single explanation. At Rocky Mountain Psychological Services (RMPS), we often hear from parents who feel that while […]

Thousands in Funding for Students with ADHD or Learning Disabilities: Why a Psychoeducational Assessment Can Help You Access Up to $20,000 in Supports

Access $20,000 in ADHD & Learning Disability Funding | Psychoeducational Assessment

For many students with ADHD or learning disabilities, the biggest barrier to success is not intelligence or motivation, it is access. Access to the right supports, the right tools, and a clear understanding of how they learn best. Across post-secondary systems, substantial funding, often reaching up to $20,000 or more, is available to help level […]

Big Trauma vs. Small Trauma in Children: What Every Parent Needs to Know

Big vs Small Trauma: What Parents Need to Know about childhood trauma

Introduction: Why Understanding Trauma Matters More Than Ever When most parents hear the word trauma, they think of extreme, life-altering events, like serious accidents, abuse, or the sudden loss of a loved one. These experiences are undeniably traumatic, but they represent only one part of a much broader and more nuanced picture. In recent years, […]

Up to $7,000+ in Student Support: How a Psychoeducational Assessment Can Unlock Disability Grants for University Students

Up to $7,000+ in Student Disability Grants: Psychoeducational Assessments Explained

For many students, the transition to university is both exciting and overwhelming. Academic expectations increase, independence becomes essential, and support systems often shift dramatically. For students with underlying learning differences, attention challenges, or processing difficulties, this transition can be even more complex. What many families and students don’t realize, however, is that there is substantial […]

What Is Play Therapy? How It Helps Children Heal from Trauma

how play therapy works

When children experience emotional distress or trauma, they often lack the words to explain what they are going through. Unlike adults, who can articulate feelings through conversation, children communicate most naturally through play. This is where play therapy for children becomes a powerful and evidence-based approach to healing. At RMPS, we understand that children don’t […]

Divorce and Adolescents: Understanding Mood Changes, Risk-Taking, and Identity Struggles

Divorce and Teens: Effects on Mental Health, Behavior & Identity

Divorce is rarely a single event. It is rather a process that reshapes the emotional, social, and psychological landscape of a family. While younger children often show distress through clinginess or regression, adolescents experience divorce in more complex and internalized ways. At Rocky Mountain Psychological Services, we frequently see how divorce and adolescents intersect in […]

Expired Assessments? Why Colleges and Schools Often Require Psychoeducational Testing Within the Last Year

Why Schools Require Recent Psychoeducational Testing

Introduction It can be frustrating for families and students to hear that a psychoeducational assessment is “expired.” After investing time, emotional energy, and financial resources into a comprehensive evaluation, being told it is no longer valid can feel confusing and even unfair. However, there are important clinical, academic, and legal reasons why colleges, universities, and […]

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MacKenzie Ebel

MacKenzie is a Psychometrist/Psychological Assistant at RMPS. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Princeton University, where she also played 4 years for the women’s ice hockey team. She recently completed her Masters in Counselling Psychology through City University of Seattle. MacKenzie has worked with children, youth, and their families in a number of settings, through coaching, as a behavioural aid, and counselling through her internship placement. She is excited to continue learning about assessment administration, neurofeedback, and play therapy practices at RMPS! Currently, she is part of the assessment and neurotherapy team, as she completes her final capstone assignment and intends to join our counselling team as a Registered Provisional Psychologist.

Tammy Thomson

Tammy is a graduate of the Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP) program at Yorkville University and is trained at the master’s level in art therapy as a professional art psychotherapist and member of the Canadian Art Therapy Association. She brings more than 20 years of experience working with children, teens, and families in child development settings, children’s hospitals, and schools as an early childhood educator and elementary teacher. She completed a Bachelor of Applied Science specializing in Child Development Studies at the University of Guelph, Ontario and holds a Graduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Tammy is a member of the Canadian Counsellor and Psychotherapy Association and College of Alberta Psychologists while pursuing her next goal of registration as a provisional psychologist. Tammy values a client-centered approach using play therapy and the expressive arts to support those who may find it difficult to articulate their thoughts and feelings with words. Children and families do not need any skill or prior art experience and the art studio is a safe place where children can gain a sense of independence, greater emotional regulation, and confidence through self-exploration. Expressive interventions in art therapy can treat behavioural issues, anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, physical and developmental disabilities, and attachment difficulties. As a parent of three young children herself, Tammy understands the complexities of family life using compassion to help parents feel more confident in their role of raising a successful family.

Raquel Freitas

Raquel is an Office Administrator at RMPS. Back in Brazil, her home country, she graduated as a Psychologist and worked as a clinician for the past 5 years. Although she loved working with children and adults, she discovered a new passion: manage the administrative tasks that keep the business running. 

As someone who is passionate about learning new things and developing new skills, with the career transition also came the decision to live abroad and explore a new culture. To serve empathetically and connect with people is Raquel’s main personal and professional goal.

Emma Donnelly

Emma is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in her hometown at Brandon University, after which she moved to Calgary to earn her Master’s of Science in School and Applied Child Psychology at the University of Calgary. Emma has a passion for working with children and families and has experience doing so in a number of settings, including schools, homes, early intervention programs, and within the community. She specializes in assessment, including psychoeduational, social-emotional-behavioural, and autism assessment. Emma uses a client centred approach to counselling, supported by cognitive behavioural therapy, as well as play-based and attachment-based techniques. She believes in meeting clients where they are at and prides herself in working together with her clients to achieve their goals, improve their functioning, and enjoy their daily life.

Amanda Stoner

Amanda is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Amanda earned her doctoral degree in Psychology at Brock University in Ontario in 2017, with a specialization in developmental psychology. Amanda provides formal assessment services at RMPS. 

Since 2009, Amanda has received formal training and work experience in private practice settings in conducting psycho-educational assessments for students ranging from preschool through university. Amanda is skilled at test administration, interpretation of data, and report writing for various referral questions including ADHD, Learning Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anxiety, Giftedness, and Intellectual Disabilities. Amanda enjoys working with people of all ages from diverse backgrounds, and she tries to make the testing environment feel relaxed and comfortable while maintaining integrity in testing protocol.

Denise Riewe

Denise has completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences through the University of Lethbridge and a Master of Counselling with Athabasca University. She is a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists and a member of the Psychological Association of Alberta. Denise has over 9 years of experience supporting children, youth and their families in both residential and community-based practices. Denise is experienced in working with high and at-risk youth, supporting children and their families with strength-based approaches. She practices from a client-center approach supported by Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Theraplay, and other play and art-based modalities.

John Pynn

John is a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. He completed his Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. He brings more than 20 years of experience working with children, teens, and families in a variety of settings. He brings a relaxed and collaborative atmosphere to sessions. John uses an integrated counselling approach including client-centred, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Solution-Focussed therapy (SFT) to find the best-fit for clients. He has experience with a variety of mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, anger, self-
esteem, relationships, parenting, ADHD, grief/loss, addictions, and trauma. This broad experience comes from working in schools, social service agencies, group-care, and clinical settings. He also draws from the practical experience of being a parent to two teenagers as well as a husband. Supporting and empowering clients with mental health concerns is something John genuinely enjoys. John also provides counselling for adults and holds a Gottman level 1 certification for couples therapy.

Zara Crasto

Zara is a Psychometrist/Psychological Assistant at RMPS. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Calgary and her Graduate Diploma in Psychological Assessment at Concordia University of Edmonton. 

Zara has spent over five years working alongside children, adolescents, and their families in a variety of settings. These include public and private schools, in-home support, residential programs, early-intervention programs, and non-profit organizations. Currently, Zara is part of the assessment and neurotherapy team. As a lifelong learner, Zara plans to go back to graduate school and eventually become a psychologist one day.

Kellie Lanktree

Kellie is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. She completed a Bachelor of Child and Youth Care with the University of Victoria and a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology through the University of Lethbridge. Kellie has over 10 years experience supporting children and youth with developmental disorders/delays and their families. Kellie has experience working in schools, clinical settings, and within homes to provide support and therapeutic interventions. Through her time at RMPS, Kellie has also gained experience in helping individuals affected by trauma, grief/loss, separations, emotional dysregulation, depression, and anxiety. Kellie practices through developmental, attachment-based and trauma-informed lenses, and draws from a variety of play-based approaches such as Synergetic Play Therapy, Child-centered play therapy, DIR/Floortime, art-based mediums, and mindfulness-based practices. Kellie also provides Neurofeedback therapy, and is working on receiving her certification through BCIA. Kellie believes in meeting children and their families where they are at and that there is no “one size fits all” for therapy.