Accepting New Clients? | Yes |
Regular Hours: | T: 9:00 - 6:00 PM |
Modalities of Care: | OnlineIn-Person |
Hi! My name is Laurel Miyashita, and I am a Registered Provisional Psychologist working with individual adults. If you have any questions about me or working with a Provisional Psychologist, feel free to email me at .
Approach to Counselling:
In counselling, I work primarily from a humanistic approach with a belief in every person's ability to grow and gain strength through insight and discovery. I believe therapy involves working together to explore what matters for someone, and then finding ways to move toward it. This might include the use of strategies from Person-Centred Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, mindfulness, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotionally-Focused Individual Therapy (EFT), or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
In my way of working, I believe in the importance of taking the time to learn about how situations or circumstances, outside of ourselves, impact a person and their particular stressors and challenges. I understand that similar experiences impact each person differently and it’s important to understand the unique lived experience of each client. I also believe that the ways that people find strength while experiencing suffering, grief, loss and change are different too.
I deeply value being non-judgmental and respectful. Regardless of what specific concerns someone brings to therapy, I strive to create a comfortable space that is trauma-informed and embraces diversity – including being gender inclusive and neuro-affirming. I also know that “fit” is central to a meaningful and successful counselling experience and I welcome all clients to schedule a 15-minute consultation to ensure I am the best fit for you. You are also welcome to email me at to ask any questions about me or my approach to counselling.
Education and Credentials:
- Registered Provisional Psychologist (#P7626) with the College of Alberta Psychologists
- BScN in Nursing from University of Saskatchewan
- M.C. in Counselling Psychology from Athabasca University
Background / Experience:
I have over 25 years of experience working in healthcare, first as a Registered Nurse and now as a Provisional Psychologist. As a nurse, I always had a special interest in caring for children living with acquired or chronic health conditions and developmental diversities in various stages of illness and wellness. Working with the families of my patients was also an important part of this work. Nursing provided a special space to better understand the unique lived experience of each individual and to appreciate the resilience within humanity.
In my healthcare work, I also saw how professional mental health support had a role in people’s health outcomes. I was grateful for the opportunity to return to university and learn more about supporting the mental health of various populations. Graduate school helped me learn about both the science and the art of counselling. As I value ongoing learning, I have continued to pursue further training/learning in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), providing grief-informed care, chronic pain, and Narrative Therapy since my time in graduate school. I am also a Grief Recovery Method Specialist (Certified by the Grief Recovery Institute®).
Services Offered:
- Individual Counselling for Adults (ages 18+)
Who I Work With:
At present, I work with individual adults (ages 18+). I have training, experience and/or interest working with the following presenting concerns:
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I would refer to other professionals for the following issues:
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About Me:
In my life outside of work, I enjoy being outdoors in any season. I like finding new and different ways to connect with friends and family, and to be active and creative. However, it never changes that I enjoy being with my children, a dog walk, reading memoirs, or hobby gardening!
Professional Memberships:
- College of Alberta Psychologists
- Psychologist Association of Alberta
- Canadian Psychological Association
- College of Registered Nurses of Alberta
- Canadian Nurses Association
Languages Spoken:
- English
Accessing Care from a Registered Provisional Psychologist:
In Alberta, individuals training to become Registered Psychologists are termed “Registered Provisional Psychologists.” Provisional Psychologists differ from Registered Psychologists in that:
Their work is supervised by a Registered Psychologist. This means that their cases are discussed with their supervisor in full (including the names and personal information of clients), their supervisor has full access to all of their documentation and files, supervisors may view live or recorded sessions, and supervisors hold responsibility for the welfare of the client.
- My work is currently being supervised by Alisha Sabourin, R.Psych. (AB #5048)
They are working towards the requirements of registration. This means that they are completing a minimum of 1600 hours of supervised practice and 107 hours of supervision, and they are working towards completion of licensing examinations including the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology and the Law & Ethics for Alberta Psychologists Exam.
- I have successfully completed both of these exams