About Me

Contact Kirsten at 403-331-0352

Joy Rising Counselling Services

Welcome to Joy Rising Counselling Services

My Background and Training:

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and a Master's Degree in Social Work specializing in clinical practice. I have worked in the Taber Mental Health Clinic for 30 years providing individual and family counselling. I am registered with the Alberta College of Social Worker (#892) and am also a member of the ACSW Clincal Specialty Registry (#37). I stay current by attending professional training every year. Below is a list of relevant training:

Training Towards Professional Certification or Membership:

100 Hour Training in Clinical Hypnosis and Strategic Therapy (100 hours). Trainer: Dr. Michael Yapko. April - July 2012.
MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) Instructor Training Path - 9 day retreat (85 hours) Instructors: Dr. Rachel Crowder and Dr. Steven Hick (MBSR Canada) Oct 14 - 23/14.
EMDR Training:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - Level 1 & 2 (aka "Basic Training") (53 hours). Trainer: Sue Ganest (EMDR Certified Trainer). Nov 30th, 2013 - March 17th 2014.
- EMDR Certified Therapist. Completed Jan 25th, 2018.
- EMDR Approved Consultant - Completed Dec 1st, 2018.
- EMDR Child Specialist Certification Intensive Program - completed 23Sept2022 (45 hours of training with Ana Gomez and Amy Tyrell).

Workshops attended in recent years:

24March2023. EMDR Consultant Day. Offered and hosted by EMDRIA. Intended for EMDRIA Approved Consultants. 5.75 hours Presenters: Sharon Rollins MS, LPC-S, NCC, Andrew Leeds PhD., Mark Nickerson LICSW, and 10 other presenters.
21Jan2023. Dissociation, Psychosis and Schizophrenia: Trauma Focused Treatment Strategies. Presenter: Dr. Collin A. Ross MD (Psychiatrist). (4.0 hours).
19Sept2022 - 23Sept2022. EMDR-Child Specialist Certification Intensive Program. 45 hours of training with Ana Gomez and Amy Tyrell.
12Aug2022. Metis Experience. Fort Whoop Up & Galt Museum. Cindy Lemlay and Sarah Sansom. (3.0 hours).
14Jan2022. Integrating the Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation into Clinical Practice. Presenters: Michael Coy M.A. EMDRIA AC/AT and Jennifer Madere M.A. EMDRIA AC/AT. (6.0 hours).
EMDR in the Treatment Of Chronic Pain. Presenter: Mark Grant, MA (Australia). 18Nov2021. (4.5 hours).
A New Anger Protocol: When Anger, Resentment and Revenge are Complicating EMDR: A New EMDR Anger Protocol. Date: 18Sept202. Presenter: Herman Veerbeek (Clinical Psychologist - Netherlands). (6.0 hours).
EMDR in the Treatment of Depression: How to use the EMDR DeprEnd Protocol. Date: 26March2021. Presenters: Arne Hoffman PhD and Maria Lehnung PhD (EMDR Europe). (4.5 hours).
Complex Trauma and Dissociation Across the Lifespan Part 2. Dates: 15Jan2021 - 26Feb2021. Presenters: Ana Gomez (Mc, LPC), Cathy Steele (MN, CS), and Delores Mosquera (PhD). Jan 15 - Feb 26, 2021. (15 hours).
Treating Insomnia with EMDR Therapy. Presenter: Steven Marcus, PhD Date: Jan 30, 2021. (4 hours).
Counselling Ethics: Writing Ethical, Useful and Efficient Session Notes. Presenter: Dawn McBride, PhD. Date: Jan 18,2021 (6 hours).
Counselling Ethics: The Consent Process in Counselling: It is More Than You Imagine. Presenter: Dawn McBride, MSc., PhD. Date: Jan 12, 20201 (6 hours).
Identifying Narcicissim in Clinical Practice. Trainer: Delores Mosquera PhD. (3 hours) Date: Dec 12, 2020.
Working with Chronic Shame, Resistance and Traumatic Memory in Complex PTSD and Dissociative Disorders (14 hours). Date: Nov 13 - 14th, 2020. Trainer: Kathy Steele MN, CS.
Webinars on Doing Virtual EMDR (EMDR done over the Internet) and or training specific to providing services curing the CoVid19 Crisis:

Roy Kiessling (2 Hours Webinar). April 3rd, 2020. Resources for Virtual EMDR and assisting clients with the Pandemic.
Global EMDR Child Alliance (2 hours) April 9th, 2020 with Ana Gomez, Amy Terrel, Ann Beckley-Forest, and Sue Darker-Smith. Helping Children with CoVid19.
Sue Ganest (6 hours) April 13th, 2020 How to do EMDR on Line.
EMDR Therapy with Adults During CoVid19 Pandemic (2 hours) April 18th, 2020. Panel of top presenters from around the world: Ana Gomez (U.S.A, Agate Institute), Cathy Steele (U.S.A - author and trainer in complex trauma), Tamera Hughes (U.S.A - on EMDRIA committee that created guidelines for Virtual EMDR), Isabel Fernandez (Italy - present of EMDR Europe), Delores Mosquera Ph.D. (Spain- Trainer in Complex Trauma and BPD).
Troubleshooting When Using EMDR Online (2 hours) April 21, 2020. Presenter: Arianne Struik (Psychologist and EMDR Consultant from Australia).
Working with Dissociative Disorders via Telehealth During the Pandemic (2 hours - webinar). 26April2020. Presenters: Kathy Steele (USA), and Delores Mosquera Ph.D (Spain - Trainer in Complex Trauma and BPD.

Treating Dissociative Disorders with EMDR: The Progressive Approach. Trainer: Delores Mosquera Ph.D. (from Spain). March 14 - 15 th 2020 (12 hours of training).
Reprocessing Early Trauma in Implicit Memory with EMDR. (Also known as the Pre-verbal Protocol for trauma occurring in the first 3 years of life, sometimes called the 'Somatic Protocol'). Trainer: Katie O'Shea. Nov 29 - Nov 30th 2019. (14 hours).
Clinical Social Work Supervision. Nov 3 - 29th 2019). Instructor: Dr. Jane Matheson - University of Calgary. (20 hours).
Treating First Responders & Military with EMDR Foundations for Effective EMDR Treatment. Trainer: Dr. E.C. Hurley. Oct 19 - Oct 21 2019 (18 Hours).
EMDR Sandtray Specialist Intensive Program - Level 1. Trainer: Ana Gomez. (Hours: 49 hours - 9 hours on line, 40 hours classroom & practice hours). July 2 - 6th, 2019.
EMDR with Children and Their Families Using the IATP-C Model (Integrated Attachment Trauma Protocol). Trainers: Cathy Schweitzer & Stefanie Armstrong. June 22 - June 23rd 2019. (12 hours).
Memory Re consolidation - The Flash Technique with Dr. Philip Manfield, PhD. Feb 9th 2019. (6 hours).
EMDR with Children and Youth: Advanced EMDR Workshop with Ana Gomez. Nov. 2nd - Nov 4, 2018 (21 Hours).
EMDR Coach for Level 1 & Level 2 Training. Head Trainer: Roy Kiessling, LISW (EMDR Consulting). (50 hours) Role: I served as a coach to newly trained EMDR Therapists (48 trainees total). First Training: 02March2018 - 29April2018. I continue to assist Roy Kiesling as well as Sharon Meredith when trainings are done in Alberta. (1 - 2 trainings a year).
EMDR Advanced Training: EMDR desensitization of Triggers and urge Reprocessing (De TUR Protocol). Trainers: A. J. Popky and Dr. Judy Munch. (14 Hours) (This protocol is used in addictions to reduce cravings. It can also be used to reduce sugar cravings, cigarette smoking, or "any behavior you want to stop doing").
2017 EMDR Canada National Conference - Banff (April 20th - 23 April 23 2017) (3 days). I studied with: Ad De Jongh (PhD - Netherlands) "Treatment of Fears and Phobias with EMDR" - 1 day. Roy Kiessling (LISW) - "EMDR Therapy Unchained" - 1 day. Kathliine Martin (LCSW) and /Cindy Shrigley (MSW) "Advancing Excellence in Treating Complex Trauma) - 1 day.
Meditation: Silent Retreat - Centering Prayer (Christian Tradition). Instructor: Pat Boheme (Spiritual Director) 10 - 12 March 2017 ( 2 days).
Meditation: Silent Retreat - Metta Meditation (Loving Kindness - Buddhist Tradition). Instructor: Bob Campbell. Feb 24th - Feb 26th 2017 (2 days).
EMDR with Spiritual Trauma - 7 Steps to Help Client's Heal. Trainer: Mark Odland. April 16th, 2016 (5.5 hours).
EMDR Advanced Training: Recent Event Episode Protocol (R-TEP). Trainer: Elan Shapiro (from Israel) Sept 12, 2015. (6 hours).
Intelligence, Executive Function and Resilience: Shaping the Forces that Define Our Lives. Trainer: Dr. Sam Goldstein. May 8th, 2015.
Mindfulness inside and outside the Therapy Hour: 3 Day Intensive. Trainer: Dr. Ron Siegel 15 - July 17th 2015. (21 hours).
EMDR Advanced Training" Looking Though the Eyes: EMDR and Ego State Therapy Across the Dissociative Continuum. Trainer: Dr. Sandra Paulson. (14 hours) Jan 23 - 24th, 2014.

Some Final Thoughts: