Welcome to Momentum!
I am lucky enough to lead this inspiring team of committed mental health professionals. I am a mom of two girls, a wife, sister, daughter and friend. I am also a self-professed social work nerd, with over 20 years of experience as a Registered Social Worker. I am thrilled to lead Momentum where I can combine my passions for mental health advocacy and leadership.
I have been on the Momentum team since 2016. It has been an honour to grow with such a beautiful organization that is commited to supporting Albertans in their mental health journey. I understand the kind of courage it takes for people to reach out for help in their darkest moments. My hope is that you always feel welcomed and safe in your time of need.
In my personal time you will find me fostering puppies and kittens for a local animal rescue, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, playing softball, painting and spending time with my husband and two kids.
I feel priveleged to be working on an innovative team who supports me, challenges me and always allows me the opportunity to grow.
I feel extremely privileged to be a member of the Executive Team with Momentum Walk-In Counselling. Carrying the unique role of working together with the Executive Director and Board of Directors while also supporting both the Office Manager and Clinical Team.
Mental health advocacy is a passion of mine. Having worked many years administratively in private practice, it has been deeply rewarding to work for a non-profit society and their volunteers who are so generous with their time.
I look forward to supporting Momentum in their mission to ensure that mental health support is available to all Albertans who may not have been able to access services due to financial or other barriers.
In my personal time, I love spending quality time with my husband, daughters, family and friends. Camping, quading and lake life are the days I live for. My mission as a mom, is to empower and encourage my daughters to be fierce female leaders and to always trust their heart.
It is admirable the strength and vulnerability it takes to reach out for mental health support. I look forward to connecting with you!
Kimberly Masliuk-Giddings, RCSW, is a Registered Clinical Social Worker who is a member in good standing with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). I have obtained my Masters in Clinical Social Work and have been in the field of mental health for several years. I also completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Psychology. I am an author of an academic publication featured in the Journal of Psychological Injury and Law, which explores the facets of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and malingering I have been involved in the development and delivery of various programs, services, clinical treatment and therapy, for diverse individuals presenting with a variety of mental health concerns. I am currently employed as a Clinical Director for Momentum, and continue to practice as a mental health therapist. I have developed and implemented curriculums for several group therapy sessions and workshops covering a variety of topics such as emotion regulation, attachment disorders, trauma, anxiety, and depression. Workshops and presentations on a variety of topics can be tailored for the needs of your agency. I have extensive knowledge, training, and experience treating complex PTSD, trauma related disorders in children and adults, as well as anxiety, depression, and mood regulation disorders. I am a certified EMDR therapist; EMDR is currently the leading modality for treatment of trauma and trauma related issues and experiences. As a Registered Clinical Social Worker, I value the person-in-environment perspective to treatment; this allows the ability to assess and provide treatment to individuals through a systemic, strengths-based, trauma-informed, client-centered, solution-focused approach. Through individual and group therapy, individuals are able to gain insight as to how and why certain behaviours are developed and maintained by the influences within and around them through various contexts. I believe that every person possesses the ability to safely and successfully overcome one’s obstacles and challenges that are causing crisis or distress in their life. As a mental health therapist and therapy group facilitator, I endeavour to create an atmosphere that encourages self-discovery of skills, talents, and abilities in an environment that is safe, genuine and non-judgemental. In my role as a Clinical Director, I help to ensure that we continue to provide high quality mental health counselling and services, and continue to advocate for the reduction of barriers to quality mental health treatment for all individuals. If you or your agency is interested in learning more about our services at Momentum, presentations, workshops, group therapy, and other inquiries please email me at Kimberly.Giddings@
I have over 5 years of experience working with kids, teens, adults, and groups. I thoroughly enjoy working with different populations as it informs my approach. I am constantly learning from my clients’ honesty, bravery, and hope, and am passionate about co-creating strategies for how to make life a little bit better. I am interested in what you are hoping to work on or get from therapy and how we can find ways to practice, experiment, and evaluate how to meet your needs. I use a number of different approaches that aim to understand what you are already doing that are helpful. Together we can build tools to support your individual needs.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Alberta and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Trinity Western University. I am a registered provisional psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists.
I am passionate about finding the right approach or the right support; so, in the case that the best fit is not with me, I am happy to refer you to a broader community of supportive professionals that could meet your needs.
I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor (C.C.C) working in the Edmonton area. The decision to seek therapy often follows frustrating attempts to manage on your own. Reaching out for support takes courage but I am convinced that working with a supportive therapist can result in positive and lasting changes.
I firmly believe that people are stuck and not broken. I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotionally-focused Therapy (EFT), and Solution-Focused therapy with my clients to create change. Together we can reduce the negative impacts of challenging situations, thoughts, and feelings while exploring and embracing those things that will make your life deeply fulfilling and meaningful!
You may feel stuck, lost, alone or unsure how to move forward in life. Whatever you are dealing with there is hope. With the right support change is possible.
Hello, my name is Rachel (she/her/hers). I have excitedly joined the Momentum Counselling team as a graduate-level counselling intern. I completed all the course work for a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and just have this internship left before graduation. Alongside this, I have a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta, as well as have completed training in Families and the Law, Suicide Intervention, Play Therapy, Trauma Informed Practice, and Inclusive Settings.
I have a diverse background working with children, youth, and adults. For several years I worked in educational and medical settings, with focuses on vulnerable populations working as a teacher, school counsellor, and mental wellness counsellor. I also enjoy volunteer work and have gained experience as a crisis line support worker, mentor for children with disabilities, and grief counsellor.
On a more personal note: I love to spend time connecting with nature, friends, family, and my animals. I’m a bookworm and love to spend evenings relaxing with either a book or otherwise the exact opposite – spending time outdoors running/biking/hiking/or nordic skiing :).
Graduating with both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Honours Psychology from MacEwan University and a Master of Arts (MA) in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University, I have spent my time since finishing my formal education as a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists.
Having a background working with addictions, trauma, and grief, I understand the heaviness individuals carry around with them. I often see the emotional weight of day-to-day life expressed as anxiety, depression, and relational stress, which can be a very lonely experience. My aim is to provide a safe space for both individuals and couples to express themselves in a more genuine way. Being vulnerable can be an intimidating experience, but it can be easier given the right environment, level of trust, and freedom from judgement.
Given the highly individual nature of therapy, my therapeutic style emphasizes collaboration, internal strengths, and flexibility. Using a combination of Cognitive-Behavioural, Solution-Focused, and Narrative Therapies, I work with the ideas we have about ourselves and the world around us to help create a clearer image of the road ahead. I believe that people are doing the best with the resources they currently have access to; therapy can be an opportunity to expand those resources, gain insight, and break the silence surrounding mental health. Together, we can begin to validate the weight of lived stories and write a new chapter.
My name is Erica (she/her) and I completed my Masters of Counselling through Athabasca University in 2022. Prior to graduate studies, I completed a BSc in psychology at MacEwan University, with a focus on behavioural neuroscience.
For the past several years I have worked front lines and facilitated programming for adults experiencing homelessness. This experience has led me to work alongside a variety of people experiencing a wide range of presenting concerns. I believe we all experience different hardships throughout our lives. At the same time, it is my core belief that we all possess unique skills and strengths that can be cultivated to overcome challenges thrown our way.
I use an integrative approach to therapy, meaning that I tailor therapy to fit with your needs and hopes using a variety of evidence-based approaches. Theoretical orientations that I often draw upon are solution focused brief therapy, narrative therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, and somatic experiencing therapy. I enjoy working with youth (10+), and adults.
A few additional things about me:
Jody is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA).
After almost a decade of experience supporting adults with a variety of mental health needs- including those within marginalized populations, she decided to pursue her Master’s in Counselling Psychology. She sought out the field of Counselling, as she has an immense passion for seeing people’s potential and loves to help them problem solve and create a path towards the life they want to live.
Her background is in Law Enforcement as a First Responder, which contributes to her empathetic, yet direct personality. Jody loves to utilize humor in her sessions and her goal is to create and maintain a strong therapeutic alliance with those she helps. She believes clients should feel heard, accepted, and validated.
Most often, Jody will take a strength-based, solution-focused approach with her clients, but Cognitive Behavioral Therapy may also inform sessions.
My name Is Janet Vancaeseele and currently I am in the Master of Counseling Program at Yorkville University. I am passionate about advocating for improved mental health for individuals, families, and communities. I am honoured and privileged to have this opportunity to walk alongside others as they work through the challenges they face within their daily lives. Regardless of everyone’s background and past, I always look at people’s potential, strengths, and goals to improve their well-being. My strengths include an ability to create a safe environment where the client feels valued, respected, and understood. I like to create this environment by keeping a positive attitude and remaining non-judgemental. I look forward to this opportunity to assist others in seeing there potential and growing within their mental health journey.
I am a graduate-level counselling intern completing my Master of Counselling degree and have joined the Momentum Counselling team as the final step in finishing my studies. I completed my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) degree from the University of Alberta and have worked as a Registered Nurse (RN) for the past eight years. My nursing experience providing care to people in various care settings, such as Labour/Delivery/Postpartum, Adult Intensive Care (ICU), and Public Health, spurred my interest in pursuing my Master of Counselling degree to become a Registered Psychologist in Alberta. I am incredibly passionate about helping others, and my career as an RN has highlighted my desire to provide counselling services and pursue this career change. I have completed various mental health certifications, including Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Level 1), Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), Postpartum Support International – PMD Components of Care, and Postpartum Support International’s Advanced Psychotherapy.
It is an honour to join the Momentum Counselling team, and I look forward to working collaboratively with you to highlight your inner strengths. Reaching out for help is a courageous step in prioritizing your well-being, and I hope to be of service on your journey toward wellness.
I am extremely grateful to be part of the Momentum team. My time at Momentum started during the end of my graduate studies, in early 2014, as a volunteer walk-in counselling therapist. Soon after joining the team, I was asked to lead a weekly men’s support group, now known as Anchor Men’s Group, which I have continued to do since then, with the help of several amazing co-facilitators.
I am a cisgender, heterosexual, white, able bodied, not quite middle aged, learning disabled (self-diagnosed), man with French, Ukrainian, and English heritage who was born and raised in rural Alberta. I am passionate about social justice and strive to be an ally of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and engaged in the Truth and Reconciliation process. I am also a mini-van driving husband and father of two energic and often emotionally dysregulated young boys. I enjoy playing and watching soccer and most other sports.
I also happen to be a Registered Psychologist in the Province of Alberta who has training and experience providing psychological counselling with school aged children, adolescents, adults, older adults, groups, couples and families; and training and experience conducting psycho-educational assessments with children, adolescents and adults; adult capacity assessments; employment selection screening; formal adult psychological assessments; parenting capacity assessments; and custody (parenting time) evaluations. I work therapeutically from a collaborative and integrative approach that is informed by the needs and preferences of my clients combined with the various therapeutic approaches that I have training and experience providing (i.e. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Hakomi, Play therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy).
Additionally, I enjoy teaching and I am Associate Faculty in the Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality Program at St. Stephen’s College, currently teaching a course on Couples/Family therapy, and I have been a teaching assistant and sessional instructor for several undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Alberta. I have also supervised a couple of graduate students in their couples/family therapy practicums at the University of Alberta. Furthermore, I have previously volunteered for the board of directors for the Psychologist Association of Alberta, a youth drop-in Centre, local distress line, and I currently volunteer on the board of directors for Kids Kottage. Finally, I have been involved in and have completed my own research projects in the areas of marginalized youth, positive psychology, youth criminal justice, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, homelessness, Canadian immigration, and refugee mental health. I am currently not involved in conducting any research and do not anticipate doing so in the near future.
My name is Jesse Howard, and I am a second-year Master of Counselling student at the City University of Seattle in Edmonton. I have spent the last 20+ years as an Environmental Consultant where I led a team of professionals and managed numerous complex environmental projects. Despite many successes in that field, I reached a point where the consequences of living for a career out of alignment with my values required action.
In late 2018, with the support of my wife, I initiated a career change. I left my employer of 17 years, started my own part-time consulting business, and began completing my undergrad as a first step toward the City U Masters program. To date, my experiences in the counselling industry have brought a sense of congruence that I did not have in my previous career. They have shown me how to channel my professional efforts in a direction that benefits real people and promotes positive social change. It excites me that the time and effort put into my new career will pay off in the lives of individuals in ways that will improve aspects of their mental health, foster well-being, and motivate them toward meaningful change.
I come to Momentum equipped with project management and team leadership skills. As a long-term registered member of the Alberta Institute of Agrologists, I also have professional experience in matters of ethics, confidentiality, and responsibility to the public. Having navigated such a stressful corporate environment, encountered burnout, and come out the other side, I feel I also have a unique set of life experiences from which to draw in my future career. I believe these skills will provide a solid foundation on which to build a new career in the counselling profession.
I am grateful to be a part of the Momentum team and am excited to work with such a diverse team of professionals.
I am a 4th year Bachelor of Social Work student at the University of Calgary, fortunate to complete my senior practicum at Momentum! I have always been passionate about mental health, holding a strong belief that access to mental health resources is a human right. I am a big believer in a strengths approach and the power of self-determination. My experience working with children, at-risk youth and seniors has affirmed that mental health challenges are universal. In my free time I enjoy watching movies, rock climbing and spending time with my cats and dogs. It takes strength to reach out and I hope to be a support to those that come to Momentum.
NEW! IN-PERSON APPOINTMENTS AS WELL AS ONLINE APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE!
With the health, safety and comfort of our clients and team members being our first priority, we are transitioning to in-person counselling on Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment only, beginning April 1st. We will continue to offer all of our services virtually as well. When booking your preferred method, please watch for ‘in person’ or ‘virtual’ offerings in the schedule.
Should you have any questions please email info@walkinedmonton.org or call us at 780 757-0900.
If you require immediate assistance please contact the Distress Line at 780-482-4357, Access 24/7 at 780-424-2424 or 911.
