Kimberly Watson

About

Kim works with adults within the areas of clinical, health and rehabilitation psychology. Believing that psychotherapy entails a combination of change, acceptance and creativity, her approach is warm, compassionate, collaborative, honest, and integrative. She works with each client to identify therapy modalities that meet their needs, drawing on client-centred, emotion-focused, relational, meditation / mindfulness, compassion and cognitive-behavioural therapies.Regardless of approach, she strives to facilitate a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship, and works within a frame that is inclusive, trauma-informed, feminist and anti-oppressive.

She works with clients who bring a variety of concerns such as loss/grief, life transitions, coping with illness, stress, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, assertiveness, burnout/compassion fatigue, death and dying, or (re)connecting with spirituality, meaning and purpose. More recently, she is deepening an interest in supporting people through climate change, in eco-therapy and in our connection to the broader web of life – our role as and in nature. Many of her clients are professionals or work in areas such as leadership, media, or the performing arts. Clients who benefit the most have an idea of what is the focus, are ready and willing to engage in therapy with curiosity and an exploratory growth mindset, and when appropriate do some work between sessions.

Prior to training as a psychologist, Kim earned a Hons. Bachelor of Fine Art in theatre and worked in theatre production and administration for five years, an experience that continues to inform her as a person and a clinician. Her psychology work over the years has spanned various settings and roles including hospitals such as Princess Margaret Hospital and Toronto General Hospital, community clinics including The Healing Journey Program at Wellspring, psychovocational and disability assessments, private practices, university counselling centres, university course director, and work within government as a consultant and thought leader.

With each year, her gratitude deepens as she continues to enjoy working with others in their efforts to meet life’s challenges and to create meaningful and satisfying lives.

Residency – Edmonton Internship Consortium in Clinical Psychology (University of Alberta Hospital; Alberta Hospital Edmonton)
Ph.D. – Clinical Psychology, York University