Restore Psychology

10/01/2025

Hi community!

Restore Psychology is growing, and we’re looking for a compassionate Registered Psychologist (or strong Provisional) or Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) to join our virtual private practice as a part-time contractor.


What we offer:
* Flexible scheduling (set your own hours)
* Steady flow of referrals (build up to ~10 clients/week)
* Administrative + marketing support
* Collaborative team culture (case consultations + mentorship)

Who we’re looking for:
* Registered Psychologist registered in Alberta or BC (or Provisional with their own external supervisor) or a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
* Passion for working with adults (experience with anxiety, trauma, depression, self-esteem, etc.)
* Training in multiple modalities (ACT, CBT, EFT, DBT); EMDR/ART/somatic practices considered a strong asset
* Strong, client-centered, evidence-based approach

If you’re ready to grow your practice in a supportive and forward-thinking team, we’d love to hear from you!


Apply by sending your CV + cover letter to alshaba@restorepsychology.ca

Read more about the opportunity here:

I'm Alshaba, I'm here to help guide you in your journey with mental health. As a registered psychologist I specialize in therapy services across Calgary & Vancouver.

07/29/2025

Not all grief is visible. Pregnancy loss and miscarriage often go unspoken, but the pain is real—and layered. If you’ve experienced this kind of loss, your feelings are valid and your grief MATTERS. If you want to read more about miscarriage and pregnancy loss and how it can present, visit our blog.

06/18/2025

Hi there! I thought I'd re-introduce myself as it has been sometime.

I'm Alshaba, a Registered Psychologist in Alberta & BC, and the founder of Restore Psychology.

I offer online counselling for individuals and couples across Alberta and British Columbia. I'm truly passionate about walking alongside people through life’s ups and downs—with compassion, curiosity, and a collaborative approach that honours your unique story.

I support clients navigating:
🌿 Anxiety & depression
🌿 Trauma & PTSD
🌿 Grief & pregnancy/infant loss
🌿 Self esteem
🌿 Relationship or marriage challenges

Whether we’re unpacking past pain, exploring stuck patterns, or navigating relationships, I see therapy as a partnership. You bring your story—I’m here to support you in making sense of it and moving forward.

When I’m off the clock, you’ll likely find me cuddling with my pup Bear 🐾,, checking out new food or coffee spots, or getting lost in a good Netflix series (always open to recs!).

📍If you're in Alberta or BC and looking for support, I’d love to connect. I offer a free, no-pressure consultation so we can see if we’re a good fit to work together.

05/21/2025

A gentle reminder...

You have the right to take up space, to need things, to say no, and to change your mind.
You are allowed to rewrite your story.

If you're not sure where to begin, try reflecting on these:
– Am I saying yes out of fear?
– What boundary is asking to be honoured?
– How can I remind my nervous system that I matter?

Start there. 💛

05/19/2025

Being passive is often mistaken for being calm or peaceful.

But what looks like “easygoing” on the outside is sometimes deep self-silencing on the inside.

Passivity can be a brilliant survival strategy—especially if, in your past, speaking up wasn’t safe or welcome.

But over time, it comes with a cost:

🫥 You stop recognizing your needs.
🫥 You lose connection with your voice.
🫥 You become invisible—even to yourself.

Learning assertiveness isn't about being loud—It’s about being real.

Healing starts when we gently ask:
🌿 What part of me learned that staying small kept me safe?
🌿 And is it still serving me now?

You don’t have to go from silence to shouting.You can start with one honest whisper: “This matters to me.”

💬 If you’re working on finding your voice, I see you.

Start small.
Keep going.
You got this.

05/12/2025

Many of us were taught that kindness means self-sacrifice.

That being “good” means being agreeable. Quiet. Easygoing.

But the truth is—chronic self-abandonment isn’t sustainable.

It slowly wears down your nervous system.

It disconnects you from your truth.

And it creates a painful divide between how you feel inside and how you show up on the outside.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing a gentle series on assertiveness—

Knowledge and micro-practices to help you shift from passive communication to a style that honors you.

Because your needs matter.

Your voice matters.

You matter, too.

09/12/2023

All of us have things that we struggle with. Whether that’s anxiety, imposter syndrome, low self-esteem, or difficulties with our body image, etc.

❌Something that many of us do in response to our struggle is engage in self criticism.

Sometimes this self criticism can be obvious, such as calling ourselves names. Other times it’s much more subtle.

📚Research shows that being self-critical can harm our sense of self, and rarely motivates us to improve or change.

In fact, for many people this self criticism can be debilitating and can stand in the way of our goals or how we want to show up.

So next time you’re experiencing a moment of struggle, I invite you to pause and look at how you talking to and treating yourself in this difficult moment.

08/30/2022

Final horsemen is stonewalling…

Stonewalling is anything you do to withdraw or escape from a conflict situation. This can be psychological stonewalling which can look like “checking out” in the conversation or physical stonewalling in which we physically leave the situation in the middle of conflict. 

Although stonewalling often stems from us being flooded (fancy term for our body being emotionally overwhelmed), it can leave our partner feeling unimportant, rejection or abandoned. 

Instead try: making a plan to allow for a break where you can engage in an activity to help yourself regulate.

For example, proactively communicating to your partner that if you are overwhelmed, you may need a break and then considering what you will do in this time. Some favourites of mine are: deep breathing, drinking a glass of water, listening to music or taking a walk.

This could sound like telling your partner: “I am feeling really overwhelmed and think I need a bit of a break. Can you give me 30 minutes and then we can come back and talk?” 

Afterwards, when you feel more regulated, ensure that you take steps to come back and try to work through the conflict with your partner.  

Tip: did you know, for most people, we need at least 20 minutes or more for our bodies to start to become regulated?



Credit: https://www.gottman.com/about/research/
Photo: https://www.freepik.com

08/30/2022

Next up we have defensiveness. This is anything you during conflict or otherwise that brings you away from accepting any responsibility for the situation at hand.

The truth is our minds and bodies are designed to protect us. Therefore, if we feel threatened, it can be perfectly natural to want to protect ourselves and one way we can do this is by becoming defensive and not accepting any responsibility.

The problem with this is that it creates distance between us and our partner, can come off as us giving excuses and also send the message that what our partner is saying doesn’t matter.

Commonly this sounds something like this:

Partner 1: It hurt my feelings when you you ignored my suggestion

Partner 2: Well, I was really busy and I didn’t have time to consider what you wanted

Another common way defensiveness presents is the.. the “yeah but, I do this because… ___”. This reversal of blame can be hurtful and moves us away from being able to navigate conflict.

So what can you do? Try to take responsibly, even if it is for part of the conflict at hand, even 1%! This can keep things from escalating and also lead to conflict resolution.

For example:

Instead of: Yeah but was really busy and I didn’t have time to consider what you wanted..

Try: It must have been hurtful when I didn’t consider your suggestion, even if I was busy”



Credit: https://www.gottman.com/about/research/
Photo: https://www.freepik.com

08/26/2022

Did you know? contempt has been shown to be the “deadliest” of all the 4 horsemen, and is considered to be the biggest predictor of divorce or separation.

In addition, when there is contempt present in a relationship, we are also more prone to not only struggling with our mental health but also at a greater risk for infectious illnesses.

Contempt is anything that you do that communicates to your partner that you think you are above them in any way, and can communicate a sense of disrespect and lead to your partner feeling worthless or less than.

Often, this presents non-verbally. For example, think… sarcasm, that eye roll, muttering under your breath, etc. Instead, try to build a culture of appreciation.

This can simply look like reminding yourself about something you appreciate about your partner, even in the face of conflict. This helps to create some connection to your partner, even during a difficult time.



Credit: https://www.gottman.com/about/research/
Photo: https://www.freepik.com

08/24/2022

First of the 4 horsemen is criticism. This is anything that you do that verbally attacks your partners character or personality instead of voicing a complaint.

It can sound like “you are (fill in the blank: ____ lazy, irresponsible, forgetful, a loser, etc.) and lead to your partner feeling rejected, hurt, or attacked.

So what can you do instead? Attempt a GENTLE STARTUP and focus on the behaviour that is upsetting you and NOT generalizations about your loved ones character.

For example, instead of saying: “you are irresponsible…” or a generalization using words like “always” or “never”…

Try: “I feel like I dont matter when you don’t come home when you say you will, and it would mean a lot to me if you gave me a heads up if you are going to be late”,

Instead of: “you never think about me…”

Try: “I was worried about whether something happened to you when you didn’t call me..”



Credit: https://www.gottman.com/about/research/
Photo: https://www.freepik.com

08/23/2022

Did you know that it is not how often or what you fight about that leads to harm in a relationship? It is HOW you fight.

According to research done on couples by the Gottmans (couples researchers and therapists), there are 4 elements that can lead to relationship breakdown and deterioration over time, which are sometimes called the “4 horsemen of the apocalypse”. These are:

1. Criticism
2. Contempt
3. Defensiveness
4. Stone walling

Sound familiar? Dont worry, its not all bad news! The research also shows athat once you have awareness of these these horsemen, you can take steps towards change which can not only reduce harm but also strengthen your relationship and improve relationship satisfaction.

Over the next few days, Ill be sharing information about each horsemen with some tips and ideas for how to start making some changes in your interactions with your partner.

If you think you might benefit from some help in improving your relationship, feel free to reach out for a free consultation using the link in the bio!



Credit: https://www.gottman.com/about/research/