Registered Psychologist
Irene Spelliscy
Irene has been a Registered Psychologist in the province of British Columbia with CHCPBC #2299 since 2016 and was registered in the province of Alberta until April 2024. She completed her required academic and professional supervision in both the areas of assessment and counselling. She graduated with an honours degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria in 1995, and completed her Masters degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Alberta in 2005. Irene went on to complete additional coursework in both cross-cultural counselling and play therapy. Her theoretical orientation is primarily cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), but she incorporates therapeutic interventions from family systems, psychodynamic, solution-focused, somatic therapy, and emotion-focused therapy into her services. CBT is based on the understanding that our thoughts and beliefs directly shape our emotions and behaviours. When we examine and understand the way we think, and why we think that way, then we begin to think more accurately, resulting in more manageable feelings and we can change problematic behaviours over time. As a result, many people feel more empowered. CBT is an efficient and change-focused form of therapy and has great clinical success rates.
Irene Spelliscy // Psychologist
Irene’s clinical practice focuses primarily on the assessment and treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. She has a special interest in working with marginalized populations and the impact of world events on trauma and core beliefs. She has been working with first responders, including members of the RCMP and Veterans, to provide training and awareness on mental health, education about PTSD, and critical incident support.
Irene has close to 30 years of experience working with at-risk youth, young offenders, children, adults, and families in various roles. Her academic interest focused on cognitive disabilities, self-harm, suicide, and juvenile delinquency. Throughout her professional career, Irene has counselled children, youth, families, and adults on such issues as anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide, child development, learning disabilities, family conflict, parenting skills, and behavioural concerns. She has also presented workshops to schools, professionals, and parents on a variety of child development, parenting issues, mental health awareness, and educational issues. Irene has also delivered numerous health and wellness workshops for various organizations such as PCL, the University of Alberta and ATB Financial.
Irene possesses notable assessment, student support and cross-cultural experience, having worked with and led a variety of Indigenous student programs and services at the University of Alberta on behalf of the Dean of Students offices. She presented workshops on cross-cultural counselling in partnership and with cultural approval by local Indigenous elder, Jerry Wood, to graduate classes in the Counselling program through the Faculty of Education. Irene provided psycho-educational assessments for the Edmonton Catholic Schools Early Learning programs through the Genesis Centre for years, going on to provide supports to many schools throughout the Edmonton school district.
Irene is from a large family and is a mother to 2 active teenage boys. Being a parent has provided her with a new level of empathy for the complexity of parent relationships with their children, the importance of having balance and fulfillment in our lives, and the need to create a community of support.