A New Path Leads to Okotoks: Welcome to The Elk House!
Sometimes growth looks like adding another office. And sometimes it looks like finding a little house in Okotoks and realizing it might just be the perfect place for the next chapter of a vision that started years ago.
We are so excited to share that Off the Beaten Path Psychology and Wellness is expanding to Okotoks!
Our new home will be at 2 Elk Avenue, in a little house we've already started calling The Elk House.
But before we tell you about the house, we probably need to go back to where Off the Beaten Path began.
Therapy Doesn't Always Need Four Walls
The idea behind Off the Beaten Path has always been right there in the name. Therapy doesn't necessarily have to happen with two people sitting across from one another in an office. Sometimes talking is easier when we're moving. Sometimes sitting side-by-side feels more comfortable than sitting face-to-face.
Sometimes being outside, walking a pathway, noticing what's around us and having a little space to breathe can change the entire feel of a conversation. From the beginning, outdoor and walk-and-talk therapy was part of the vision for OBP. It wasn't about replacing traditional therapy. There are times when the privacy and predictability of an indoor therapy room are exactly what someone needs. It was, however, about creating another option. A different way of doing therapy for people who might benefit from getting outside, moving their bodies and quite literally getting a little off the beaten path.
And then Kristy started thinking about something else:
If therapy can feel different outside, why can't it feel different inside too?
Bringing the Outdoors In: Kristy's Vision for OBP
From the beginning, Kristy had a very particular vision for what an OBP indoor space should feel like. She didn't want people walking into a psychology practice and immediately feeling like they'd entered a clinic. She wanted our indoor spaces to capture some of the things we love about being outside: warmth, calm, natural elements, comfortable places to settle and room to breathe.
Professional? Absolutely. Clinical when it needs to be? Of course. But clinical feeling?
Not so much.
That vision has shaped our OBP spaces ever since. It's why we care perhaps an unreasonable amount about couches, chairs, lighting, plants and how a room feels when you first walk into it. Because the environment in which therapy happens matters.
Our goal has always been to create spaces where you can come in, close the door, settle into a comfortable chair and hopefully feel your shoulders drop just a little. And now we're getting the chance to take that original vision somewhere new.
A New Path Leads South
As OBP continued to grow, I found myself drawn toward Okotoks. There was something about the community, and the possibility of creating something a little different there, that felt like a natural next step. Then I found a little house at 2 Elk Avenue. And suddenly, the pieces started fitting together.
Because The Elk House isn't in an office complex. It isn't in a medical building.
It's a house, and like Nauton Place in Airdrie, it’s pretty special.
Better yet, it sits just off beautiful Elma Street, in one of those pockets of Okotoks that seems to have its own pace. Mature trees. Character homes. Small local businesses. A neighbourhood that feels established, walkable and peaceful. There's a definite zen vibe to Elma Street. And then, just a short distance away, there's Rotary Park and the pathways along the Sheep River.
For a practice that began with the idea of getting therapy outdoors, we couldn't have planned it much better.
Back to the Path
The proximity to Rotary Park gives us something we're particularly excited about: the opportunity to expand our outdoor and walk-and-talk counselling in Okotoks. When it's clinically appropriate and something the client would enjoy, a session at The Elk House may not necessarily stay at The Elk House. We may head outside. We may walk. We may use the pathways and green spaces around us as part of the therapeutic experience.
And there's something wonderfully full-circle about that.
We started with the idea that therapy could happen outside. Kristy imagined indoor spaces that captured some of that same warmth and calm. And now, in Okotoks, we've found a little house where the two can come together. You can have the cozy room. You can have the comfortable chair. You can have privacy and warmth and a space designed specifically for therapy. And on the days when it makes sense? We can open the door and head for the path.
It feels very Off the Beaten Path.
More Than Another OBP Office
The vision for The Elk House has also grown beyond simply creating another place for OBP psychologists to see clients. We'd love for it to become a small mental health and wellness community in Okotoks. OBP will be part of the house, but we'll also be sharing the space with independent mental health and wellness professionals. Some rooms have sinks, creating possibilities for practitioners who incorporate art, creative work or other approaches into what they do. The goal isn't simply to rent out offices.
We want independent practitioners to be able to maintain their own practices and identities while still feeling like they're part of a little professional community.
Coming Soon to Okotoks
There is still work to do before we open the doors. There have been floor plans. There have been furniture discussions. There have been walls moved around on paper approximately 400 times. There have been debates about French doors, waiting-room chairs, couches, signs and whether pot lights or regular fixtures will make a dark little house feel brighter. And there have been many conversations beginning with:
"Okay... but what if we did this instead?"
But slowly, The Elk House is starting to take shape. Our goal is to begin welcoming clients to our new Okotoks psychology and counselling location in November 2026, once renovations are complete. More than anything, we're excited to see this little house become the next expression of an idea that has been part of OBP from the beginning:
Therapy doesn't have to look, or feel, only one way.
Sometimes we sit. Sometimes we walk. Sometimes we stay inside. Sometimes we head outdoors. And sometimes a new path leads somewhere you weren't expecting.
This time, ours led to The Elk House in Okotoks.
Questions About The Elk House
When does The Elk House open?
Our goal is to begin welcoming clients in November 2026, once renovations are complete. We will share the exact date as soon as we have it.
Where is it?
2 Elk Avenue, Okotoks, just off Elma Street and a short walk from Elizabeth Street in Olde Towne. Rotary Park and the Sheep River pathways are close by.
Who will be seeing clients there?
Jolene Siemens, R. Psych., will be the first OBP psychologist at The Elk House.
Do I have to walk outside to work with Jolene?
Not at all. Walk and Talk is an option, not a requirement. Some people prefer the privacy and predictability of a cozy indoor room, and that is just as valid. Virtual sessions are also available. If outdoor sessions sound appealing, Jolene can talk through what would work best at your Meet & Greet.
How do Walk and Talk sessions work in Okotoks?
When it is clinically appropriate and something you would enjoy, a session may start at The Elk House and head toward Rotary Park and the pathways nearby. Jolene will confirm the plan, the meeting spot and what to wear before your session.
How do I book?
Start with a free 15-minute Meet & Greet. It is a no-pressure chance to ask questions and see if Jolene feels like the right fit. Book through our online booking page.
Which communities will this location serve?
Okotoks and the surrounding area, including High River, De Winton, Priddis, Heritage Pointe, Diamond Valley and the Foothills.
Is The Elk House accessible?
There is an access ramp and a wheelchair-accessible washroom on the main floor.
What if I have more questions?
Send us a note through our Connect page and we will happily help.
This blog was written by Jolene Siemens, Registered Psychologist | Off the Beaten Path Psychology and Wellness | Okotoks, Airdrie, Calgary, & Cochrane, Alberta
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