Welcome to the OBP Psychology Blog

When work burnout leaves you exhausted, cynical, and disconnected from your life, it is not a personal failure. This article explains what burnout actually is, why it is a systems issue rather than weakness, and how values mismatch and invisible labor contribute. Learn why burnout is not depression and how meaningful work changes and EMDR therapy can help you recover.

January can feel heavy, especially for parents and caregivers navigating anxiety, burnout, and an overwhelming news cycle. This compassionate mental health reflection explores what your nervous system is really telling you, why toxic positivity does not help, and how small acts of kindness, connection, and hope can support emotional regulation during hard seasons.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is gaining attention as celebrities like Prince Harry, Sandra Bullock, Miley Cyrus, and Lil Jon share their healing journeys. Learn how EMDR supports trauma, anxiety, stress, and self-worth, and why it is not just for “big T” trauma. Discover how EMDR therapy is offered in Calgary, Airdrie, and Cochrane at Off the Beaten Path Psychology.

Explore how outdoor EMDR therapy can support trauma healing beyond the office. In this podcast episode, OBP founder and registered psychologist Kristy McConnell shares how nature, movement, and EMDR work together to support nervous system regulation and trauma recovery. Learn how outdoor therapy offers a grounded, evidence-based approach for trauma survivors in Alberta and beyond.

Struggling with holiday loneliness? The real healing doesn't come from fixing your schedule. It comes from processing the beliefs about yourself that make solitude feel like proof of your unworthiness.

More clients are asking about nervous system regulation and somatic therapy — and for good reason. At OBP, we integrate EMDR with body-based tools to support whole-person healing. Our newest free resource, the SIBAM Somatic Awareness Worksheet, helps you explore your experience through sensation, image, behaviour, affect, and meaning. Start reconnecting with your body’s wisdom today.

EMDR for domestic violence and trauma in Airdrie, Cochrane. New research on perpetration patterns shows intervention works. Attachment-based therapy, trauma-informed counselling, and EMDR help families heal. Evidence-based psychology supporting recovery and breaking cycles locally.

Tears aren’t weakness. They’re wisdom. As a trauma-informed psychologist in Calgary, I believe crying is communication, not a problem to fix. At Off the Beaten Path Psychology, we help clients feel safe to express emotion, build nervous system capacity, and reconnect with their true selves. Therapy isn’t about holding it together, it’s about healing through authenticity and compassion.

EMDR therapy during the perinatal period addresses postpartum depression, anxiety, and trauma through flexible approaches. Learn how this sensitive time for nervous systems can support healing, why rage and anger are normal, and how treatment adapts to include babies and mobile sessions.

Ever wonder why your best insights come during long runs? This Canadian Running Magazine feature that Kristy wrote a few years ago explores the neuroscience of running - how bilateral movement rewires our brains for greater creativity, empathy, and resilience. Discover why the runner's high is more than just endorphins.