Kristy McConnell

My Story & Approach

Some paths into psychology are planned. Mine was built one unexpected turn at a time.

After completing my Bachelor of Education at the University of Alberta in 2003, I spent five years in classrooms working with elementary, junior high, and special education students. Those years taught me something I've carried into every therapy session since: the most important thing you can do for another person is pay attention to what is actually going on for them, not just what is visible on the surface. I was honoured to receive the Edwin Parr Award for Excellence in Teaching during that time, which still means a great deal to me.

When I shifted into the role of school psychologist in 2012, my work expanded into psychoeducational assessments, mental health consultation, large-scale project management, school crisis response, and threat assessment. I completed my Master of Counselling Psychology at the University of Lethbridge in 2010 and have been registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (Registration #4001) since that same year. These days, I also serve as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor at the University of Calgary, which keeps me connected to the next generation of practitioners in a way I find genuinely energising.

Fourteen years into this work, I founded Off the Beaten Path Psychology and Wellness because I wanted to build something different. A practice that felt less like a clinic and more like a real conversation. One that could meet people where they actually are, not where a treatment manual says they should be.

I see adults, couples, and youth (for assessments) from our Airdrie location at Nauton House, and I offer in-person, virtual, and outdoor Walk and Talk sessions, as well as Therapy Intensives for those who want to go deeper without waiting a week between appointments.

My clinical work is grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which is the theoretical foundation of EMDR therapy. The AIP model is built on a belief I hold deeply: that our brains are innately and beautifully designed to heal. Given the right conditions, we naturally move toward more helpful beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. The challenge is that overwhelming or traumatic experiences can interrupt that process, leaving memories stored in a way that still feels raw, present, and unresolved, even years later. EMDR works with this process directly, helping the brain do what it was always capable of doing.

I am an EMDRIA Approved EMDR Consultant, which means I both provide EMDR therapy to clients and support other clinicians in developing their own EMDR practice.

Alongside EMDR, I draw on Attachment-Focused approaches, Emotion-Focused Therapy (Externship trained), and the Developmental Model of Couples Counselling in my work with couples. I am also trained in Cognitive-Behavioural Conjoint Therapy for PTSD (CBCT) and am a Trauma of Money Certified Practitioner, because money is one of those areas where trauma quietly shapes our choices and our relationships in ways people often do not expect.

I work with adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, grief, burnout, life transitions, postpartum and perinatal mental health, self-esteem, and relational patterns. I also provide psychoeducational assessments for youth, including ADHD and learning difficulties.

Clients often tell me they appreciate that I am both compassionate and honest. I care deeply about the people I work with, and I am not afraid to be a bit direct when it helps move things forward. I tend to blend that directness with humour, which keeps the work grounded, human, and focused on where you actually want to go. My goal is to create a space where you feel genuinely understood and supported while we gently challenge the patterns that may be keeping you stuck, because real change is the whole point.

And on the more human side of things: I have a well-documented talent for getting classic sayings delightfully wrong (my current favourite is, "we'll burn that bridge when we get to it"). I quote old SNL sketches and late-80s and 90s movie lines, which my family endures with remarkable patience. When I am not at Nauton House, you will usually find me on the sidelines of one of my kids' games or activities, or out running and lifting with my long-time gal pals. Those friendships, my family, a bit of movement, and a good laugh are what keep me grounded.

Which, honestly, is not that different from what I hope therapy can be for you.