Dr. Kendell Banack
Registered Psychologist
Dr. Kendell Banack holds a PhD in Counselling Psychology from the University of Alberta. She is a Registered Psychologist in Alberta and also registered as a Clinical Psychologist in Ontario. She has over fifteen years of experience. Kendell uses a variety of treatment modalities including Emotion-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to best meet the needs of her clients. Kendell has practiced in university clinics, hospital settings, and in private practice.
Reaching out to a psychologist is a very difficult thing to do for most people. I keep this in mind when connecting with clients. My first and fundamental goal is to make my clients feel safe and understood. I believe that compassion, non-judgment, and a good client-therapist relationship are at the heart of excellence in all clinical work.
With individuals, couples, and families, I work to explore painful, stuck areas in clients’ lives in order to open the possibility of relating to themselves and others in more adaptive, accepting, and meaningful ways. I believe in helping clients to live more authentic lives, using the body as a conduit to learn more about the self and meaningful relationships with others.
INDIVIDUALS:
Issues that clients commonly present with in my practice include depression, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma, and relationship issues. I strive to understand the unique struggles and strengths of each client and from this understanding develop a treatment plan to meet the needs of my clients. My doctoral dissertation focused on the treatment of eating disorders using emotion-focused therapy, and as such, this is a special area of interest of mine.
COUPLES:
I have completed extensive training in EFT for couples beyond my masters and doctoral degrees. In my work with couples, we seek to become aware of rigid ways of interacting and work towards rediscovering connection and communication. This is true whether there has been a gradual shift towards disconnection or a pivotal relationship incident such as an affair. As hurt and anger are unpacked, I enjoy witnessing moments of connection in session that begin the transformation from rigid patterns of interacting to greater vulnerability, authenticity, and ultimately connection outside of session.
An unfortunate experience for many who have previously sought couples therapy is for one partner to feel blamed. I work hard to make both partners feel understood, and this is an inherent component of good EFT couples therapy.
FAMILIES:
I have trained extensively in emotion-focused family therapy and am certified as an advanced EFFT therapist and supervisor. Using this approach with families, I support parents to coach children who may be struggling with emotional or behavioral concerns. Many parents enter the therapy room with great shame and self-blame regarding the struggles of their child. My goal is to free parents from the burden of self-blame, shame, and fear whilte also introducing advanced caregiving skills to empower them to create change within their own homes.
ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS & TRAINING:
Emotion Focused Family Therapy - Advanced Therapist & Supervisor
Emotion Focused Therapy for Individuals - Certified Therapist
Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples - Externship, Core Skills, and additional Consultation
CONTINUED CONSULTATION:
I am a firm believer in continuing my professional development through regular consultation with highly trained professionals in my field. I currently participate in regular consultation with Les Greenberg, the developer of EFT, as well as Vanessa Wilson, a certified EFT couples therapist.