Calgary Psychologist - Kari Adams, R. Psych
Hi, I’m Kari.
Sometimes difficult experiences stay with us long after we think we should have moved on. You may notice it in anxiety that seems to come out of nowhere, relationships that keep falling into familiar patterns, a nervous system that never quite feels settled, or reactions that seem much bigger than the situation in front of you. Sometimes you know exactly where those patterns began. Other times, you simply know that something from the past still seems to be affecting the present.
I’m a Registered Psychologist who works primarily with adults experiencing trauma and PTSD, interpersonal and relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, stress and burnout, and the lasting effects of difficult experiences. My approach is warm, relational, practical, and trauma-informed. I want to understand you as a whole person rather than reduce what you are experiencing to a symptom or diagnosis that needs to be fixed.
Trauma recovery is a particular focus of my practice and an area I continue to pursue through ongoing professional training. I have completed EMDR training and use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing with clients when it fits their needs and goals. EMDR can provide a different way of working with distressing experiences that continue to affect emotions, relationships, beliefs, or the body’s sense of safety—even when you understand intellectually that the original experience is over.
Trauma does not always exist separately from relationships. Difficult experiences can shape the way we trust, set boundaries, respond to conflict, interpret other people’s behaviour, or understand ourselves. I work with adults who want to better understand these patterns and develop healthier ways of relating to themselves and the people around them. Therapy may also involve anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem concerns, chronic stress, or major life transitions that have become intertwined with these experiences.
My background before private practice included many years in community organizations supporting people affected by domestic violence, crime, family conflict, serious mental-health concerns, and sudden loss. I worked alongside police, Child and Family Services, Crown Prosecutors, community agencies, and multidisciplinary professionals. Those experiences taught me that people are often dealing with much more than what is visible on the surface, and that effective therapy needs to be compassionate, realistic, and responsive to the circumstances of each client.
I also bring extensive family-therapy experience to my practice. For nearly six years I worked as a Functional Family Therapy counsellor, helping families understand the patterns underneath conflict and behavioural concerns and find new ways of responding to one another. When I work with children and teens, parents and caregivers are an important part of the process—particularly with younger children—because children do not exist separately from their families, schools, relationships, and environments.
In family therapy, my goal is not to identify one person as the problem. Instead, we look at what is happening between family members, what each person may be trying to communicate or protect, and what changes could help the family function more effectively. This family-systems background also informs my work with adults, many of whom are trying to understand how earlier family experiences continue to influence present-day relationships and emotional patterns.
I draw from EMDR, attachment-based and trauma-informed approaches, Family Systems Therapy, DBT, CBT, ACT, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and other person-centred approaches. I don’t expect every client to fit one therapy model. We will work together to understand what you need, build on the strengths and resources you already have, and adjust our approach as therapy progresses.
I am also an approved provider for the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program and welcome clients accessing counselling through NIHB coverage.
At Best Choice, I offer in-person counselling at our South Calgary office as well as online video counselling.
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Kari's Background:
I am a long-time Calgarian, and have spent most of my career working in various non-profit organisations dedicated to improving people’s lives and addressing the challenges presented by experiences like mental health struggles, domestic violence, and family conflict. My work and volunteer experiences over the years solidified my decision to become a psychologist, and I graduated with a Masters of Counselling degree from the University of Calgary in 2017. I consider it an honour and a privilege to be a therapist and to hold space for people’s pain, joy, disappointments, and hopes. One of the things I love the most about being a psychologist is that there is always something new to learn, and I am constantly striving to improve my knowledge and skills.
I believe that everyone’s experience in therapy should be unique to them as an individual or family, so I draw on a variety of therapeutic modalities including: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR); family systems; narrative therapy; attachment theory; behaviour modification; and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) to collaborate on a plan that fits your unique needs and circumstances.
My aim is to help and support you and your family at every stage and phase of life; whether you are a young adult facing the stress that can come with life transitions; a parent with concerns about you or your child’s well-being; an adult family wanting to improve your relationships with your parents or siblings; or someone who wants to make sense of your past experiences to find a new way forward.
I would love to talk to you and see how we can work together to help you grow into the person or family you want to be.
Please note that even if you are seeking counselling for your child individually, parents and caregivers can expect to be heavily involved in therapy, especially for children 12 years old and under.
Psychological Services
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
- Adlerian therapy
- Attachment-based therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Compassion-focused therapy
- Culturally sensitive therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Eclectic therapy
- Existential therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy
- Family counselling
- Family systems therapy
- Feminist therapy
- Humanistic therapy
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
- Motivational interviewing
- Multicultural therapy
- Narrative therapy
- Person-centered therapy
- Positive psychology
- Psychological therapy
- Relational therapy
- Solution-focused brief therapy
- Strength-based therapy
- Teen mental health
- Therapeutic intervention
Psychological Conditions
- Abuse
- Addiction
- ADHD
- Adjustment disorder
- Adoption
- Aging
- Alcohol Abuse
- Anger
- Anger Management
- Anxiety
- Behavioral Issues
- Binge eating disorder (eating disorders)
- Bipolar Disorder
- Body Image
- Bullying
- Burnout
- Chronic Pain or Illness
- Codependency
- Communication
- Compulsive gambling
- Conduct Disorder (CD)
- Depression
- Dissociative Disorders
- Divorce
- Domestic Abuse or Violence
- Emotional Abuse
- Emotion Regulation
- Family planning
- Fears / Phobias
- Gambling Addiction
- Geriatric Counselling
- Grief, loss, bereavement
- HIV/AIDS
- Impulse Control Disorders
- Infertility or Adoption
- Infidelity
- Insomnia
- Internet Addiction
- Learning Disabilities
- Loneliness
- Men’s Issues
- Mental Disorders
- Mood disorders
- Obesity
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)
- Panic disorder
- Parenting
- Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymic Disorder)
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum
- Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
- Relationship Issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Self-Esteem
- Self-harming or suicidal behavior
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Social Isolation
- Somatic symptom disorder
- Spirituality
- Stress
- Substance Abuse
- Substance Use
- Suicidal Thoughts
- Suicide
- Thinking Disorders
- Trauma
- Women’s Issues
- Workplace stress
Calgary Counselling And Psychologist Services
Our Calgary Psychologists and therapists offer counselling and formal psychological assessment services for individuals, couples, and families. We tailor these services to meet the unique needs of each client. Our goal is to support our clients in achieving their personal and relational goals.
We help families improve communication and solve problems. We also offer assessments for learning disabilities and ADHD. Our support extends to various mental health issues. Our support covers many mental health issues.
Our therapists dedicate themselves to providing a safe and supportive environment for clients of all ages and backgrounds. They help clients explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The team is committed to creating a space where clients can feel comfortable and understood. They strive to help clients on their journey towards healing and growth.
We are here to help with individual therapy, couples counseling, or support for your child, teen or family. We offer counseling services in person and virtually. This makes it convenient and flexible for our clients to access our services. Whatever challenges you may be facing, we are committed to guiding you towards healing, growth, and greater well-being.
