About us

Amanda is a registered social worker who earned her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Calgary and is currently working on completing her Masters of Social Work through the University of Calgary with a specialization in Clinical Social Work and Trauma-Informed Practice. Amanda also has a Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University with a Major in Psychology and Minor in Education.

Amanda has spent the majority of her life working with children, starting in early childhood education and working more in family support and children’s mental health over the last ten years. She has worked in a variety of roles supporting children, youth, and their families with challenging behaviours. Amanda has also participated in developing several programs and initiatives with non-profit organizations to better meet the needs of the community. She is very passionate about working from a child and family-centred lens, with a focus on building on strengths and meeting people where they are at. Amanda is also passionate about breaking down stigma and barriers so that every child can live up to their full potential. In her spare time, Amanda loves to do a variety of arts and crafts and spend time in nature and with her son.

Beth is a registered social worker, with a diverse skill set that allows her to support individuals and families in various aspects of their lives. Her background as both a nurse and a social worker provides her with a unique perspective on the complex needs people face.

Beth works with teens, adults and families, and is especially focused on her work in supporting woman to feel empowered at all stages of life. Honoring that we all have unique needs and challenges, she can support areas such as anxiety, stress, life transitions, prenatal, pregnancy and birth trauma and relationship/family challenges. She works in partnership with her clients, with the intention of creating a safe, compassionate and empathetic alliance. Beth’s training in polyvagal theory, Somatic practice, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, Birth and Reproductive Trauma, and Synergetic Play therapy contribute to her commitment to using evidence-based practice in her work, recognizing the role of the nervous system and the importance of the mind-body connection.

Beth has taken specific training to support the collaborative divorce process and is a designated family professional/divorce coach. With knowledge of interpersonal family relations, child development and conflict resolution, she works along side families to support them through this transition.

Beth is passionate about assisting individuals and families on their life journey. Her commitment to client-centered care and recognizing the value of each person’s unique experience underscores her dedication to fostering personal growth and resilience in those she works with.

Brandie Andrews, MSW, RCSW is a Registered Clinical Social Worker who has a clinical specialization in children and families and she is qualified to provide provisional diagnosis’. Brandie loves her role of Clinical Counsellor, Supervisor and also Behaviour Consultant. She places strong emphasis on the therapeutic relationship, honoring safety and trust as integral in the healing journey. Brandie is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) which is an evidence-based intervention used to treat trauma and has shown benefit to improving symptoms related to trauma, anxiety, depression, and stress.

Brandie has been working in the human services field for over 21 years, working directly with children, youth and adults in educational, mental health and rehabilitative settings. She has experience working with children, adults and families requiring support in the following areas: trauma, depression, anxiety, positive parenting, co-parenting, stress management and self-regulation. Brandie practices a holistic approach and values the importance in understanding history and the environment outside the presenting issue in order to provide the best and most suitable treatment plan possible.

Brandie holds much enthusiasm and has a keen interest in working with individuals with complex needs including: Severe Behavioural Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, ADHD, FASD and Mental Illness. Brandie works from strengths-based perspective and strives to empower and build hope and capacity in the individuals and team that she serves. Brandie was also named to Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Top 40 Under 40’.

Brianna is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with the Alberta College of Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists (ACSLPA) and is a member of Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC).

Brianna recently completed her Masters degree at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She is very excited to be back in Lethbridge, the city she was born in and where she pursued her undergraduate education.

Through a variety of clinical placements, Brianna has gained experience applying a family-centered approach to work with a range of client populations. She values working as a member of a multi-disciplinary team to support clients and their families in reaching their communication goals.

Emily Bennett is a registered clinical social worker with 18 years of experience in a variety of areas including play therapy, group therapy, and medical social work. She is passionate about helping people live up to their potential and beyond their expectations. Coming from a strengths-based and client-led perspective, Emily believes that individuals and families are the experts of their own situations.

Having been trained in EMDR and Synergetic Play Therapy™ Emily is skilled and honoured to help individuals of all ages move towards healing. Combined with her skills in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and mindfulness allow Emily to provide guidance to those who have encountered trauma, stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression or are in need of more coping and adjustment skills. Having lived in Lethbridge for over 15 years she is personally invested and involved in the community. Emily is excited to be part of a multidisciplinary team that can address multiple needs by providing holistic assessments and interventions.

Jackie has worked in the human services industry in Southern Alberta for over 25 years. Her experience has ranged from front-line service delivery, training, negotiating contracts, licensing and accreditation, mediation/facilitation, school, agency, and home-based clinical behavioral consultation, program development, and management. Jackie has worked collaboratively with School Districts, Children’s Services, Disability Services, Health Services, post-secondary institutions, numerous service providers, and a network of local and provincial bodies to provide a continuum of care in our region.

Jackie believes strongly in working as a team and is passionate about serving individuals, families and caregivers to ensure the best outcomes and most meaningful quality of life. As a behaviour clinician, Jackie has found a niche in incorporating collaborative, think outside the box approaches to consulting to very complex and high needs cases. One of Jackie’s dedicated platforms has been her role as a SIVA (Supporting Individuals through Valued Attachments) Trainer for over 13 years, expanding that role to the only Professional Trainer in Alberta since 2015. Jackie is fully certified as both a Child and Youth Care Counsellor and the Federation of Associations for Counselling Therapists in Alberta.

Joanne is a Canadian Certified Counsellor with master’s degrees in both psychology and counselling, and education. Her areas of passion, research and expertise are: Trauma. Anxiety, Depression, Addiction, Grief and Loss

Joanne’s practise is grounded in Emotion Focused Therapy and selectively incorporates several other systems, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and Internal Family Systems Therapy. She is trained in EMDR, and she is a certified personal fitness trainer. Joanne co-authored two books – Awakening the Workplace, and Sink or Swim: Stress Management Strategies to Ensure Your Survival. She runs both group and individual counselling sessions. She has presented internationally, working with department heads in corporations such as the Mirage Hotel and Casino, and the Monte Carlo Hotel in Las Vegas.

Joanne is passionate about health and wellness. As a two-time cancer survivor, she firmly believes that wellness is more than just an absence of illness, and that a healthy lifestyle involves more than taking care of our physical needs, but our emotional needs as well.

Joanne has a deep respect and compassion for all individuals, and considers it an honor to walk on the difficult and rewarding journey of healing with her clients. Her personal philosophy is based on being a therapist who is willing to accept individuals where they are at, and who they are, without bias or judgment in helping them to attain their true potential. She believes that in the quiet moments of contemplation the answers will come, with the help of a therapist who is guided by a strong theoretical background, continued learning from evidence-based studies and an open heart and mind to the discovery of the human condition.

Joanne’s absolute favorite things to do are playing with her grandbabies, spending time with her family, working out, and gaining new knowledge.

Favorite Quote: Life is short. Live your dream, and wear your passion.

–The Holstee Manifesto

Kent Hollingsworth is a Certified Solution Focused Therapist and an Approved Clinical Supervisor with over 25 years of counseling, mediation and consulting experience with children, adults, couples and families, agencies, and school divisions. A 3-time presenter at the SFBTA North American Solution Focused Therapy Conference, his main areas of focus include family and couple counseling, grief, trauma, and loss, and supporting individuals of all ages with neurodevelopment challenges, including FASD, ASD, ODD, and ADD.

Trained in EMDR and Somatic Experiencing, he also incorporates the empowering Response-Based Therapeutic Approach in counselling with those who have experienced violence, domestic abuse and trauma. A passionate and popular workshop presenter in the areas of Supporting Challenging Behaviours, Sol Foc Counselling and Grief and Loss, Kent and his wife are the parents of two wonderful children with developmental disabilities who have Fragile X. He is honoured to provide Lethbridge and the surrounding community with counselling and consulting services as a part of Key Connections’ unique collaborative, multidisciplinary team approach.

Kristen is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with the Alberta College of Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists (ACSLPA) and is a certified member of Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC). She received her Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma in 2012. After working in Dallas, TX for years, Kristen returned home to Canada and joined the KCC team in 2019 and has had the pleasure of working with many wonderful families in and around the Lethbridge area. Kristen has a diverse background in supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and severe developmental disabilities. She is passionate about working with a multi-disciplinary team to help support and empower the families she works with. Kristen is also a Certified Lactation Support Provider (CLSP). She has a special interest in tethered oral tissues and continues to learn and expand her practice through ongoing education.

Lynn Wytrykusz has been a passionate educator in the field of Early Education. She brings over a a decade of experience working with children in their early years, spending 9 of those years as an Early Learning Educator for a local school division. Being a strong supporter of inclusive education, Lynn has seen the beauty of diversity first hand and all that it can bring to enhance learning. Her experience working with children with complex needs has helped her to build a strong toolkit of skills to help best support children at varying developmental levels. Lynn is an advocate for the power of play- based learning and sees all children as mighty learners. Through her career Lynn has worked alongside a multi-disciplinary team and promotes collaboration for a best practice approach.

Over the years Lynn has had the opportunity to be a part of the U of L’s Building Brains Together project, and has a keen interest in the area of helping children build executive functioning skills in a play-based way. As a co-presenter with the project she has had multiple opportunities to share her knowledge on how to take an every day, play- based, and also very intentional approach to this brain game learning, with groups of educators, school teams, caregivers and parents. In 2020 she was awarded a Prime Minister’s Award of Excellence in Early Childhood Education, being named a Regional Certificate of Achievement Winner.

With a philosophy of helping all children to achieve their best, Lynn is excited to join the KCC team as a Behavior Consultant and Inclusive Child Care Coach, giving her an opportunity to support families and children in a whole new way.

Mariko Boulet is a registered Occupational Therapist who has experience working with individuals with diverse occupational needs. She completed her Masters of Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta and is excited to be back home working and giving back to the Lethbridge and area community where she grew up. Her past experiences involve collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to support individuals in different settings such as pediatric outpatient clinics, home care, supportive living, inpatient psychiatry, and return to work.

Mariko Boulet is a registered Occupational Therapist who has experience working with individuals with diverse occupational needs. She completed her Masters of Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta and is excited to be back home working and giving back to the Lethbridge and area community where she grew up. Her past experiences involve collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to support individuals in different settings such as pediatric outpatient clinics, home care, supportive living, inpatient psychiatry, and return to work.

In addition, she has had the opportunity to work with various demographics from children to geriatrics. She utilizes a family-centered care approach to provide children the opportunity to use their strengths and interests to foster independence and continue to strive toward a meaningful quality of life. Mariko has a passion for adventuring to new places which gave her the opportunity to utilize her Occupational Therapy skills and knowledge during a pediatric clinical placement in Indonesia. In her spare time, Mariko also enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, trying new foods, coaching ringette, and being outside.

Mark Scheffelmair is a registered social worker with a Bachelor of Social Work degree and is currently completing his Master of Social Work. He is a dedicated professional in the early learning and child care sector, driven by a passion for supporting children and families. With specialized expertise in working with children with developmental disabilities, Mark brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion to his role. His professional practice is grounded in a strength-based, client-centered approach, ensuring that each child’s unique abilities and the needs of their families are at the forefront of his work. Mark is committed to fostering inclusive environments where every child can thrive.

Meagan, HBA, MPEd, is a Behavioural Consultant and Inclusive Childcare Coach who has a diverse background in assisting children, youth, and adults with mild to complex needs. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, in 2017. Subsequently, she pursued a Post-Graduate Certificate in Autism and Behavioral Science from Lambton College in 2019, followed by a Master of Professional Education in Applied Behavior Analysis from Western University in London, Ontario, in 2021.

Her professional journey commenced as a Behavioural Aide in Ontario, where she provided crucial support to children and families enrolled in the Ontario Autism Program. Meagan’s experience also included assisting high-risk young adults and adults grappling with chronic homelessness, substance abuse, chronic hospitalization, and legal issues. In collaboration with community supports, Meagan facilitated safe transitions to supportive, therapeutic housing for those in need.

Relocating to Alberta with her husband and son, Meagan gained great experience in her role of Behaviour Intervention Specialist at Prairie Rose Public Schools (PRPS) working alongside many professionals such as OT’s, SLP’s and counsellors. In this role she worked on enhancing the capabilities of teachers and educational assistants. Using a strengths-based approach , her efforts focused on promoting inclusive education practices and developing individualized curriculum plans for students facing significant challenges in meeting grade-level standards.

Meagan is excited to be a part of KCC’s multidisciplinary team and is looking forward to serving children, their families, and support teams.

Oki!

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me and to learn about the work that I am involved in doing in the community. I strongly believe that all individuals have an inherent right to feel a sense of belonging and to feel that they are part of a community. While I am away from my work, I spend my time ensuring that I am fostering and strengthening the bonds that I have with my own two children, my partner, my extended family, and my friends who are considered family and community to me. My family and community are the reasons that I feel continually motivated to work hard in seeking to grow into the best and healthiest version of myself each day. I feel fortunate to have my two young boys who call me mom and who fill my heart with laughter and love. I also have a cat named Tig, who seems more like half human and half dog! He fetches like a dog, loves to be involved in any games we play, and will steal any leftovers that are left on the table – especially chicken wings. I have a young bearded dragon named Daenarey’s who eats a lot of crickets and cucumbers and who has taught me that reptiles also have quite a personality and can form attachment to their caregivers.

I love to spend time in the summer weather hiking around our beautiful land, especially in areas that have mountains. Music has always played an important role in my life, and though I am not a musician I often have music playing in the environments that I am in, and I enjoy attending musical events. I love to observe and immerse myself in expressive arts of all types and enjoy tuning into the energy that is present in the moment that those pieces are being expressed.

Melissa’s Counselling Philosophy and Experience

I believe that all humans should experience feeling understood, connected with, cared for, valued and respected for who they are at their core and so these are the values that I bring forth in my work with individuals, regardless of what their struggles may be. It is important to me as a therapist to reach a level of genuine understanding of who a person is – their likes, dislikes, needs, and the healing that they wish to address. Part of getting to this place with the people that I work with, involves listening in a non-judgemental way, and letting my client tell me who they are, since they know themselves the best. I enjoy incorporating games and artwork in my work with young individuals, if they are interested in doing the same.

I have experience in working with individuals who have experienced and are experiencing anxiety, trauma, and attachment ruptures. I work with individuals on learning how to understand their nervous system signals and the feelings in their body that are connected with their nervous system signals, and how to calm their nervous system when they feel they need to. I also do work with individuals on learning what they need in order to feel valued, loved, and cared for and how to communicate that with others through appropriate communication and boundary setting. So much of life is related to human connection and relationships, and it is my honor to be able to witness others’ stories about their connections and relationships and to work alongside them in their recovery from ruptures as they move forward to create meaningful connections in their healthiest way. I look forward to meeting you!

Sonja Miller is a Speech-Language Pathologist with experience working with children, youth, and adults with a variety of disabilities. Sonja has experience working within a multidisciplinary team and has facilitated child and parent programs. In addition, she has provided training sessions and presentations for conferences, in-home support workers, educational teams, and the community.

Sonja has extensive experience in the area of Autism Spectrum Disorder and severe developmental disabilities. She enjoys working with families and team members to create the best possible outcomes. Sonja was also named to Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce’s Top 40 Under 40′.

Tanner Lee is a registered Social Worker who completed a Bachelor of Social Work degree at the University of Calgary and a Social Work Diploma at Red Deer College. Tanner’s 20 years of human services experience includes positions in outreach, case management, leadership, program development, and various counselling roles. Tanner’s professional experience encompasses a variety of multidisciplinary settings including mental health and addiction, disability services, employment counselling, and programs supporting indigenous youth. In addition, Tanner has enjoyed working with children and youth for over 25 years as a hockey coach and instructor throughout Canada and the United States.

Tanner strives to create unique connections with the individuals and families he supports. He is passionate about increasing capacity for growth, fostering resilience, and empowering families to maximize their skills, implement new strategies, and advocate for the resources needed to navigate and overcome challenges while discovering their full potential.

In his spare time, Tanner enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, coaching hockey and baseball, and attending live music, stand-up comedy, and sporting events. Tanner is very grateful to be a part of the KCC team, and is eager to work alongside individuals and families in Lethbridge and southern Alberta.

Tracy Hawkins is a Rehabilitation Practitioner with experience working in school settings, senior respite care facilities, long-term care facilities and working with children with disabilities. She also has over 20 years of combined customer service experience in the transportation, dental and swimming professions. Tracy values a team atmosphere, thrives on challenge, possesses integrity and demonstrates initiative and professionalism. In her spare time, Tracy enjoys running, golfing, reading, travelling and spending time with her family.