About us.

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’.

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′.

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.

Beth is a registered social worker who recently completed her Master of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University and is looking forward to expanding her practice with Key Connections Consulting. Beth has also worked as a registered nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for the past 16 years where much of her time was focused on providing support and education to families. Her unique experience brings with it an appreciation for the complex needs of families and individuals facing health challenges. She has experience working with individuals and families as they navigate crises, life transitions and grief and loss.

Beth works with children, youth, and adults from a holistic framework, focusing on their unique needs and challenges, encompassing areas such as anxiety, self-esteem, and depression. She places value on the importance of self -awareness and self -compassion through a mindfulness-based approach, working to create a space of safety and trust. In addition, she appreciates the neurobiological impacts of stress and trauma remaining aware of the impact of these challenges on our day to day lives. She aims to work in partnership with her clients as they move towards personal growth and build capacity to navigate life’s challenges.

Beth also provides support as a behavioural consultant, helping families who are struggling to find balance, working with them to build skills and confidence that align with their unique needs and values. In this role she also supports families who have children with disabilities, assisting them to build capacity and promote healthy growth and development.

Beth empowers those she works with through a person centered, strength-based approach, remaining compassionate and focused on her commitment to assisting others on their journey.

Emily Bennett is a registered clinical social worker with 14 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.

Are you tired of just existing and ready to start living? Change is possible.

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

Karey Rieder has worked with children, adults and families for the last 29 years in the human service industry. Karey’s experience has ranged from front-line service delivery, school supports, and group facilitation. She also has experience as a Family and Connection Facilitator and is a certified WRAP facilitator ( High-Fidelity Wrap Around Service Model). She also provided outreach services, management roles, team building, and supporting and counselling adults and youth experiencing mental illness diagnoses and addiction. She also has enjoyed working collaboratively with Children’s Services, Health Services, and Disability Services. Karey’s focus over the last 12 years has been working in the Mental Health and Addiction field focusing on individuals with dual diagnosis and drug induced psychosis, NCR adult reintegration, and helped to create a pilot program that focused on reintegrating long term mental health patients back into community to improve their quality of life.

Karey thrives working in a multi-disciplinary team and uses a strength based and trauma informed lens. Karey is a strong advocate for harm reduction and equality. She has recently moved back to Lethbridge and is looking forward to serving her community focusing on a holistic approach to care. Karey is an avid gardener, dog lover and actively involved in volunteering for her children’s sports activities.

Kristen Harrold is a Speech Language Pathologist who is a certified member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC). She has experience working with a variety of populations and disorders. She received her Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma in 2012.

She moved to Dallas, Texas where she had the opportunity to work with children in the school setting with a wide range of communication disorders. She is passionate about working with individuals with ASD and other communication disorders to support their communication goals, as well as with their families to facilitate the best possible outcomes. She understands the power of literacy and the SLP’s crucial role of addressing speech/language impairments to promote literacy skills. Kristen is happy to be back in Canada and she is excited to be a part of the KCC team.

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 who completed his Bachelor of Social Work through the University of Calgary and his Child and Youth Care Counselling diploma at Medicine Hat College. Mark has worked in a variety of settings offering support, strategies, and advocacy to individuals that have disabilities, mental health concerns, and substance use issues. …He works from a strength-based and person-centered approach to assist individuals in creating specialized plans ensuring open communication and collaborative goal setting is a focus throughout the process.