Deanne Elsner

Deanne has more than 15 years of experience as a therapist working with young people and their families. She graduated with a Masters of Social Work Degree with a clinical designation from the University of Calgary and is registered with the Alberta College of Social Workers. Since graduating, Deanne has pursued advanced training in many areas, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART).

Deanne has spent many years working in several outpatient mental health clinics with Alberta Health Services and has provided assessment and treatment to young people (and their families) with a range of mental health issues, including; ADHD, eating disorders, addictions, anxiety (such as OCD, perfectionism, procrastination, panic etc.), trauma, psychosis, mood instability, oppositionality and depression. Deanne is especially passionate about helping people repair their relationship with food and with themselves. Recently, Deanne has transitioned into the community, providing services through her own private practice.

Underpinning Deanne’s work with all her clients is the assumption that we are all doing the very best that we can. Deanne approaches all her work from a non-judgmental, empathetic stance and works with clients to build self-compassion and help them move away from the harsh self-criticism that often shows up in pain and suffering. Her goal with each client is to invite them to explore what really matters and identify how they get hooked by thoughts, feelings, urges and memories and move away from creating a rich and meaningful life. She provides a range of skills to help her clients learn to ‘unhook’ from these thoughts and feelings and live a life filled with purpose that aligns with their values.

Read More – What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?