My Story
My name is Michelle Hamilton and I am a registered psychologist in private practice in Lloydminster, Alberta. I completed the process of registration with the College of Alberta Psychologists in March of 2011 (#3679), having previously completed a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology/Sociology in 1989 and a Master’s degree (M.Ed) in Counselling 2007. Both degrees were completed from the University of Alberta with distinction.
My area of practice is counselling psychology. I provide mainly individual counselling to adults, teens, and children. I have been working in the field of human support services since 1989, first working in group homes with children and youth in care, young offenders, and then as a school counsellor at the Lloydminster Comprehensive High School. As a graduate of LCHS myself, the eighteen years I spent working there with the amazing team of educators and support staff was very meaningful to me. My husband and I have raised three great kids in Lloydminster so we have many connections in this community.
While completing my Master’s, I became very aware of the potential personal impact of work-related stress and trauma. My interest in trauma, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress became the focus of my capping project and subsequently the topic of many presentations and workshops I offered when I first started my business, Beyond Balance Counselling and Consulting.
I opened my private counselling practice in late November of 2012, and I have been blessed with many opportunities, wonderful clients, colleagues, and referral sources. I am certified in EMDR therapy, which enables me to offer an evidence-informed treatment option for trauma-related disorders like PTSD. I have a passion for working with RCMP, first responders, and many other professionals affected by work-related stress trauma. I love to see my clients getting better.
My most recent area of practice development is Supervision. I have taken the Advanced Clinical Supervision course through the University of Calgary and will continue to seek professional development improving my competence as a supervisor.
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My Approach
As a humanistic psychologist, I believe that people are naturally capable and motivated towards growing and healing. One of my strengths is developing and maintaining therapeutic relationships that provide attunement, connection, and engagement. The therapeutic relationship can become a driving force that supports both healing and development. With curiosity and compassion, we can explore the way our past has affected us, learn to be fully aware in the present, and be focused and intentional about what we want in the future.
I have been influenced by early training in solution-focused therapy and life coaching, and more recently by attachment theory, emotion-focused therapy, and transactional analysis. In particular, EMDR therapy has been a primary focus of my training and orientation over the past ten years, as I believe we have to include the body, the brain, and the nervous system in healing and recovering from trauma-related disorders.
From the feedback I have gained as a supervisor, I am an open, warm, and respectful person who has supported, guided, and modeled responsible caring. I have provided my supervisees many opportunities for networking within our profession, developing collaborative relationships with other professionals and getting involved in our association by attending trainings and general meetings.