Kristen Dubrule, RCSW

RSW# 14343

Hi, I’m Kristen (she/her).

For over 15 years, I’ve worked in corrections, supporting people who have experienced some of the hardest things life can throw at them. That experience taught me something important: people are far more than the worst thing that’s happened to them, and far more than the strategies they’ve developed to survive.

I completed my Master of Social Work at the University of Calgary in 2017 and have been working as a therapist since 2018. Since 2019, I’ve also been a Sessional Instructor with MacEwan University’s Department of Public Safety and Justice Studies, where I teach future frontline professionals about mental health and trauma.

In 2023, I expanded into private practice and now provide individual and couples therapy to adults across Alberta.

Most of the people I work with have gotten really good at pushing through. They stay busy, take care of everyone else, keep moving forward, and tell themselves they’re fine. From the outside, things may even look pretty good.

Underneath? They’re exhausted.

They’re stuck in the same patterns, struggling in relationships, carrying around anger, anxiety, shame, grief, or experiences they never really gave themselves permission to deal with. They’ve spent years surviving and are ready for something different.

That’s where therapy comes in.

I help people make sense of what’s going on beneath the surface, understand how past experiences may still be affecting them today, and develop new ways of coping that don’t involve white-knuckling their way through life.

I support people dealing with depression, anxiety, trauma, dissociation, anger, emotional dysregulation, relationship difficulties, chronic pain, substance use concerns, personality disorders, and the lasting impact of difficult life experiences. I also work with people who have started to realize that the things that once helped them survive aren’t helping them live the life they want.

My approach is collaborative, practical, and trauma-informed. I draw from EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to help clients better understand themselves, process difficult experiences, and create meaningful change.

In plain English?

No psychobabble.

No judgment.

No awkward silence while I stare at you waiting for a breakthrough.

We’ll have real conversations about what’s happening, what’s keeping you stuck, and what needs to change. Sometimes we’ll focus on the past. Sometimes we’ll focus on the present. Most often, we’ll do both.

My goal is to help you feel less stuck, more connected to yourself and others, and better able to handle whatever life throws your way.

I believe therapy can create meaningful change, even when it feels hard to imagine. I’ve seen it in my work, and I’ve experienced it myself. (Yes, I have my own therapist too.)

When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me hiking with my dog, paddle boarding, sitting around a campfire, or spending time at my cabin.

You’ve spent enough time just getting through.

If you’re wondering whether we’d be a good fit, book a free 15-minute consultation. I’d be happy to chat.Conflicts of Interest: 

At this time, I am unable to work with anyone involved with the Correctional Service of Canada or students of the Department of Public Safety and Justice Studies at MacEwan University due to a conflict of interest.