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Work with a Calgary psychologist who knows how to overcome challenges… Depression, anxiety, stress & other psychological issues may seem as daunting as completing a marathon. My approach to “Plan, Take Action & Track Progress”, has helped 100s of clients. I used this approach to attain a black belt in karate and to succeed in the Boston Marathon and Ironman.Take the First Step
Meet with Dr. Pat for a FREE Initial 30-Minute ConsultationDr. Patrick Keelan, Psychologist
Counselling Offices in Calgary and Cochrane
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I offer a no charge initial 30 minute consultation in Calgary or Cochrane to provide you us with an opportunity to meet and discuss your needs and ensure your comfort.Take the First Step
Meet with Dr. Pat for a FREE Initial 30-Minute Consultation
Formula for Success
My approach to “Plan, Take Action & Track Progress”, has helped 100s of clients succeed.About Dr. Pat
Work with a psychologist with a record of achieving difficult results.Latest Articles From Dr. Pat’s Psychology Blog
How to discuss traumatic events in therapy: Strategies for organizing the bookcase
In this article, I will discuss guidelines for discussing traumatic events which facilitate organizing memories effectively. In my last article, I discussed how the challenging task of discussing the details of traumatic events leads to many benefits which facilitate healing for clients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One of the benefits was that discussing traumatic events facilitates the organization of these events in a person’s memory. In turn, I indicated that organizing the details of traumatic events in memory is fundamental to healing from PTSD by using the metaphor of organizing books in a bookcase. To organize memories effectively, it is important that discussions of traumatic events follow research-based guidelines. In the following sections, I will discuss these rules for efficiently organizing the books on the shelves of the bookcase...[more]
Benefits of discussing traumatic events: It is like organizing a bookcase
In this article, I discuss one of the benefits of discussing traumatic events as analogous to organizing books in a bookcase. Although it is a challenging task, discussing the details of traumatic events leads to many benefits which facilitate healing for clients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One of the benefits is that discussing traumatic events facilitates the organization of these events in a person’s memory. In the following sections, I will discuss why organizing the details of traumatic events in memory is fundamental to healing from PTSD by using the metaphor of organizing books in a bookcase...[more]
How to know whether you are being defensive: And how to act on this knowledge
In this article, I discuss criteria you can use to determine whether you are being defensive and how to proceed once you have determined this. I encounter the terms defensive and defensiveness often. For example, they arise frequently when I work with couples on how to communicate constructively about issues. In that regard, one of the negative communication patterns known as the ‘four horsemen of the apocalypse’ identified by relationship expert Dr. John Gottman is defensiveness. I also often hear one person tell another person in a discussion that they are being defensive—both in and apart from couples counselling conversations. My experience with the terms defensive and defensiveness has led me to arrive at two conclusions: (1) the terms are often misused and misunderstood; (2) there is a need for more knowledge on how a person should proceed once they have determined whether they are being defensive. In the following sections, I will discuss how to know whether you are being defensive and how to act on this knowledge...[more]
The three laws of emotional mastery
In this article, I discuss three laws you can follow to master your management of emotions. One of the most impactful articles I have read is The Three Laws of Emotional Mastery. Written by Noam Shpancer, PhD, it appeared in the May 4, 2021 edition of Psychology Today. I have used the concepts discussed in the article to help many clients with the challenging task of managing their emotions. In the following sections, I will discuss the three laws of emotional mastery and how they can benefit you in different areas of your life...[more]
Striking a balance: Having good self-esteem without becoming egotistical
In this article, I discuss how to feel good about yourself without having negative effects on your relationships. I sometimes work with clients who are ambivalent about working on the goal of building good self-esteem. You might wonder why someone would be ambivalent about pursuing an apparently unequivocally positive goal. The reason for these clients’ ambivalence is typically concern over good self-esteem leading to egotism or even narcissism. Such concerns often extend to putting oneself ahead of others so that their relationships may suffer. Fortunately, there are ways to have good self-esteem without it leading to these negative consequences. In the following sections, I will discuss steps you can take to strike this balance...[more]