Dr. Heather Macdonald

Ph.D. (she/her)

Registered Psychologist (AB R. Psych #4165, ON C. Psych #7231)

I am a Registered Psychologist in Alberta and Ontario. I completed my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, having completed my dissertation in the Philippines, which looked at the risk factors that affect children’s academic achievement while in care. I have worked with at-risk children, teens, and their families for over 25 years in clinical, management and academic positions.

I am an associate faculty and past program director for the Master of Counselling program at City University, where I enjoy teaching graduate-level courses to aspiring therapists. I particularly enjoy teaching family systems and practicum classes.

I approach clinical work from a post-modern systemic perspective, relying on socially constructed realities to guide my understanding of systems, human narratives, trauma and cultural intersectionality.

As a part of my clinical work, I integrate a therapy dog. Macaulay Blue “Mak” is a golden doodle currently seven years old and provides a gentle calm around the office, schools and other training sites.

  • Adults | Adolescents (12+) | Children (5+) | Couples | Families

    Canadian Armed Forces | Corrections | Healthcare Professionals | Legal Defendants/Prosecutors | Mental Health Providers | Public Safety Personnel | RCMP | School/Education | Veterans

    BIPOC | Indigenous Peoples | LGBTQ2IA+ | Vulnerable Populations

  • • Animal Assisted Therapy

    • Attachment-Based

    • CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

    • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

    • EFT (Emotion Focused Therapy)

    • Family Systems

    • MBT (Mindfulness-Based Therapy)

    • Narrative

    • Person-Centered

    • Reality Therapy

    • SFT (Solution Focused Therapy)

    • SFBT (Solution Focused Brief Therapy)

    • Strength-Based

    • Structural Family Therapy

    • Systemic Therapy

    • Systems Theory

  • • Addictions / Substance Use

    • ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder)

    • Adult ADHD

    • Adult children of alcoholics

    • Anger

    • Anxiety

    • Attachment Issues

    • Behavioural Intervention

    • Boundary Setting

    • Burnout

    • Career Transition

    • Childhood Trauma

    • Co-Dependency

    • Compassion Fatigue

    • Co-Parenting

    • Crisis Debriefing

    • Cultural Diversity

    • Depression

    • Developmental Trauma

    • Divorce

    • Domestic Violence

    • Family Conflict

    • Family Violence

    • General Psychosocial Intervention

    • Infidelity

    • Interpersonal Issues

    • Intimate Partner Violence

    • Learning Disabilities

    • Life Transitions

    • ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder)

    • Parental Relationships

    • Parenting

    • PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

    • Relational Trauma

    • Relationships

    • School Related Issues

    • Self-Harming

    • Self-Worth / Self-Esteem

    • Sexuality

    • Sleep Concerns

    • Spirituality

    • Stress Management

    • Suicidal Ideation

    • Trauma

    • Violence

    • Women’s Issues

  • English

Woof woof!

It's your furry friend, Mak, here, with a special message just for you. I might not have thumbs to type, but with a little help from my human, I want to say that your well-being is my top priority, and I'm always ready to lend a paw whenever you need it.

With all my love and a thousand tail wags, Mak🐾