"Through being authentic, calm, and respectful I hope to assist others to journey into self awareness, understanding themselves better. By modelling this behaviour, I contribute to positive change for myself, others, and the community." Forrest completed her Masters degree in Clinical Counselling Psychology & has a Graduate Certificate in Art Therapy from Antioch University, Seattle. Forrest also has additional training in process psychology, anti-oppression, group consensus, mediation, & facilitation.

In the twelve years she has dedicated to social service Forrest has been fortunate to work with a wide array of client populations including the differently abled (disabled), clients with multicultural backgrounds, and individuals questioning their gender and sexual orientations; with a personal passion for working with transgender, lesbian, bisexual, and gay youth and adults. In addition, Forrest has been the primary therapist for children, families, couples, and groups.

Forrest is passionate about supporting and encouraging her clients so they may grow to their full potential. This process moves into many realms, including the inner experience and aspects of the world around her/him and accessing core understanding about what meaning your life has.

She believes that Individual therapy can be a powerful tool for change in life, relationships, and how one moves through the world. She also has experience with mental health issues, family of origin issues, abuse, trauma, attachment and abandonment.

Within the couple and family therapy area, Forrest believes that bringing multiple family members into therapy to work on difficulties brings the situations that occur at home, in front of the therapist/mediator, can change the unhealthy patterns. She does couples and family therapy working on healthy communication, how the role of "fighting" plays out and how to transform it, parent/child conflict, parenting skills, developmental learning, relationship stability, blended families, enmeshment, differentiation for young adult or adult daughters/sons, co-parenting, boundaries, house rules, and many other issues facing familial groups.

Forrest has found art therapy to be a crucial tool in communicating with withdrawn, non-verbal, and developmentally delayed folks. She has her theoretical orientation based in Process Psychology, a blending of Eastern concepts of wellness, the Tao, with ideas of awareness of change, process, and “gender freedom” (i.e. feminist theory).

Forrest is also available in our Red Deer and Edmonton locations.

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Contact Forrest Maridas, MA, Provisionally Registered Psychologist Today