Meet the therapists of Siksika Mental Health Services: Continued
The role of a therapist is to jump into the client’s world, and support them in walking out towards healing.
Therapists don’t give advice, because this would require them to base their input on their own experience. Their role is to support a person through their experience, and journey with them towards healing
Meet some of our Siksika Mental Health Therapists! We have many as part of our wonderful team.
Andrea Horwath – Registered Psychologist
Andrea has been working in mental health care for over 10 years. She is a Registered Psychologist who specializes in trauma therapy for PTSD, CPTSD, Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), Anxiety, and Emotional Regulation including anger management,
Andrea became a psychologist after she worked through years of personal trauma and realized the positive impact it had on her life. She truly loves seeing how mental health therapy can improve the lives of others who take that brave step to ask for support.
Working with Siksika Nation members is multifaceted due to the intergenerational trauma many have experienced. Each client receives a personal approach to their circumstances. There’s not one specific method that fits every member’s needs. Andrea takes the time to get to know each client as an individual in order to create a plan, with their input, so their healing journey is successful.
Malvern Nyamande, Clinical Social Worker
My name is Malvern, Melvin, Malv…as long as there is something like a “Mal” or a “Vern” in there. :) I am a Clinical Social Worker and have been working on Siksika Nation with children, teenagers, families, and parents.
I never imagined being a Clinical Social Worker in the beginning. I wanted to be an Accountant because of my parents. My parents thought a career in Accounting would be a ticket out of poverty. Nah!!! I did not want to sit behind a desk the rest of my life therefore I quit. Then I embarked on a journey of truck driving for FedEx Ground, worked at Chicken On the Way, and Home Depot. While working in all these places people always came to me for counselling. From there I decided to pursue Clinical counselling. I guess you can say my love for people brought me to where I am today.
People who work for Siksika Mental Health are very caring, compassionate, non-judgemental and passionate about what they do. Siksika Mental Health teams are so motivated to see Siksika Nation thrive spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. We are working hard to reducing and eliminating the stigma around seeking help.
Adriana Sorbo – Registered Psychologist and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor
My name is Adriana Sorbo. I am a registered psychologist and a registered play therapist-supervisor. I use play as therapy in my work I with children and families. I live in Calgary with my family, our cat, dog and fish.
From a young age I knew I wanted to help young people overcome difficult experiences in their lives so they could grow to be intentional contributing community members.
We each come to our roles as therapists with our own perspectives and life experiences and this gives the team so much depth. What connects us is our commitment to meeting the community’s needs in any way we can.
Angela Grier – Registered Provisional Psychologist
Oki, my name is Piiohksoopanskii (Singing Loudly Far Away)/ Angela Grier (Piikani/Blackfoot). I am a mother to four incredible human beings and a grandmother to my Meadow. I am extremely honoured to be a part of the Siksika Mental Health Clinic and the Siksika community. I am a Registered Provisional Psychologist and Siksika’s first mental health intern and extremely grateful to Dr. Quintina for this incredible opportunity.
Throughout my career I have been afforded opportunities to advocate for our people and communities, including providing youth and adult education related to decolonization. As a practitioner, my priority is to support our people, communities, and uplift our youth. I have had the privilege of working with Siksika Outreach for nearly three years and it is a highlight of my work; while also supporting all ages at our clinic.
By using combined approaches of Psychotherapy (traditional talk therapy) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapies, we support clients to gain meaning and control of their lives. As a trained Accelerated Resolution Therapist (ART), we can support clients within a single session. You can learn more about ART at https://acceleratedresolutiontherapy.com.
As a practicing Blackfoot citizen, I integrate Blackfoot philosophies to integrate cultural and holistic approaches of the Mind, Body and Spirit alongside modern interventions to address our complex and intergenerational trauma. Through Telehealth and video sessions, and in-person, I work to accommodate my clients when faced with transportation barriers.
