About Us

Canniff and Associates, Psychological and Support Services, has been providing quality services to a wide range of clients since becoming incorporated in 1978. We are comprised of Registered Psychologists, Provisional Registered Psychologists, Mental Health Therapists and specialists such as Neuropsychologists.

Canniff and Associates’ Psychologists provide a wide range of therapeutic services, which may include individual, couple and family counseling, as well as educational, parenting, socio-emotional, personal risk, learning disabilities, vocational and neuropsychological assessments. We also offer consultation services pertaining to Custody and Access matters, file reviews and second opinions, and employee selection and termination. A variety of groups are offered on an as-needed basis, which may include anger management, self-esteem building, teen issues, gender identity issues, depression, grieving and loss, survivors of sexual abuse, sexual offender groups and women’s psychology groups.

Canniff and Associates has offices in Edmonton, Edson, Calgary and Whitecourt, Alberta. Our Head Office is located in Edmonton, Alberta. Associates are also available across Alberta to facilitate your therapeutic needs.

Dr. Jim Canniff, Ph.D., Registered Psychologist

Dr. Jim Canniff, the Founder of Canniff & Associates, is a Registered Psychologist as well as a teacher. He is also a member of several professional organizations and has been in private practice since 1983. For 30 years through offices in Edmonton, Calgary and Whitecourt, Alberta, he and his team have continued to provide a variety of services related to assessment, counseling and consultation. Dr. Canniff has provided expert witness testimony at many levels and on many occasions. Dr. Canniff has had the opportunity to present on a variety of topics at local, national and international levels. He is active in his community and has been involved in coaching minor sports for more than 40 years at various levels. Contact Dr. Canniff at: jim@canniff.ca

Harsharan Sehdev, M.A., Registered Psychologist

Harsharan, the Director of Canniff and Associates, first joined Dr. Canniff in 2012. She has a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology, and over 20 years of experience working with addictions, trauma and mental health issues within hospital, residential addiction treatment, school and child protection settings. Harsharan has experience working in addictions, trauma and women's issues, and works from an integrated approach, primarily utilizing Client Centred and Cognitive Behavioural therapies. She provides therapy services both in the Edmonton office and in rural school settings to individuals, including adults, youths and children, as well as groups and families. Harsharan is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for clients, in which they can work toward their therapeutic goals. She conducts assessments, including psychoeducational, parenting asseand has provided expert testimony in Provincial Court. Contact Ms. Sehdev at: harsharan@canniff.ca

Paula Mihai, M.A., Registered Psychologist

Paula started with Canniff and Associates in January 2014. She has a Master of Arts degree in Counselling psychology, and has interest working with children, youth and adults. Paula has an integrative approach to therapy, with a main focus on Cognitive Behaviour and Mindfulness approaches to counselling. Paula has experience working with a variety of issues such as trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship conflicts, and parenting. Paula also has experience working with trauma and mental health concerns within clinical, schools and residential treatment settings. Paula believes in the importance of building supportive therapeutic relationships and a safe environment, to help foster change and growth. Paula is bilingual and offers counselling in both English and Spanish. She has provided expert testimony in Provincial Court. Contact Paula at: paula@canniff.ca

Heidi Keefe, M.C., Registered Psychologist

Heidi has a Masters in Counselling Psychology from Athabasca University. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to provide therapy and behaviour consultation services to children and their families in a variety of settings. Heidi has also worked with adults providing support services to individuals who are struggling with addiction and recovery. Her approach is primarily client-centred, as Heidi believes that a strong alliance between the therapist and client is the foundation for growth and change. Heidi aims to assist her clients in discovering and developing the tools and resources they need to achieve their therapeutic goals. Heidi also integrates components of other approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused therapy in order to meet the unique needs of each client. Heidi works with individuals, groups and families, and conducts psychoeducational assessments. She currently provides services in Edmonton, Alberta. Contact Heidi at: heidi@canniff.ca

Janine Groeneveld, M.C., Registered Psychologist

Janine joined the Canniff and Associates’ team in 2017. She has a Masters degree in Counselling from City University of Seattle, and has interest in working with children, youth, and adults. Within those populations, Janine has a keen interest in working with trauma, attachment concerns, and secondary issues after trauma such as addictions. Janine works from an integrated approach, primarily working from a Client Centred Approach. She is fully trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Janine has worked children who have experienced multiple forms of abuse and their families. She has counselled sexual assault and human trafficking survivors and worked with marginalized families in a number of roles. Janine is passionate about supporting her clients by getting their voices heard and their needs met. Janine believes no matter the personal circumstance, people have a right to love, belonging, and meaningful connection with others. Janine conducts assessments, including psychoeducational, parenting and and autism assessments, and has provided expert testimony in Provincial Court. Contact Janine at janine@canniff.ca

Cheska Montinola, M.C., Provisional Registered Psychologist

Cheska has a Master of Counselling degree from City University of Seattle in Canada. Her experience includes working with children, adolescents, adults and families in their homes, the community and in school settings. Cheska works from an integrated approach to therapy with a multicultural lens. She often uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and has basic trainging in EMDR therapy. Cheska has worked with immigrants and refugees and individuals with complex needs. She is interested in working with anxiety, trauma, attachment and various issues faced by immigrants and refugees such as reunification and acculturation. Cheska is fluent in Tagalog. She is currently providing in-person sessions in Calgary, as well as telepsychology. Contact Ms. Montinola at cheska@canniff.ca

Kevin de Leon, M.Ed., M.Sc., Provisional Registered Psychologist

Kevin has a Master’s of Education in Counselling Psychology from the University of Alberta and a Master’s of Science in Family Relations and Human Development from the University of Guelph. Kevin has experience working with adults, adolescents, and children in both community and school settings, with particular interests in trauma, anxiety, self-criticism, and family relationships. Kevin primarily utilizes Person-Centered, Cognitive Behaviour, and Emotion-Focused therapy approaches to support clients in reaching their therapeutic goals. Kevin is currently providing services in Whitecourt, Alberta and can be contacted at: kevin@canniff.ca

Jari Edinger, M. C., Provisional Registered Psychologist

Jari has a Master of Counselling Psychology through the City University of Seattle. Jari joined the Canniff team in 2019 and has worked with individuals facing a wide array of challenges. He has worked with individuals experiencing complex trauma, addictions, homelessness, anxiety, depression, and other complex mental health issues. Jari has been providing services in schools as well as at Edmonton’s Boyle McCauley Health Centre. Jari offers a Mindfulness informed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approach to help people achieve their therapeutic goals. Jari also provides telepsychological services for individuals who face barriers to in person service, and speaks fluent French. Mr. Edinger can be reached at jari@canniff.ca.

Moira Rankin, M.C., Registered Psychologist

Moira Rankin earned her Master of Counselling degree from City University of Seattle and joined the Canniff and Associates' team in 2020 following a graduate internship in 2019. Moira has always enjoyed helping people and has experience working with children, adolescents, and adults with a variety of needs. She strives to help her clients feel comfortable, safe, and heard while working together towards positive change. Moira works primarily from a Cognitive Behavioural Approach while integrating pieces from other approaches to find a best fit for her clients' needs. She is currently offering services in Edmonton and Whitecourt. Contact Ms. Rankin at: moira@canniff.ca

Courtney Mackay, B.A., Mental Health Therapist

Courtney is currently completing her Master of Counselling degree with City University of Seattle. She completed a graduate internship at Canniff and Associates, which involved working in community and school settings with children, adolescents, and adults. Courtney is passionate about creating a safe, inclusive, and non-judgmental space for each person to share their story. Courtney practices from a person-centered approach, and often draws from her training in third-wave Cognitive Behavioural therapies and somatic psychotherapy in order to provide a variety of tools and strategies based on an individual’s needs. Courtney has a particular interest in working with children and adolescents going through life transitions and dealing with various mental health concerns. She is currently providing services in Edmonton, AB, and can be contacted directly at courtney@canniff.ca.

Alexandra Brewka, M.C., Registered Psychologist

Alexandra has been with Canniff & Associates since 2020, at which time she completed a graduate internship. Alexandra has worked with individuals experiencing complex trauma, abuse, addictions, anxiety, depression and other complex mental health issues. Alexandra believes that effective counselling begins by developing a genuine and authentic relationship. From this relationship, Alexandra uses trauma informed and harm reduction strategies. She draws from Narrative Therapy, Family Systems Therapy and Third Wave Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches to collaborate with clients in working toward their therapeutic goals. Alexandra is currently providing services in Edmonton, AB and can be contacted at alexandrab@canniff.ca

Megan Cote, M.C., Provisional Registered Psychologist

Megan has a Master of Counselling Psychology from Athabasca University. She has worked collaboratively with children, youth, and families for over 10 years by providing supports for client growth and change. Megan uses a narrative therapy approach to help clients find inner strength and success. She also incorporates cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness into her practice. Megan believes it is a privilege to work alongside individuals and families on their mental health journeys, and she strives to create a safe, supportive environment for all. Megan is currently providing services in Whitecourt, Alberta. Ms. Cote can be contacted at megan@canniff.ca

Alison Ditner, M.Ed., Provisional Registered Psychologist

Alison has a Master of Education degree in Educational Psychology with a specialization in School and Applied Child Psychology from the University of Calgary. She has extensive experience working with children with a variety of needs, in school, community, and home settings. Alison works from a holistic, integrative, and strengths-based approach, drawing from Developmental, Cognitive, and Behavioral theories, to determine effective, evidence-based, individualized interventions to prevent, remediate, and alleviate child academic, social, and emotional difficulties. She believes that parents, families, and schools are paramount to supporting childhood development and well-being; she seeks to guide others in understanding the ‘whole’ child, promoting positive change, and building resiliency skills. Alison strives to create a comfortable, safe, and accepting environment to support all she works with. She is currently providing services in Whitecourt, AB, and can be contacted at alison@canniff.ca

Marie Lafleur, M.Ed, Canadian Certified Counsellor

Marie Lafleur earned a Master of Education degree in Counselling and Personal Services from the University of Maryland at College Park. Marie joined Canniff & Associates in March 2022 after a 30-year career in education, where she worked as teacher, school administrator and later as a special needs/inclusive education consultant with the North-Central Francophone School Authority. As a certified counsellor and psychotherapist, Marie’s main modalities include Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy, Expressive Arts, Narrative, Internal Family Systems and SoulCollage®. Marie firmly believes in a strength-based approach with her clients as they journey toward positive change in their lives. Marie provides services in both English and French and can be reached at Marie@canniff.ca

Michelle Espinho, M.C., Provisional Registered Psychologist

Michelle joined the Canniff team in 2021. She completed her Master of Counselling degree at City University of Seattle and has worked with individuals facing a wide array of challenges, including trauma, homelessness, addiction, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, and other complex mental health difficulties. Michelle believes that a strong therapeutic alliance is a crucial component of all meaningful therapeutic work, and strives to create a space that fosters acceptance, connection, healing and empowerment. She works from a trauma focused lens and utilizes a Client-Centered and Strength-Based approach, drawing from a variety of therapeutic modalities, including CBT, DBT, Narrative and Solution-Focused. Michelle has also completed Level 1 Training in the Gottman Method, which she uses in her work with couples. Michelle is currently providing in-person and virtual services in Edmonton, AB and can be contacted at Michelle@canniff.ca

Stephen Bentz, B.A., Mental Health Therapist

Stephen is currently completing his Master of Counselling degree with City University. He completed a graduate internship with Canniff and Associates, working in both school and clinical settings. Stephen believes in creating an accepting, inclusive, and comfortable atmosphere within the counselling environment to help clients feel safe exploring their inner selves. Stephen uses an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approach to help individuals take back control of their lives from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Stephen provides services in Edmonton, AB, in-person and
virtually, and can be contacted directly at stephen@canniff.ca

Tolulope Emiola, M.Ed, Mental Health Therapist

Tolu has a Master of Education in Educational Psychology from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Tolu was previously an educator and has taught at elementary and high schools. He has had experience working with children and adolescents in schools and less privileged communities. Tolu has worked with individuals who struggle with anxiety, depression, anger, and emotional dysregulation. Tolu endeavors to create an environment where clients feel at ease, secure, and truly listened to, fostering a collaborative journey towards positive transformation. He utilizes a client-centred approach and incorporates elements from different approaches to best meet clients' needs. Tolu can be contacted at Tolulope@canniff.ca