Dr. Michelle Emmerling

Dr. Michelle Emmerling Registered Psychologist. Red Tree Psychology Founding Partner. Emotion Focused Skills Training Clini

Emmerling Psychology, Pride is more than a celebration—it is a commitment.At a time when many in the 2SLGBTQIA+ communit...
06/03/2026

Emmerling Psychology, Pride is more than a celebration—it is a commitment.

At a time when many in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are facing ongoing barriers, it is more important than ever to celebrate identity, acknowledge lived experience, hold space for stories that have been silenced, and actively advocate for safety, dignity, and inclusion.

Pride is also a call to action: to learn, to listen, and to engage in ways that move beyond awareness into meaningful support and allyship.

We are committed to being a safe and inclusive space where clients are welcomed as they are—without judgment, without exception. Inclusion is not seasonal for us; it is foundational to the care we provide.

We stand with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community today, during Pride, and every day. 🏳️‍🌈

05/27/2026

At , we often meet people who deeply want change. They show up to therapy motivated, hopeful, and ready to do something different.

But if change were only about wanting it, it would be much easier.

What often keeps people stuck are competing motivations.
Part of us may want healing, connection, recovery, or growth… while another part is highly motivated to avoid discomfort, uncertainty, vulnerability, failure, rejection, anxiety, or shame.

Behaviours that no longer serve us are often still serving a purpose:
• Avoidance may protect us from overwhelm
• Perfectionism may protect us from criticism
• Control may protect us from fear
• Numbing may protect us from pain

The real work of change begins when we stop asking:
“Why can’t I just change?”

…and start asking:
“What am I more motivated to avoid?”

Understanding those competing motivations with compassion — not judgment — is often the key to lasting change.

Mother’s Day can hold many different emotions, often all at once.For some, today is filled with celebration, connection,...
05/10/2026

Mother’s Day can hold many different emotions, often all at once.

For some, today is filled with celebration, connection, gratitude, and joy.
For others, it may carry grief, longing, exhaustion, loneliness, disappointment, or complicated feelings that are harder to name.

Today can be tender for those grieving a mother or child, navigating complex family relationships, parenting in blended families, carrying the invisible load of single parenting, trying to conceive, living through pregnancy or infant loss, choosing not to have children, or holding the pain of wanting a different story than the one life has given.

There is no “right” way to feel about today.

At Emmerling Psychology, we believe days like today can be an invitation not only for celebration, but also for self-compassion.
To notice what you are carrying.
To make space for your emotions without judgment.
To care for yourself gently, especially if today feels heavy.

Whether today feels joyful, painful, complicated, or somewhere in between — your experience matters. ❤️

Healing rarely happens in isolation.At Emmerling Psychology, we believe that when one person is struggling, the entire f...
05/07/2026

Healing rarely happens in isolation.

At Emmerling Psychology, we believe that when one person is struggling, the entire family system feels it — and when healing begins, the whole system has the opportunity to grow stronger together.

While individual therapy can be deeply meaningful, we are passionate about looking beyond the individual and understanding the relationships, patterns, communication, and emotional dynamics surrounding them. Families hold incredible power: the power to create safety, foster understanding, repair connection, and support lasting change.

Whether it’s helping parents better understand their child, supporting couples through difficult seasons, strengthening communication between family members, or creating space for emotions to be heard and validated, we believe healing happens most powerfully when people do not have to carry things alone.

No one exists outside of their relationships. We heal in connection, through connection, and because of connection.

That is why system-focused care is at the heart of the work we do.

At Emmerling Psychology, we see this all the time: someone shares something hard, and the instinct is to jump in and fix...
05/06/2026

At Emmerling Psychology, we see this all the time: someone shares something hard, and the instinct is to jump in and fix it.

But most of the time, people aren’t asking for a solution.
They’re asking to feel seen, heard, and understood.

Emotions aren’t problems to solve—they’re experiences to move through.

When someone is struggling, the most powerful thing you can offer isn’t advice. It’s presence.
It’s saying, “That makes sense.”
It’s sitting with them without trying to change what they feel.

Because when people feel truly understood, something shifts.
Their nervous system settles.
Their capacity to cope expands.
And often, their own clarity and direction naturally follow.

Validation isn’t passive—it’s deeply therapeutic.
And it’s often the first step toward real change.

At Emmerling Psychology, we focus on helping people make sense of what’s happening beneath the surface—not just managing...
04/21/2026

At Emmerling Psychology, we focus on helping people make sense of what’s happening beneath the surface—not just managing symptoms, but understanding the emotional patterns that drive them. Our work is grounded in a relational, evidence-based approach that looks at the whole person within the context of their life, relationships, and history.

We have a strong focus on supporting men’s mental health, creating space for men to explore emotions, stress, identity, and connection in ways that often haven’t been accessible or encouraged. We also specialize in working with women navigating menopause and midlife transitions—helping make sense of the emotional, psychological, and relational shifts that can come with this stage of life.

For families, we offer Emotion-Focused Skills Training (EFST) for parents and caregivers, equipping them with practical tools to better understand and respond to their child’s emotional world, strengthen attachment, and feel more confident in their role. Our family therapy work supports healthier communication, repair, and deeper connection across relationships.

Across all of our services, the focus is on building awareness, strengthening emotional capacity, and helping people feel more grounded, connected, and equipped to navigate life in a meaningful way.

We often say, “they triggered me.”But what if we shifted the question to:When that happened… what did it activate in me?...
04/17/2026

We often say, “they triggered me.”

But what if we shifted the question to:
When that happened… what did it activate in me?

Because the truth is — our reactions don’t come from other people alone. They come from the meaning our nervous system and past experiences make of what just happened.

When we begin to notice our patterns — what activates us, what emotions show up, what stories follow — we gain something powerful: awareness.

And with awareness comes choice.

Instead of being pulled by automatic, often maladaptive emotional responses, we can pause, understand, and respond in a way that actually aligns with who we want to be.

This isn’t about blaming yourself.
It’s about understanding yourself.

And that understanding builds confidence in navigating relationships, setting boundaries, and showing up with intention — not reactivity.

That’s where freedom lives.

What if the most powerful way to support your child isn’t changing their behaviour… but learning how to navigate their e...
04/15/2026

What if the most powerful way to support your child isn’t changing their behaviour… but learning how to navigate their emotions?

At Emmerling Psychology, we use Emotion-Focused Skills Training (EFST) to help parents:
✨ Understand and respond to their child’s emotional world with confidence
✨ Recognize what gets in the way of setting clear, supportive boundaries
✨ Strengthen their own “boundary muscle” — so limits feel grounded, not reactive
✨ Learn how to repair relationship ruptures in a way that actually leads to healing

Because it’s not about getting it perfect.
It’s about knowing how to come back, reconnect, and rebuild.

When children feel seen, safe, and understood — real change happens.
And when parents feel equipped and supported — relationships transform.

Less conflict.
More connection.
Stronger, more resilient relationships.

Last night in Calgary, 10,000 people gathered for a sold-out evening with Gabor Maté — a powerful reminder that this wor...
04/08/2026

Last night in Calgary, 10,000 people gathered for a sold-out evening with Gabor Maté — a powerful reminder that this work matters.

A key takeaway that deeply resonates with the work we do at Emmerling Psychology:

We are not separate from our experiences.

Our emotions, our relationships, our environments, and our early life experiences shape who we become. What goes unprocessed doesn’t disappear — it shows up in our mental health, our physical health, and the way we relate to ourselves and others.

He also spoke to something deeply important: that many of the ways we cope — even the ones that no longer serve us — were once intelligent adaptations. At one point, they helped us belong, feel safe, or navigate environments where our needs may not have been fully met. There is nothing “wrong” with us — there is wisdom in how we learned to survive.

This is at the heart of The Myth of Normal — the understanding that what we often label as “symptoms” are actually meaningful adaptations to our lived experiences.

It also speaks directly to EFST and the work we do every day:
Supporting clients in becoming more aware of their emotional world, understanding how their upbringing has shaped them, and learning how to respond to themselves with compassion rather than criticism.

At Emmerling Psychology, we take a biopsychosocial approach because healing isn’t one-dimensional — and neither are you.

When we begin to integrate all parts of our story, we move closer to our authentic selves.

And that’s where real change happens.

04/04/2026

Easter can be full of connection, tradition—and sometimes, a lot of pressure.

At Emmerling Psychology, we want to gently remind you: you don’t have to do everything.

Family dinners, gatherings, and events can be meaningful, but they can also stretch your emotional and physical capacity. It’s okay to pause and ask yourself what you actually need this weekend.

Consider:
🌿 Choosing the events that feel most important to you
🌿 Setting gentle limits around time, energy, or conversations
🌿 Giving yourself permission to leave early or say no altogether
🌿 Taking breaks to reset when things feel overwhelming

You are allowed to show up in ways that feel sustainable—not just expected.

Supportive holidays aren’t about doing it all—they’re about staying connected to yourself while connecting with others.

This Easter, let there be room for both presence and protection.

Address

620, 10055 106 Street
Edmonton, AB
T5J2Y2

Telephone

+17803992229

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