We exist to help others help themselves! Our organization places a heavy focus on being culturally responsive, timely, and hospitable. Helping can come in many forms and ours is categorized under four main activities. The most common of the psychological services is counselling and everything related to helping others get to where they want to be. The other main activities are consultation, research, and training.
Q & A is headed by Mahdi Qasqas, Registered Psychologist with a PhD in Social Work.
Our support staff currently consists of a wonderful team of administrative supporters, practicum students, and psychological assistants.
We are also proud host for practicum students coming from both Athabasca University and Yorkville’s Graduate Psychology programs
Helping Through Counselling
At Q & A, we believe that hospitality is a crucial ingredient in demonstrating our respect for the dignity of people, and thus we choose to refer to our clients/patients as guests.
Often, our guests choose to engage in counselling because of either a serious problem they have recently experienced or a problem they have identified and are looking for strategies and techniques to get to where they want to be. We are known for our high level of cultural competence which may be why many of our guests choose to reach out to us.
Most of our guests receive help on an individual basis. We also provide couple’s and family counselling. Our guests are usually Adults who have been referred by their Physician for symptoms of a DSM 5 diagnosis. However, we also have a lot of experience working with teenagers and students on their unique mental health and/or academic challenges.
Children are always welcome, however, this is not our area of expertise but we are happy to provide an initial consultation to discuss whether there are better options as your child’s benefit is our top priority.
How to Get an Appointment and What to Expect?
The most optimal form of getting an appointment in the quickest possible way is to be ready with some of the documents we require. The first is a referral from a health professional, usually the family Physician. Although we are still happy to walk you through this process, you can prevent delays by asking your Physician about being referred to our office.
Once you have sent in the referral, we quickly process the request and send you a brief information sheet to give you a chance to review and decide to continue. Additionally, in some cases, we may send you a link to access the members only section of our website to benefit from some of the more specific resources tailored to your current situation.
Helping Through Consultation
Mental health consultation can come in multiple forms. Organizations usually reach out to us to help them with their staff to improve services for their clients. Additionally, we are often consulted by Physicians and community leaders on special cases related to our cultural expertise and framework for cultural adaptation and localization to increase uptake of services
Mental health consultation can come in multiple forms. Organizations usually reach out to us to help them with their staff to improve services for their clients. Additionally, we are often consulted by Physicians and community leaders on special cases related to our cultural expertise and framework for cultural adaptation and localization to increase uptake of services.
The consultation process follows a systematic methodology aimed at increasing the uptake of evidence-based practices. This often includes a process of culturally localizing and adapting what is available in the literature with the unique characteristics and experiences of the organization.
The initial consultation is usually done over the phone to establish whether or not we are the right fit for you followed by an in person assessment and meeting. However, we are able to provide all of these services virtually in case the situation deems it best.
We strive to ensure that the consultation provided to you is practical and allows you to
implement strategies immediately. Although some types of problems require long-term solutions, we like to keep a solution-focused mindset and begin with the first and second necessary steps
.
Helping Through Research and Training – Knowledge that Benefits
Increasing knowledge that benefits others is another essential aspect of our business culture. We offer all of our practicum students an opportunity to master their research skills and extend this opportunity to organizations as well as individuals. However, for organizations that are looking to enhance their productivity, we may be able to help.
We provide training for current and future mental health professionals as well as community leaders, volunteers, and other types of helpers
Training takes place in person as well as virtually. Each training opportunity will clearly state which mode is being used and why.
We are confident you will be satisfied and enjoy the training based on the resounding success we have had in the past. However, satisfaction alone is necessary but not sufficient to enhance competence. Thus, we also measure other variables such as the practicality of the training for your context, degree of uptake, and overall impact as a result of the training
Helping Through Counselling
At Q & A, we believe that hospitality is a crucial ingredient in demonstrating our respect for the dignity of people, and thus we choose to refer to our clients/patients as guests.
Often, our guests choose to engage in counselling because of either a serious problem they have recently experienced or a problem they have identified and are looking for strategies and techniques to get to where they want to be. We are known for our high level of cultural competence which may be why many of our guests choose to reach out to us.
Most of our guests receive help on an individual basis. We also provide couple’s and family counselling. Our guests are usually Adults who have been referred by their Physician for symptoms of a DSM 5 diagnosis. However, we also have a lot of experience working with teenagers and students on their unique mental health and/or academic challenges.
Children are always welcome, however, this is not our area of expertise but we are happy to provide an initial consultation to discuss whether there are better options as your child’s benefit is our top priority.
How to Get an Appointment and What to Expect?
The most optimal form of getting an appointment in the quickest possible way is to be ready with some of the documents we require. The first is a referral from a health professional, usually the family Physician. Although we are still happy to walk you through this process, you can prevent delays by asking your Physician about being referred to our office.
Once you have sent in the referral, we quickly process the request and send you a brief information sheet to give you a chance to review and decide to continue. Additionally, in some cases, we may send you a link to access the members only section of our website to benefit from some of the more specific resources tailored to your current situation.
Helping Through Consultation
Mental health consultation can come in multiple forms. Organizations usually reach out to us to help them with their staff to improve services for their clients. Additionally, we are often consulted by Physicians and community leaders on special cases related to our cultural expertise and framework for cultural adaptation and localization to increase uptake of services
Mental health consultation can come in multiple forms. Organizations usually reach out to us to help them with their staff to improve services for their clients. Additionally, we are often consulted by Physicians and community leaders on special cases related to our cultural expertise and framework for cultural adaptation and localization to increase uptake of services.
The consultation process follows a systematic methodology aimed at increasing the uptake of evidence-based practices. This often includes a process of culturally localizing and adapting what is available in the literature with the unique characteristics and experiences of the organization.
The initial consultation is usually done over the phone to establish whether or not we are the right fit for you followed by an in person assessment and meeting. However, we are able to provide all of these services virtually in case the situation deems it best.
We strive to ensure that the consultation provided to you is practical and allows you to
implement strategies immediately. Although some types of problems require long-term solutions, we like to keep a solution-focused mindset and begin with the first and second necessary steps
Helping Through Research and Training – Knowledge that Benefits
Increasing knowledge that benefits others is another essential aspect of our business culture. We offer all of our practicum students an opportunity to master their research skills and extend this opportunity to organizations as well as individuals. However, for organizations that are looking to enhance their productivity, we may be able to help.
We provide training for current and future mental health professionals as well as community leaders, volunteers, and other types of helpers
Training takes place in person as well as virtually. Each training opportunity will clearly state which mode is being used and why.
We are confident you will be satisfied and enjoy the training based on the resounding success we have had in the past. However, satisfaction alone is necessary but not sufficient to enhance competence. Thus, we also measure other variables such as the practicality of the training for your context, degree of uptake, and overall impact as a result of the training
Please note that this form is non-private contact medium. As such it is to be used only for general and non-confidential information.If you require a confidential service, please call to get in touch with us. Any information submitted via this form is deemed to be non-confidential.
