Catherine (Katie) Musgrove is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). She holds a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Lethbridge, and is a Certified AutPlay Therapy Provider and a Certified Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) Provider.

Katie’s specialty is working with children and parents, and she has a special place in her heart for adolescents. For over nine years, she has developed her expertise working with kids ages two to seventeen in group therapy, in-home, community agencies, educational, and (playful!) clinical settings.

Her emotional exploration skills run deep. Where parents and caregivers might see a big feeling or meltdown challenge that shows up in their child as anxiety, anger, anguish —or any other presenting condition or concern, such as depression, identity exploration, relational conflict, or trauma— Katie is adept at uncovering what is going on in a child or adolescent’s heart, behind what meets the eye. More importantly, she sees the immense Superpowers within.

With her finely child-attuned heart and mind, Katie sees children’s limitless strength and Superpower potential to overcome any difficulty.

“Focus on the doughnut, not the hole.”

—Dr. Garry L. Landreth

Katie helps kids and teens to develop their emotional regulation skills, process their emotions, grow, and thrive using a variety of child counselling modalities, including Synergetic Play Therapy, AutPlay Therapy (a neurodiversity-informed and affirming collaborative process designed to value the individual child and highlight their strengths), Sandtray Therapy, and Child-parent Interaction Therapy (Theraplay), Emotion-Focused Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, She also supports parents to better understand their child and their strengths, as well as grow in their own communication and playful parenting skills.

As a child develops their Superpowers and parents connect more closely with them, day-to-day life at home runs smoother and more joyful. That’s when the growing up process —and the parenting experience— become fun.

Katie draws from an impressive roster of both play-based child-led (non-directive) and directive child counselling techniques that are age-appropriate for younger kids, as well as talk-based and art-based therapy modalities suitable for older kids and cool adolescents. The creative splash of humour she brings into therapy makes her sessions both effective and enjoyable. From their very first session with Katie, feeling seen and heard in an empathetic way —feeling understood, cared about, and joyfully connected with— can make a huge difference. She is excited to welcome your child or teen to Kids Reconnect, supporting them on their exciting journey to feeling better and experiencing their life in a fuller, way more fun way.