Dr. Tricia Sandham, R.Psych.
Pronouns: (she/her)
My Approach
I approach therapy with the knowledge that dealing with emotional distress can feel overwhelming. This is made more difficult by the decision to seek help from a psychologist in hopes of feeling better. I understand that going to therapy can be scary, especially for the first time.
To alleviate this fear, I strive to provide an environment that is safe, non-judgmental, and focused on the therapeutic relationship. You are the expert in your life, and my role is to act as a guide and work collaboratively with you on your journey to attain empowerment, autonomy, and healing.
I take a developmental approach to therapy and believe the problems we face in our lives are influenced by challenges we faced in childhood. My areas of interests include trauma, early child trauma, dancer and athletic career transitions, and working with therapists. To work with concerns that clients bring to therapy, I take a hope-focused approach and incorporate emotion-focused therapy and EMDR. I am also informed by somatic therapy, parts work, and attachment theory. I love learning and I am regularly seeking out training in new approaches that I can incorporate into my work with clients.
About Me
I am a Registered Psychologist in good standing with the College of Alberta Psychologists and the founder of Sandham Psychological Services.
Growing up I wanted to be a ballerina, and throughout my early and formative years, I worked towards attaining this dream. However, I was not able to attain a professional ballet career and thus, had to figure out my next career aspiration. My journey was difficult, however, when I found psychology, I quickly realized that helping people was a passion that I wanted to pursue.
My training includes an Honours B.A. in Psychology, with a specialization in Developmental Psychology, from McMaster University, a M.Ed. in School and Counselling Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan, and a Ph.D. in Counselling Psychology from the University of Alberta. Furthermore, my personal experience of not attaining a professional ballet career inspired my graduate research which focused on the early career transitions of semi-elite amateur ballet dancers.
When I am not working, I like to stay active with yoga and spin classes and enjoy spending time with friends and family. Finding time for hobbies can be difficult, however, I would love to learn how to paddle board and how to make sour dough bread.