Therapy at Pathfinder
Therapy at Pathfinder in Calgary for adults who are stuck in a specific place and ready to do the actual work — not process it indefinitely. CBT, IFS, EMDR, ACT, and somatic approaches are used in a structured, philosophically literate frame. Ryan Filax-Wylie (CCC) and Chanelle Gagne (RSW) see clients in-person in NW Calgary and online across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Sessions are 60 minutes at $180.
Therapy at Pathfinder is structured, philosophically literate, and direct. We work with adults who are competent in most areas of life and stuck in a specific one, and with adults whose competence has been masking a problem that is no longer staying hidden. We do not run a generic clinic. We work in a defined frame, with named thinkers behind the method, and with a clear sense of what therapy is and is not for.
Is This You?
You've tried talking about it but keep circling the same ground without anything actually shifting.
You're high-functioning in most areas, but one specific thing has become too heavy to carry on your own.
You want a therapist who will ask hard questions and not just reflect your words back at you.
You're not in crisis, but something is off, and you can feel it affecting your work, relationships, or sense of direction.
You've read enough to know what CBT and IFS are, and you want a therapist who actually uses them rather than just mentioning them.
You're done with vague timelines. You want to know what the work looks like and when it ends.
The Process Start to Finish
Sessions are sixty minutes. They are conversation, not performance. We ask direct questions, we follow what is actually happening rather than what was on the agenda, and we name what we see. We do not narrate the process while it is happening. We do the work, and we check at the end whether the work landed.
Sessions can be in person at our Calgary office or virtual across the provinces we are licensed in (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba). The work is the same. The logistics are not.
The Five-Step Structure
We work in a five-step structure that runs underneath whatever the presenting issue is, anger, burnout, ADHD, trauma, the slow drift of a relationship, the question of what to do with a life.
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Orientation. What is actually happening, in plain language, without the story you have been telling about it for years.
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Mapping. What sits underneath it, the patterns, the history, the nervous-system load, the meaning question. This is where Yalom's givens (death, freedom, isolation, meaninglessness) and Frankl's question of meaning under pressure stop being abstract and become clinical material.
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Treatment. The specific work, cognitive, somatic, existential, relational, EMDR, IFS, DBT, ACT, that matches what we found in steps one and two. The modality serves the person, not the other way around.
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Integration. What changes in the life outside the room: sleep, training, relationships, work, the small daily decisions Marcus Aurelius would call the discipline of action.
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Exit. When the work is done, we say so. Therapy is not a subscription. We end when the problem no longer runs the life.
Team and Fit
Pathfinder is a small practice with a defined voice. Every clinician on the team works inside the same frame — the same named thinkers, the same tone, the same standard for honesty. Fit matters more than convenience. If we are not the right fit for what you are dealing with, we will tell you, and we will help you find who is.
Fees
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Individual session, 60 minutes — $180
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Couples session, 90 minutes — $270
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Pathfinder Executive Intensive, single 3-hour session — $900
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Free 30-minute consult — no charge
Covered by most extended health plans in Alberta, including Sun Life, Canada Life, Manulife, Blue Cross*, GreenShield, Equitable Life, and Desjardins. Chanelle's RSW services are eligible under most plans, including many that don't cover registered psychotherapy. We'll help you confirm coverage before your first session.
*In all instances we strongly encourage you to check with your provider regarding your specific plan as coverages are subject to variability.
What Therapy Is Not For
Therapy is not a place to be told you are fine when you are not. It is not a place to have your worst beliefs about yourself confirmed. It is not a substitute for medical care, psychiatric care, addiction treatment, or, in a crisis, emergency services. If any of those are what the situation actually needs, we will say so and help route it.
How Long It Takes
The honest answer: as long as the problem takes, and not longer. Some work is six sessions. Some work is two years. We do not pad. We do not under-treat. We re-evaluate openly at intervals you can see coming, and we end when ending is the right call.
In-Person & Virtual
In person: #205 Kensington Road NW, Calgary, AB.
Virtual: secure video across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Ready to Get Started?
If this approach makes sense and you're ready to stop spinning your wheels, book the free consultation. We'll talk about what you're dealing with, whether I can help, and what the next steps look like.
Not ready to book?
That's fine. Look around the site, read the blog, check out the FAQ. When you're ready, I'm here.