Claire Gavalia

Claire earned her Master of Social Work with a Clinical Specialization from the University of Calgary in 2012. Since then, she has become a certified EMDR therapist and EMDRIA consultant-in-training, with advanced training in EMDR focused on children, attachment trauma, and dissociation. Additionally, Claire is certified in AutPlay Therapy, has training in Synergetic Play Therapy, and is on track to become a Certified Play Therapist with the Canadian Association of Play Therapy. She is currently completing Level 1 Internal Family Systems (IFS) training through the IFS Institute, and has taken IFS trainings focused on IFS with children and adolescents. Horses hold a special place in Claire’s life, driving her passion for Equine Assisted Therapy and Self-Led Horsemanship. She has completed her Level 2 Foundations training for certification with the Professional Association for Equine Facilitated Wellness (Pro-EFW).

Claire’s therapeutic approach integrates internal family systems (IFS), play therapy, EMDR therapy, and equine-assisted therapy. She is committed to creating a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, socially just, and neurodiversity-affirming environment for the people and horses she works with.

Claire’s love for children, nature, and horses has shaped her professional focus. While she values her work with adults, her heart lies in helping children, adolescents, and parents. Drawing from her own experience as a parent, Claire empathizes with the challenges of parenting and believes that helping parents to deeply look at the ways in which they were parented, understanding how it impacts their parenting, and guiding the healing from any childhood wounds, will lead them to be the parents they want to be for their children.
In her free time, Claire enjoys spending time with her partner, two young children, having outdoor family adventures, watching the Oilers, reading, going to the stables, and spending time with her 17 year old pup!