Dr. Tiana Warner

Professional Details

Hi there! My name is Dr. Tiana Warner, and I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Minor in Sociology), as well as a Doctorate (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology. I am a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). During my graduate training, I gained experience working with clients of all ages through therapy and psychoeducational assessments in both clinical and school-based settings. I have supported a wide range of presenting concerns including anxiety, depression, OCD, phobias, burnout, low self-esteem, ADHD/executive dysfunction, behavioural concerns, and much more!

My coursework emphasized evidence-based approaches, which are a natural fit with ShiftGrit's Core Method. The Core Method is structured yet flexible, so I am able to incorporate research-supported strategies and customize therapy to fit each client's needs, goals, and experiences.

Trainings & Certifications

• I am trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which allows me to help clients understand and modify negative thinking and behavioural patterns to promote overall wellbeing. This also includes some training in ACT and DBT.
• I have received additional training in neurodivergent-friendly therapy approaches, which allows me to foster a safe, comfortable, and affirming space for individuals with Autism, ADHD, and other neurodiversities.

ShiftGrit Core Method & Clinical Approach

My Clinical Approach

My approach to therapy is compassionate, collaborative, structured, and tailored to you. I aim to create a space that feels comfortable, supportive, and genuinely non-judgmental, where you can show up as you are. I'm a strong believer that sessions should be purposeful, not aimless. I'm always trying to put myself out of a job because I want clients to experience meaningful change quickly so they can get on to living their best lives!

One of my favourite aspects of the ShiftGrit Core Method is...

How structured it is. I am a very organized and structured person; I crave consistency and routine (and I know many clients do too!). As I mentioned, I'm not about aimless sessions. I like that each session has a purpose and structure. There aren't going to be any surprises. It makes everything easier for everyone involved when there's a clear plan and agreed upon goals, which can also take away the anxiety of uncertainty for clients.

What do clients appreciate most about it?

How it goes beyond the surface to eliminate problems at their root. CBT can help address thoughts and behaviours that often live in the cognitive mind, while the Core Method goes deeper and helps clients move past fears that live in the walnut/threat brain. It's truly amazing to see not only shifts in people's thoughts and behaviour, but in their lives as a whole!

Personal Background & Story

What inspired me to enter the field

I have always had a curious mind, needing to know how things worked, why things happened, and why people behaved the way they did. My desire to learn about and understand people, including myself, is one of the things that contributed to my interest in psychology. Another is my passion for helping others, which intensified as I witnessed family members and friends struggle with their mental health. My whole life, all I've wanted to do is make things better for everyone and everything; I was the kid saving baby mice and birds, reading to elderly hospital residents, and volunteering at the local animal shelter. There's nothing that fills my cup more than seeing people live authentically and cultivate the lives they want to live.

A lesson I've carried from my personal life

Something I try to live by is that everyone is carrying something you can't see. The man that cut you off might be racing to the hospital for his child's birth. The lady that got snappy with the retail clerk might have just lost her beloved pet. The coworker who gave you the cold shoulder may have just received a devastating diagnosis. You never know what someone is silently dealing with, and therefore, I do my best to approach each day with unconditional compassion.

Before becoming a therapist

I worked as a mental health aid within Alberta Health Services at the Red Deer Hospitals youth psychiatric unit, at a protective safehouse (court-mandated youth detox facility), and at a 3-month residential treatment facility. Although I was not providing individual therapy, I was facilitating groups, providing emotional support, and other mental health services.

Personality & Connection

For fun

In my spare time, I am quite active; I boulder (rock climb), go to the gym, do yoga, take my dog on walks and excursions, hike and kayak in the summers. I also love to read, paint and do crafts, I love jigsaw puzzles and playing board/card games, and spending time with my 2 cats (Amelia & Quinn) and dog (Sadie).

A hobby or passion that grounds me is

Hiking and being in nature. There is something so deeply healing about being away from civilization and in the mountains and trees. Hiking has gotten me though some of the toughest times in my life. There's nothing better than summiting a mountain and reveling in the sense of accomplishment and otherworldly views.

Something surprising about me is

I am an avid Xbox player and spend most evenings gaming. I love RPGs (Skyrim, Baldur's Gate 3, Mass Effect), Puzzle games (Backrooms, Unravel, Escape Rooms), Shooters (Gears of War, Borderlands, Warhammer 40,000 games) and Action/Adventure (Tomb Raider, DeadSpace, HellBlade).

Another surprising thing about me is

My favourite music genre is Metalcore, with bands like Bad Omens, Sleep Token, Ice Nine Kills, Thousand Below, Make Them Suffer.

If I weren't a therapist

I would probably run an animal shelter, rescue, or sanctuary, or perhaps a dog training facility. Anywhere I could work with animals and give them all my love!

Therapy Style & Client Experience

People like working with me because...

I meet them where they are and build trust through genuine curiosity, compassion, and respect. Clients can feel comfortable being themselves, knowing that there will never be any judgement in the room. You can laugh, cry, swear, and let your authentic self shine in sessions with me. I care deeply about the people I work with, and I've been told by clients in the past that they have truly felt heard, seen, and understood.

What I hope clients walk away with

There are so many things I wish for my clients! I hope that I can help clients gain a deeper understanding of themselves, greater confidence, stronger emotional awareness, and a clear path toward the life they want to create. I want my clients to leave sessions with reassurance that meaningful change is possible, along with the tools and insight to make it happen. I aim for clients to make lasting changes, not just get temporary relief, that help them build healthier relationships, manage stress, and live in alignment with their values.

A transformation I love to witness...

Any change that improves someone's quality of life! I love seeing people shift from merely surviving to genuinely thriving. Watching clients discover that they are more capable, resilient, and resourceful than they believed is such an amazing thing to witness. I aim to celebrate the small wins just as much as the huge leaps forward.

Passions, Inspirations & Favorites

Three things I'm currently obsessed with are...

• Bouldering: It's super fun, an amazing work out, and includes some problem-solving and mental gymnastics!
• Book Nooks: I LOVE LOVE LOVE building things. So, getting to basically build the world's cutest 3D puzzle that you can put on a bookshelf is like the best thing I've ever experienced.
• Paint-by-numbers: I love painting, but it's often a big commitment - having to get out all the paints, the palette, canvas, brushes... then painting itself takes a couple hours, then the clean up afterwards. Often, I don't have the time for it, which is why I have been loving paint-by-numbers! All the paints are in their pots, just open and close the lids, you don't feel pressured to complete the whole painting in one sitting cause it's all mapped out, and there's barely any clean up!

An unexpected source of inspiration in my life is...

Nature. Spending time outdoors reminds me that growth is rarely linear and that every season serves a purpose. Just as nature cycles through periods of growth, change, rest, and renewal, we also experience moments of challenge, uncertainty, and transformation. Nature encourages me to slow down, embrace the present, and trust that meaningful growth often happens gradually rather than all at once.

The most impactful book I've read is...

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen. What resonated most was the idea that healing doesn't happen overnight; it comes through self-reflection, accountability, connection, and the willingness to change. The story reminded me that even people who have experienced pain or made difficult choices have the capacity to grow. It continues to shape the way I think about resilience, compassion, and the importance of looking beyond someone's behavior to understand their story.

Clinical Interests & Specialties

Clinical: ASD and ADHD

Autism and ADHD, especially in adult women and people of colour, is still largely understudied and misunderstood, as they are often better at masking and are able to pass as neurotypical. I have found intense interest in neurodivergence as a clinician; my training, along with my personal experiences as a neurodiverse woman, give me insight into this population.

Non-clinical

Many of life's greatest challenges don't fit neatly into a diagnosis, yet they profoundly influence mental health, confidence, and overall quality of life. Things like burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, work and academic pressure, low self-esteem, and family/relational conflict are all concerns I enjoy working with. The ShiftGrit Core Method can address the root causes of these patterns (and more!) and help clients break free from the exhausting cycles they're currently stuck in.

Clinical Methods & Orientations

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

CBT is based on the premise that thoughts, emotions, and behaviours are interconnected, and that distorted or unhelpful thinking patterns contribute to psychological distress. Essentially, if you can change the way you think and behave, you can change the way you feel. CBT is helpful for the thoughts and behaviours that are in the cognitive mind, the ones you already notice. ShiftGrit's Core Method bridges the gap by going deeper to uncover and recondition the patterns that lie beneath the surface.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

DBT combines acceptance-oriented and change-oriented strategies to help people regulate intense emotions and reduce harmful behaviours. It includes mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills. DBT is great for giving clients practical tools for dealing with intense emotions and interpersonal skills for building better relationships. ShiftGrit's Core Method gets to the root cause of those intense emotions and harmful behaviours, so someone may want to practice DBT skills between sessions, but the real long-term change is going to come from resolving the underlying limiting beliefs.

Growth & Professional Development

How I stay current in psychology research...

Psychology is one of those fields where you never stop learning; there is always new research emerging! Lifelong learning is an important part of my practice. I stay informed through reading up on new literature, attending professional training, clinical consultation, and ongoing professional development.

An area of growth I'm focused on now...

Assessment! I have a passion for assessment and am focused on growing my assessment skills. I am competent in psycho-educational and ADHD assessments for children and teens and am working on expanding my competency to include social-emotional, personality, and psychodiagnostics assessments, as well as Adult ADHD assessments.

My biggest learning from supervision is...

That it's okay not to have all the answers. As a psychologist, it can be easy to feel pressured to be the expert who has to know everything all the time. But I'm also human, and I've learned over the years that, "I don't know, but I'm willing to find out" is a perfectly acceptable answer.

Free Form

I like to think of therapy like hiking a mountain trail. Sometimes the path is clear, and other times it's steep, winding, or hidden by fog. My role isn't to carry someone to the top or tell them which direction to take. It's to walk alongside them, helping them notice their strengths, navigate obstacles, and trust that they can keep moving forward, one step at a time.