Jenae White

What is your name?

I’m Jenae. People describe me as warm, gentle, enthusiastic, and approachable, but I can also be very direct to help you move towards your goals faster. As your therapist, I strategically integrate therapeutic models and interventions, including the Shift protocol, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based interventions. With professional backgrounds in yoga, fitness, finance, consulting, and culinary nutrition, I bring a practical and holistic perspective to therapy. I love helping people access the skills, confidence, and resources they need to overcome their struggles. If you're ready to take the next step, I’m here to help you get ‘unstuck’ so that you can live your values and enjoy your full potential!

What do you do at Shift?

As a Registered Provisional Psychologist, I support clients with both clinical concerns and life optimization goals – Common examples are depressed mood, emotion regulation, anxiety, procrastination, coping skills, interpersonal challenges, life transitions, perfectionism, feelings of unworthiness, and other intrusive thoughts. I help by eliminating limiting beliefs and avoidance behaviours, developing values clarity, and expanding upon your strengths and skills to create lasting behavioural changes and improvements in well-being.

What are your academic credentials?

I hold a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University (2023) and have completed additional coursework in behavioral psychology and career development at Athabasca University (2024). I also bring an eclectic body of knowledge and experiences from obtaining a Bachelor of Business Administration with minors in Small Business & Entrepreneurship and Marketing from Mount Royal University (2013), a Certified Holistic Nutrition Diploma from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition (2010), and several yoga and yoga nidra certifications (2013–2018). My background reflects my belief that growth is not always a linear path.

Why did you decide to become a therapist?

My fascination with human motivations and behaviors led me to pursue this career. A combination of reading, observing others, and going through my own challenges highlighted how good therapy can make a world of difference. Having experienced both helpful and unhelpful therapy, I am determined to develop strong therapeutic relationships and clear, intentional plans that *actually* help people reach their goals. I believe trust is the foundation for meaningful work, and I’m committed to exploring your challenges, strengths, and worldview through a lens of empathy, and non-judgment.

What do you bring to your therapy sessions, and what are some goals?

I try to bring curiosity, enthusiasm, and intentionality to all aspects of life, including our sessions. In addition to the Shift Protocol, my approach often includes values clarity, increasing your capacity for contact with the present moment, communication strategies, and strategies to be less controlled by impulses or negative thoughts.

Some goals include:

• Creating a safe environment where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
• Teaching you to regulate your nervous system.
• Removing the limiting beliefs holding you back from living your values.
• Developing Cognitive Flexibility.
• Developing practical strategies for managing challenges, achieving personal goals, and implementing behaviour changes.
• Expanding upon your strengths and CELEBRATING your wins.

Who do you work with?

I work with adults (ages 18+). Common issues are anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship challenges. I’m especially skilled at helping with issues that relate to boundaries, self-worth, and/or values clarity.

Why are you passionate about what you do?

Mental health is not just a personal matter— it is an important social issue. Supporting people in their mental health journeys allows me to contribute to a healthier society where people feel more confident, fulfilled, emotionally regulated, and aligned with their values. I'm perpetually in awe of the resilience of humans and their ability to heal from adversity, which fuels my commitment to my work. People are often have more wisdom, courage, and resiliency than they give themselves credit for.

What do you do in your spare time?

I enjoy hiking, biking, backpacking, fitness classes, and rock climbing as ways to incorporate movement, mastery, and socializing. I also use yoga to regulate my nervous system and move in a more gentle way. When I’m at home, I relax with reading (mostly psychology and memoirs) and cooking, but I also love getting out to galleries, theatre, dance performances, the opera, and local restaurants. I’m a firm believer in hobbies and social connection as essential supportive factors in mental health.

What is a skill that you are currently working on?

Personally, I am trying to level up a climbing grade...progress is slow, but the process is rewarding. Professionally, I am enhancing my skills in trauma-informed care to better support clients with complex trauma and PTSD. Additionally, I am working through a Sexualities, Genders, and Narrative practice course through the Dulwich Centre, to expand my understanding of diverse experiences.

What motivates or inspires you?

I am inspired by movement, nature, social connection, art, and witnessing the resilience and growth of my clients, and humans in general.

Hiking and climbing maintain my connection to the importance of perseverance through both physical and mental challenges, and being in the mountains offers unparalleled clarity. I'm also very inspired by watching dance and circus arts... I perceive such refined movement as evidence that practice, commitment, and collaboration can heed astounding results in many areas of life.

What are your additional areas of clinical interest?

I'm drawn to mindfulness-based interventions, yoga nidra, the role of movement in trauma recovery, and habit change strategies. I’m also passionate about financial literacy and values-based action in all areas of life.

Additional Qualifications

I am trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Narrative Therapy (NT). I am also a Registered Provisional Psychologist with The College of Alberta Psychologists. Some of my trainings include:

• ACT for ADHD | Russ Harris, Psychwire (2024)
• Narrative Therapy: Foundations 2 | Vancouver School of Narrative Therapy (2023)
• Narrative Therapy: Foundations 1 | Vancouver School of Narrative Therapy (2023)
• ACT for Beginners 16-week certificate | Russ Harris, Psychwire (2023)
• Crisis Training | Distress Centre Calgary (2020)
• Motivational Interviewing | Canadian Training Institute (2017)
• A variety of Yoga and Yoga Nidra Trainings

Do you have any lived or personal experiences that can be utilized in therapy with you?

Outside of counselling settings, I’ve used Motivational Interviewing and group facilitation to help participants achieve healthy eating and physical activity goals. As a Yoga Instructor, Spin Motivator, and culinary nutrition educator, I also supported well-being and behavior change, and my work with a financial advisory group gave me insight into the stressors people face during financial decisions and life transitions, (and how to get through it).

Responding to my own life challenges with mindfulness practices like yoga, yoga nidra, and meditation, have increased my personal levels of self-awareness, clarity, and emotional regulation, and shaped my therapeutic approach. I like to joke that I’ve done a lot of "field work" to build my resilience and empathy.

What's one podcast that you like and why?

I’m a big fan of 'Ologies' with Allie Ward. While the topics are diverse, she often dives into mental health themes that resonate with me as a therapist. What I love most is her well-researched, yet lighthearted approach, which mirrors my philosophy of balancing structure and knowledge with a strong dose of humor.

What's one book that you like and why?

My favorite book is Educated (Tara Westover, 2018) because it dives into processes of self-discovery, resilience, and challenging family beliefs to reshape one’s sense of identity… but in a well-written memoir format that can be enjoyed as 'pleasure reading.' Man’s Search for Meaning (Viktor Frankl, 1946) is also a great read for contextualizing human suffering as a source of meaning.

What's one quote that you like and why?

“Acknowledge your pain, respond with kindness” – Russ Harris, The Happiness Trap

This quote provides a clear, actionable approach to dealing with difficult emotions. I like it because it combines the acceptance of reality, the use of self-compassion, and a call to action all in one statement.

Available for:

Anxiety-related symptoms (GAD, Phobia, Panic, Social, etc.) | BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) | Depression | Exposure Therapy | Inter-generational trauma | Grief and Loss | Building boundaries | Attachment concerns | PTSD | Self Esteem | Stress and Burnout | Boundary Adherence | Life Changes | Grief | Stress & Burnout | and much more...