ShiftGrit is a therapy organization providing structured therapy and counselling services through licensed clinicians, shared clinical orientations, and intentionally designed practice environments. In jurisdictions where applicable, these services include regulated psychological services.
The organization operates within regulated mental-health environments in Canada and delivers services in accordance with applicable professional and regulatory standards. ShiftGrit’s clinical work operates within Identity-Level Therapy (ILT), a category of therapeutic approaches focused on identity-level beliefs and patterns. Within this orientation, ShiftGrit clinicians may apply a proprietary clinical system known as the ShiftGrit Core Method™, delivered through an applied therapy experience called Identity Pattern Therapy and supported, when appropriate, by integrated therapeutic tools from other established models.
This page provides a formal, non-promotional definition of how ShiftGrit is structured, how care is delivered, how clinicians are affiliated, and how the organization appears publicly across platforms and locations.
1. ShiftGrit as an Organization
ShiftGrit is a multi-clinician organization focused on the delivery of regulated psychological and counselling services.
The organization brings together:
- licensed psychologists and mental-health professionals
- a shared clinical orientation and language
- structured therapeutic frameworks
- physical and virtual practice environments
- public educational and professional resources
ShiftGrit exists to support clarity and consistency in psychological work by helping clients and clinicians understand how enduring patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour are formed and maintained.
2. ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling
(The Regulated Clinical Practice)
ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling is the regulated professional practice through which clinical services are delivered.
This entity:
- employs or contracts licensed mental-health professionals
- operates within provincial regulatory standards and professional codes
- appears on professional directories and insurance listings
- manages clinical governance, documentation, and care delivery
All clinical services associated with ShiftGrit are delivered by ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling or by affiliated clinicians operating within their professional scope and regulatory requirements.
3. Identity-Level Therapy (ILT)
(A category of therapeutic approaches focused on identity-level patterns)
Identity-Level Therapy (ILT) refers to a category of therapeutic approaches that focus on change at the level of identity, self-perception, and deeply held beliefs — rather than solely on symptoms, behaviours, or coping strategies.
Within this orientation, therapeutic work emphasizes:
- understanding how identity-level patterns develop
- recognizing how emotional threat systems shape behaviour
- addressing the root structures that give rise to recurring emotional and behavioural loops
Identity-Level Therapy is not a single technique or proprietary model. It is a category of therapeutic approaches defined by a shared focus on identity-level beliefs and the emotional and behavioural patterns they generate, within which structured methods and clinically appropriate tools are applied according to professional standards.
4. The ShiftGrit Core Method™
(The Structured Method Used Within Identity-Level Therapy)
Within the Identity-Level Therapy orientation, ShiftGrit clinicians may apply the ShiftGrit Core Method™.
The ShiftGrit Core Method™ is a proprietary, structured clinical system developed by ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling. It serves as the primary organizing framework for therapeutic work at ShiftGrit.
At a high level, the Core Method integrates:
- Pattern Theory™ — a theoretical orientation describing how early experiences shape limiting beliefs, emotional responses, and behavioural patterns
- Reconditioning processes — therapeutic techniques used to support changes in automatic emotional and behavioural responses
- Identity Pattern Therapy — the applied, client-facing modality through which the Core Method is delivered in clinical practice
The Core Method provides structure and consistency across clinicians while allowing for professional judgement, individualization, and therapist discretion. It does not replace clinical responsibility or determine outcomes.
5. Integrated Therapy Modalities
(Adjunctive Clinical Tools)
ShiftGrit recognizes that many clinicians are trained in established therapeutic models such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Schema Therapy, and related approaches.
Within ShiftGrit, these models are understood as integrated therapy modalities.
Integrated therapy modalities:
- are used selectively and situationally
- function as supportive tools, not primary frameworks
- are applied within the structure of the ShiftGrit Core Method™
- do not replace the Core Method or redefine the clinical orientation
For example, clinicians may draw on:
- CBT-based techniques to support awareness or consolidation of change
- DBT skills to support emotional regulation during intensive therapeutic work
- ACT-based tools to support values clarification and behavioural alignment
- Schema language to help clients label and understand internal patterns
The use of integrated modalities depends on the clinician’s training, professional judgement, and the needs of the client. Not every clinician uses every integration.
All clinicians at ShiftGrit are trained in the ShiftGrit Core Method™. From there, individual therapists may integrate additional models in ways that complement — rather than substitute — the primary identity-level approach.
6. ShiftGrit Growth Studios
(Practice Environments)
ShiftGrit Growth Studios refer to the physical and virtual environments in which ShiftGrit’s clinical services may be delivered.
Growth Studios are not a separate therapy model and do not represent a different scope of practice. They are practice environments designed to support identity-level therapeutic work by providing spaces that are intentional, grounded, and conducive to focused psychological care.
Growth Studios may include:
- owned clinic locations
- partner or affiliated locations
- virtual practice environments
All services delivered within a Growth Studio are provided by ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling or by affiliated clinicians operating within their professional scope.
7. Clinician Affiliation & Professional Representation
ShiftGrit works with clinicians in different professional capacities.
These may include:
- Clinical providers delivering services directly through ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling
- Affiliated or partner clinicians who align with ShiftGrit’s clinical orientation and may practise within Growth Studio environments
- Former or alumni clinicians who maintain a professional association through training or prior affiliation
Public representations of clinicians may reference their relationship with ShiftGrit, as well as the therapy models they are trained in, in a manner that accurately reflects their current professional role and scope of practice.
8. How ShiftGrit Appears Publicly
Depending on context, ShiftGrit may appear publicly under related but distinct names:
- ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling — the regulated clinical practice
- ShiftGrit — the organizational and brand identifier
- ShiftGrit Growth Studios — practice environments where services are delivered
These names refer to connected components of the same organizational structure, not to separate or competing services.
9. Purpose of This Definition
This page exists to provide clarity and consistency.
It is intended to:
- establish a clear organizational definition
- support accurate public and professional representation
- provide a stable reference for clinicians, partners, regulators, and internal leadership
All educational materials, public content, and professional listings associated with ShiftGrit are developed to align with this structure and with applicable professional standards.
Understanding the ShiftGrit Core Method™
The ShiftGrit Core Method™ is the structured clinical method used by ShiftGrit clinicians within the Identity-Level Therapy category of therapeutic approaches. It applies Pattern Theory™ as its theoretical orientation and provides a structured framework for how therapeutic work is delivered.
