Founding DirecTor

Over her career, Lois has developed a therapeutic model based on 3 lines of important research: outcomes in psychodynamic psychotherapy, attachment theory, and current research in brain development and affective neuroscience. Bringing these three research areas together has resulted in new ways of delivering therapy to adolescent girls and young women.

At Juno House, therapy is provided by applying attachment theory as the primary assessment tool in understanding the girl’s basic capacity for emotional health. Disrupted secure attachment bonds at critical phases of a child’s development are seen as the cause of problematic self- regulation of their emotional states.

Lois works with adolescent girls and young women to help them learn to ‘regulate their emotions.’ This includes working with girls experiencing anxiety-based issues of eating disorders, self harm, and obsessive behaviours. Lois’ playful and highly relational approach to therapy is warmly received by girls looking for this connection and honesty.

Lois completed her Master in Social Work at the University of Calgary in 1990, and has specialized in working with adolescent girls, young women and their families since then. Lois uses EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) training as a core treatment modality to help clients move through early developmental patterns. She is also trained and incorporates EFFT into her counselling practice.

Lois developed and taught a Feminist Practice graduate level course at the Clinical Social Work Program, U of C; a Women & Addictions course at Mount Royal College, and has taught several specialized week-long training programs for psychotherapists throughout North America in working with girls and self-harming behaviour through the American Association of Suicidology.

Lois Sapsford
403 209-0997
lois@junohouse.ca