Dr. Charlene J. Barva is a Registered Psychologist (and Certified Educator) with more than 24 years of clinical experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families. 

Dr. Barva earned her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Clinical, School & Community Psychology from the University of Calgary in 2005, and has also attained Master of Science (1998, University of Calgary), Bachelor of Education (1990, University of Lethbridge), and Bachelor of Arts (1984, University of Alberta) degrees.

Dr. Barva has worked in public, clinical, and private educational settings providing assessment (cognitive and social-emotional testing), consultation, and remedial intervention to children, adolescents, and adults in the areas of Specific Learning Disorders, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Intellectual Disabilities, Giftedness, and Mood Disorders, to name a few. She has been, and is still, actively involved in the training and supervision of graduate students in the provision of psycho-educational services in a school-based setting, bringing to this work a background rich in diverse, and multicultural educational issues.

In addition to assessment, her training also includes providing mental health services for children and adolescents in a large public school system in Western Canada with a wide range of mental health issues including anxiety and panic disorders, depression and other mood disorders, trauma and PTSD, attention deficit disorders, anger management, identity transformation, self-esteem issues, and eating disorders. Dr. Barva uses a strength-based neuroscience-driven approach, one that provides assistance and guidance, while focusing on the resources, strength, and problem-solving potentials of both the individual and the family. She believes that change is possible for every child and family with hope, belief, and consistent purposeful micro actions. She also believes that therapy can take a lot of work, but that the work is worth it.

Dr. Barva has served on various professional committees and Boards, has presented at a number of conferences locally, nationally and internationally. She is a member of the College of Psychologists of BC, the College of Alberta Psychologists Association, and the Canadian Psychological Association. When she is not working, you can find her outdoors in nature enjoying sports like running, hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and skiing; reading; and/or hanging out with her significant other and beloved two furry companions, Ryeli and Jaspr.