Counselling for moms in Leduc, Alberta and online across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario
The pressure to be a
"good" mom is exhausting.
Mom-guilt therapy and expressive arts counselling for overwhelmed millennial moms carrying the mental load of motherhood. Feel lighter, calmer, and more like yourself again.
Yes, this is eligible for benefit coverage, too!
Not in AB, SK or ON, Canada? Let's get you where you need to be!
You care deeply about being a good mom.
Of course you do. This is deeply important and you take it seriously.
You love your kids fiercely, and you're trying really hard to keep your sh*t together… but you haven't felt like yourself in a while. Maybe a long while.
You're doing everything. The school stuff, the appointment stuff, the "did anyone eat a vegetable today" stuff.
You're keeping it together-ish on the outside while replaying the highlight reel of the moments you lost your patience, felt overstimulated, underappreciated, or just wanted five minutes to yourself.
And somewhere in the middle of all that, you started wondering: "Is this just motherhood?" "Do other moms feel this way, too?" "Why can't I just chill the f*ck out?"
You are not the problem.
You're carrying too much, for too long, with too little support.
Who I work with
I work with moms who are tired of holding it together and ready to navigate the highs and lows of motherhood differently.
Moms who love their families deeply, but miss themselves.
If you've ever thought "I can never just chill the f*ck out" — genuinely, word for word — you're probably my person.
Moms who are:
• Carrying the crushing mental load (the school stuff, the appointment stuff, the vegetable stuff)
• Drowning in mom guilt, burnout, rage, or overstimulation (feeling a little crispy) • Anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck in overthinking loops (the 437 tabs that are always open)
• Trying to break cycles while parenting differently than they were parented • Navigating ADHD, postpartum anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or major identity shifts
• Exhausted by the pressure to be everything to everyone (and being over it)
Some of my clients are pregnant or postpartum. Some have toddlers. Some have teenagers. Some are empty nesters.
The age of your kids matters less than the support your body is clearly screaming out for.
How counselling sessions work
-
We'll talk about what's been feeling hard, what support you're looking for, and whether we're a good fit to work together.
-
Your first session gives us space to slow down and unpack what's been going on.
We might talk. We might use mindfulness, writing, visual art, or other expressive tools. We will absolutely follow your pace and get to know each other better.
No art experience required. Seriously.
-
After that, sessions are 60 or 90 minutes and scheduled weekly, bi-weekly, or as needed depending on your life, capacity, and support needs.
-
Kayla direct bills many major insurers through Telus eClaims for clients in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. See logos below.
See the FAQ below for fees, sliding scale, and payment options.
Expressive Art Therapy for Moms:
different on purpose.
This isn't traditional therapy - and that's intentional.
Because sometimes you don't need another hour analyzing your thoughts. Sometimes you need help getting out of survival mode (and out of your head, because you've been up there long enough) and back into yourself.
Expressive arts therapy combines conversation, mindfulness, creativity, nervous system awareness, and body-based tools to help you process emotions beyond words.
Especially for moms who: • Are pro overthinkers (with a gnarly inner critic) • Feel stuck in guilt and shame loops • Feel emotionally shut down or overstimulated • Can explain exactly why they're struggling but still don't feel better (you could write a five-paragraph essay about it, actually)
Our work together can help you:
• Slow down without completely falling apart
• Process hard emotions instead of numbing or avoiding them
• Reconnect with yourself in and outside the role of "mom"
• Build more self-trust and emotional regulation • Feel calmer, lighter, and more present in your life (maybe even enjoy this more… IMAGINE)
Maybe you've been on seven different therapy websites today
Most of them probably said something like "a warm, non-judgmental space to heal and thrive."
I know. I wrote those kinds of words once too.
What I want you to know is this: I have sat across from moms who were shaking under the weight of everything they were carrying.
Moms convinced they were failing. Moms terrified they were messing up their kids. Moms who hadn't said certain thoughts out loud to another human being before.
None of them were broken. Not one of them.
Most of them were just completely overloaded, emotionally dysregulated, and disconnected from themselves after years of surviving.
That's the work we do here.
Not becoming someone new… Feeling like yourself again.
Hi, I'm Kayla Huszar
(pronounced whoo-zar)
Mom-guilt therapist. ADHD mom of two. Registered Social Worker. Feminist.
I came to this work the same way a lot of moms do: completely overwhelmed and trying really hard to be good and hold it all together.
After my kids were born, I struggled with postpartum anxiety, intrusive thoughts, overstimulation, and the crushing pressure to be a "good" mom while quietly drowning under the pressure and mental load.
Traditional therapy didn't really help me (and I fired a therapist who kept suggesting I go to yoga). I could explain exactly why I felt guilty, analyze my patterns, understand my triggers - and still lose my sh*t over taco meat splattered on my brand new hoodie.
Expressive arts therapy helped me find the words for all the ways I felt like I was failing but still looking fine on the outside. And honestly? I was skeptical too. But expressive art therapy literally saved my life.
Creativity, mindfulness, and body-based tools helped me reconnect with myself again (and chill the F out).
I'm also an ADHD mom, a solo parent half the time while my husband works away, and someone who has had to learn the hard way that being a good mom stemmed from trying to be a good girl and being a whole person is more complicated than a 60-second reel can articulate.
I'm not above any of this. I'm in it too - just a little further down the road, with a few more tools in my backpack.
Credentials
Registered Social Worker (AB, SK & ON) | Trained in Body-Centered Expressive Art Therapy | Certified Fair Play Facilitator ® | Canadian Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health (CC-PMH) | ADHD Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP) Certification Course (in progress) | Professional "what-the-f-is-wrong-with-me" translator
Host of the Chill Like a Mother podcast | Featured on CBC The Current | Published in Maclean's ("My Misadventures in Gentle Parenting") | Author of The Postpartum Plan
-
If you want someone to hand you a coping skills worksheet and send you on your way, I'm probably not your person - and I'd rather tell you now than have you book a session and find out.
What I do is slower and a little weirder than that. We talk. We figure out what's actually going on (like the root cause), not just what's easiest to name. Sometimes that involves mindfulness, writing or drawing or other creative things… BUT I will never make you do it if you hate them.
You don't have to be artistic. You don't need to "be good" at creativity. And I will never force you to do anything that feels performative or simply icky. You don't have to have your thoughts organized before you get here. You just have to show up
If you're not ready today - that's totally ok.
I wonder what next week, next month, next year looks like for you. I'm curious what stays the same.
There's no shame here. It took me a long time of being stuck in the same f*cking cycle before I finally came across expressive arts therapy - and everything changed. And stayed changed.
Here's what starts to shift:
• You pause before reacting instead of snapping
• The guilt doesn't consume you the way it used to
• You feel more like yourself again (or at least closer to it)
• Hard moments feel more tolerable
I can't promise to remove all the hard, but I know with support the hard parts get easier.
answering your questions
-
The standard fee is $195/hour unless you tell me otherwise.
As a social worker, I care deeply about access. There's a difference between something being an investment - where you adjust your disposable income to make it work - and a hardship, where paying would mean choosing between this and rent or groceries.
The sliding scale is based on your annual household gross income. It runs on an honour system. You don't need to prove anything. The sliding scale applies to all clients - including those outside Canada.
Household Income
Up to $50,000 | Fee per hour $105
$51,000 - $75,000 | Fee per hour $125
$76,000 - $100,000 | Fee per hour $145
$101,000 - $150,000 | Fee per hour $195 - standard rate
$151,000 - $200,000 | Fee per hour $245
$201,000 - $300,000 | Fee per hour $295
$301,000+ | Fee per hour $395
If you're unsure which tier applies to you, check your last year's income tax.
If this is an investment for you - something you'd have to adjust your budget for, but you can - that's exactly what it's designed to be. If it would cause genuine hardship, let's talk.
-
It's not just glue sticks and paper (though it's exactly that). Research shows that art literally saves lives.
Here's the thing: people with depression experience nearly twice the improvement in symptoms if arts therapies are added to standard approaches like medication and psychotherapy. And regularly going to the theater, live music events, museums, and galleries could nearly halve your risk of developing depression over the next ten years.
As art researcher Daisy Fancourt writes in her book Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives:
"Is art good for us? Not in the vague sense of being positive and pleasant, but actually having tangible, meaningful effects on our health? It's a question that has bewitched some of the greatest thinkers in history."
It's natural to be skeptical about all this. But honestly? It's better experienced than explained. You can watch some of my art processes and pseudo-sessions here.
-
Reach out directly - by email or through the booking link on this page. We'll have a free 20-minute conversation to make sure I'm the right fit before you book anything.
-
Yes. Research consistently shows virtual support is as effective as in-person. It also means you can do this from your car in the driveway, your closet, the bathroom, the treadmill, a local park, or anywhere in the world.
-
Sessions are paid through Jane via credit card or direct billing at the time of your appointment. A receipt is provided after every session for insurance or tax purposes.
-
It's not a matter of if I get it wrong - it's when. When that happens, I'll name it, take responsibility for the harm caused, and do my own learning without making that your job. You don't need to manage my feelings about my mistakes.
-
Since the wellness industry can dance around everything without ever saying anything real - let me be direct: Black lives matter. Trans rights are human rights. Abortion is healthcare. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated here - including but not limited to racism, xenophobia, sexism, fatphobia, antisemitism, and classism. If that's not a fit for you, that's okay. This practice is not the right place.
-
Sick kiddo? Bad brain day? Life with kids is unpredictable and I get it. Last minute cancellations won't be charged a fee as long as we communicate and reschedule within a reasonable amount of time (like a week or so) - just shoot me a message when you know. If you routinely miss or late cancel our sessions and leave me wondering, we'll probably need to have a chat. But honestly? In 10+ years of practice, that's never happened.
-
A real conversation. I'll ask about what feels heaviest or hard right now, what you've already tried, and what you want to feel differently about. I'm direct - I won't spend the whole hour asking how that makes you feel. You don't need to prepare anything.
-
Only if it's relevant - and sometimes it is. But we start with what's happening right now.
-
Most people do at some point. If you're in-person I have tissues, if we are meeting virtually, it's best to have some on hand.
-
Yes. You don't have to be falling apart to deserve support. Many of my clients are functioning just fine on the outside - they're just exhausted and done with feeling this way.
-
Your friend loves you and wants you to feel better immediately. I'm not trying to make you feel better immediately - I'm guiding you to move forward in a way that feels confident, calm, and sustainable.
-
Many extended health plans cover Registered Social Worker services. For moms in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario - check your plan for RSW coverage and confirm with your provider before booking. Kayla direct bills to many major insurers via Telus eClaims, so you may not need to pay upfront at all. RSW services may also be claimable on your health spending account and as a medical expense on your Canadian income tax return - check with your accountant on that one.