Perinatal & Postpartum Specialist
Claire
Granson MC
Registered Provisional Psychologist in Calgary · Pregnancy, postpartum & early parenthood · In person & online
Support for pregnancy, postpartum and early parenthood, from someone who has lived it too.
01 · About Claire
She knows this season from the inside.
Claire knows what it’s like to struggle during a time when everything is “supposed” to be perfect, because she’s lived it herself.
As both a therapist and a mother, she brings clinical training and deep personal understanding to her work with expecting and new parents. She specializes in the mental health challenges that show up during pregnancy, postpartum and early parenthood: the ones that often go unspoken, but are never unfelt.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Yes, that’s exactly how I feel,” take a breath. You’re not alone, and you don’t have to hold it all by yourself.
Expecting parents
Anxiety or low mood in pregnancy, worry that feels bigger than it should, and the pressure to feel nothing but excited. Prenatal counselling
New parents
Postpartum anxiety or depression, exhaustion, and the gap between how you expected to feel and how you actually feel. Perinatal counselling
After birth trauma or loss
Grieving the birth experience you didn’t get, or a loss that others may not fully see or understand.
Relationship changes
Relationship strain at the very moment you need each other most, and the identity shifts that come with becoming a family. Claire works with you individually, and if couples counselling would help, one of our couples therapists can work with you both.
02 · The approach
Claire’s approach to therapy
You don’t need someone to tell you it gets easier. You need someone who can help with what you’re going through today.
Steady and judgment free
A safe space where you can finally exhale and make sense of what you’re going through. Asking for help when everything looks fine from the outside is hard, and Claire will hold space for all of it.
Emotionally Focused Therapy
Understanding the emotions and attachment needs underneath what you’re feeling, including how this season is affecting your closest relationships.
CBT and DBT
Practical, well-researched tools for anxious thoughts, low mood and overwhelming emotions, so you have something to lean on between sessions. More on CBT
Polyvagal theory
Working with your nervous system, not against it, to understand why your body reacts the way it does and help it settle.
Family systems
Looking at how a new baby reshapes roles, relationships and family patterns, and finding your footing within them.
03 · What Claire helps with
For the parts of this season that often go unspoken.
- ANXIETY & DEPRESSION
Anxiety that feels sharper, more intrusive and harder to shake in pregnancy or postpartum, or a low mood that doesn’t lift.
- BIRTH TRAUMA & LOSS
Making room to grieve a birth experience that didn’t go the way you hoped, or a perinatal loss.
- INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS
Thoughts that feel scary or shameful and that you’re afraid to say out loud. Here, you can say them without judgment.
- IDENTITY SHIFTS
Feeling disconnected from your body, your baby or yourself as you step into parenthood.
- RELATIONSHIP STRAIN
When you and your partner need each other most and connecting feels hardest. Claire supports you individually, and if working together would help, one of our couples therapists can see you both.
- EXPECTATION VS. REALITY
Carrying guilt about not feeling the “right” way, or wondering if asking for help means you’re not cut out for this.
- FINE ON THE OUTSIDE
Doing everything “right” and holding it together for everyone, while quietly unravelling inside.
04 · Beyond the office
Squash, cycling and family adventures.
Outside of her practice, Claire finds her own grounding through squash, cycling and getting outside with her family.
She brings that same commitment to presence, joy and balance to her work, because she knows firsthand that thriving through this season takes support, not perfection.
05 · Common questions
What parents ask before booking with Claire.
When should I reach out for support during pregnancy or after birth?
Any time something doesn’t feel right is a good time. You don’t need to wait until you’re in crisis. Many parents reach out because anxiety feels sharper than expected, their mood hasn’t lifted, the birth was harder than they imagined, or they simply feel unlike themselves. Support during this season can make a real difference. Learn more about perinatal counselling.
I’m having scary, intrusive thoughts. Is that normal?
Unwanted, frightening thoughts are a common and well-documented part of perinatal anxiety, and having them doesn’t mean you want to act on them. They can feel shameful, which is why so many parents keep them to themselves. Claire offers a calm, non-judgmental space to talk about them and find relief. If you’re ever worried about your safety or your baby’s, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.
Can I see Claire in person or online?
Both. Claire sees clients in person at our Marda Loop office in Calgary, and online by secure video anywhere in Alberta. Online sessions can be especially helpful in the early weeks with a new baby. Learn more about online counselling at Core.
What is the difference between a Registered Provisional Psychologist and a Registered Psychologist in Alberta?
A Registered Provisional Psychologist holds a graduate degree and is registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). “Provisional” is a structured regulatory stage, not a sign of limited skill. Provisional psychologists practise within a supervision framework set by CAP and are held to the same ethical and professional standards as fully registered psychologists. You can confirm anyone’s registration on the CAP public directory.
Does extended health insurance cover sessions with Claire?
Many Alberta benefit plans include psychological services, though details vary by plan. Some cover Registered Provisional Psychologists while others need a specific designation, so it’s worth checking with your provider. You’ll receive a detailed receipt after each session to submit for reimbursement. See our fees page for more.
You don’t have to do this alone.
If the reality of this season doesn’t match what you expected, Claire would be honoured to walk alongside you. If you’d like, start with a complimentary 15-minute phone consult, with no commitment.
New to therapy? Our Welcome Guide walks you through what to expect, and our fees page covers session rates and insurance. You can also meet the rest of the team.
Call or text 403.488.8912 · info@corepsychology.com
Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm · Saturday, 9am to 3pm
Curious about what it would be like to work with Claire?
Book a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation.