Frequently Asked Questions

I generally respond to new client requests within 2 business days. If you are receiving individualized support from me, I respond to e-mails as soon as I am able to on Mondays – Saturdays.

Yes, I only see clients who live in Alberta, as this is a requirement of my psychology license.

If you live elsewhere and are seeking mental health support, please seek mental health care from a licensed professional in your jurisdiction. In North America, the following resources can be places to start:

• Government of Canada Mental Health Support (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html)

• Canadian Mental Health Association (https://cmha.ca/)

• Mental Health America (https://www.mhanational.org/finding-therapy)

I help children from birth through to elementary age. Issues we can work on together include changing how a child falls asleep to build more independence when assisting to sleep is no longer working for a family, bedtime struggles (e.g., fighting bedtime, anxiety around sleep, etc.), night wakings, nightmares, early morning wakings, and nap trouble (e.g., short or non-existent naps).

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When I say sleep training, I mean a behavioral intervention where parents respond to their child in a chosen way that supports the baby in falling asleep independently (on their own from wide awake). Parents are changing their response and being consistent in this new response, as in creating new and loving boundaries around sleep, while also tuning into their child and what they need. The child can express any feelings they have to this change, and the parent(s) can validate their feelings about these changes.

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For more on what sleep training is for The Merritts of Sleep, check out this blog.

In my opinion, “no cry” sleep training doesn’t exist! Sleep training is a response to crying. A really responsive sleep training method will mean as soon as baby cries at all, the parent responds in some way to try to stop the crying. But if there’s no crying with the sleep training process, babies don’t need help from parents in learning how to put themselves to sleep. They’re already doing it!

You get to decide if sleep training is right for you. You also get to decide how responsive and hands on you are in the process too. 

As far as the crying goes, it's so understandable to not want this for our babies. It helps me to remember that crying is a baby’s primary way of communicating. So they cry to have their needs met (e.g., hunger, pain, dirty diaper, etc.), but they also cry to express any of their upset feelings. If a baby doesn’t like something, they may cry to let us know.

Sleep training is change, and most people don’t like change – babies included! It’s okay that they don’t like everything we offer to them, even things we know are important for them, because all feelings are okay. When your baby is crying and you know their basic needs are met, they are feeling their feelings. Feeling and expressing feelings are key parts of learning to regulate those feelings, And you supporting them through that process of feeling their feelings is so helpful to them too!

If you would like to shift from bedsharing to having their baby in their own sleep space, I’d be glad to help! If your desire is to bedshare on a long-term basis, I would be glad to refer you to another sleep professional who works on this goal, as it is not my area of expertise.

Yes, because I am a Registered Psychologist in Alberta.

As a psychologist in Alberta, I am prohibited from collecting testimonials and am not to participate in online reviewing programs when possible. The intentions behind this guideline are in part to ensure people are receiving unbiased quality service (versus a professional just doing the work for a review) and to protect people’s privacy. I try to offer the very best service I can to every client I have.