Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Common early signs can be observed across wellness domains, such as: Physical: Persistent fatigue, muscle tension, headaches, changes in appetite Emotional: Intense emotions, irritability, distress and dysphoria Cognitive: Difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, brain fog, low sense of presence or awareness Functional: Sleep issues, procrastination and avoidance, difficulty completing tasks efficiently, struggling to decompress Social: Anxiety and irritability around others, interpersonal conflict, lapses in responsibilities to others, reduced presence with loved ones. Burnout often develops gradually, maintained by a Distress Cycle where chronic stress begins to erode your energy, mood, and ability to cope. Unlike general stress, which often feels like too much pressure, burnout eventually feels like not enough - not enough energy, motivation, or drive. Recognizing these signs early is critical. It allows you to interrupt the unhealthy patterns and build resilience to better handle stress, pain, and adversity. This enables personal growth and lasting wellness in health, work, and relationships.

If you have experienced a psychological injury (stress, trauma, bullying) at work, here is the recommended path to accessing support in Alberta: 1. Seek Medical Assessment and Documentation: Before anything else, see a doctor. You need a medical physician to assess and validate the impact of the injury and provide the necessary medical documentation. 2. File a WCB Alberta Claim: If the injury is work-related, file a claim directly with the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). Note: You do not need your employer’s permission to file a claim. It is your right to seek coverage for assessments, therapy, and wage replacement. 3. Report to Your Employer: Inform your supervisor, HR, or safety representative. This formally starts the process for identifying workplace accommodations or modified duties that will support your eventual return. 4. Access Immediate Care: Do not wait for a claim to be approved to seek help. Utilize Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or private therapy immediately to begin your recovery. If you're recognizing warning signs of work-related stress, it's best to get ahead of issues before they become severe. Use Your Health Benefits in Advance: Check with your insurer to verify what you have coverage for and how much. Mental Health Occupational Therapy (MHOT) services are often covered by workplace providers. Some of our MHOT team are also licensed counsellors, for which you may have additional coverage. How an OT Helps: Navigating this system is a functional task in itself. An OT supports you on both fronts: providing treatment for the mental, emotional and cognitive impacts, as well as functional support to navigate Return-to-Work preparation.

Recovery from a psychological injury - such as trauma, severe burnout, or a stress-related disorder - rarely looks like a straight line. Injury symptoms (anxiety, concentration, exhaustion) interfere with daily function (sleep, self care, work), which in turn worsens symptoms. Effective treatment and recovery involves understanding the interactions between your internal experiences and external situations. From there, we facilitate moving you through phases of healing in a deliberate and responsive way, while avoiding a negative feedback pattern. Common Barriers To Recovery Health complications and life issues still occur and can often stall progress. Anything that interferes or interrupts your recovery efforts can be frustrating and demoralizing. People often feel "stuck" despite their best efforts. Key barriers to be aware of include: Avoidance: Limiting or escaping stressful makes the stress response more sensitive and erodes confidence over time Exhaustion: Extended periods of low energy, fatigue, and inertia, typical after periods of overwork or extreme intense effort Cynicism: Negativity for roles and responsibilities, reduced sense of personal capability or purpose Dysfunction: Low engagement or impairment in self care, household tasks, work productivity, and other activities of daily living Dysregulation: Intense mind-body experiences of hyperarousal (overwhelm, urgency) or hypoarousal (shutdown, lethargy) Systemic Stress: Feeling unsupported in work difficulties or navigating complex insurance claims Effective Recovery: A 3-Phase Approach At Mindful Rehab, we move through three key phases to help you get your wellness back on track. Because recovery is non-linear, it's typical to move between these stages. Healing, recovery, and growth can be expected to shift as your symptoms decrease, function improves, and unexpected situations come up. Growth comes with experience, mastery builds with repetition. Prepare: Talk through difficulties to build understanding personal experiences with brain science. Understand your injury symptoms, what worsens or triggers them, learn internal regulation skills, and establish resilience practices. During the Prepare phase, we work to stabilize your wellness foundations. Approach: As new understandings and skills develop, we bring them forward into challenges. Bringing your effort into reality and pacing difficulty for your success allows your nervous systems healthily adjust, balance emotions, restore energy and focus, and regain functional abilities. During the Approach phase, we work to apply skills and strategies while improving daily function. Progress: As improvements consolidate, symptoms settle and function restores. You'll continue to improve with gradual challenge, returning to prior tasks and duties. With incremental challenges, step-by-step, you build the resilience to step back into your life and the confidence to take on future opportunities. During the Progress phase, we bring everything together towards resumed regular activities

Psychological injury rehabilitation is distinct from typical counselling because it is function-focused. This involves both internal processing to address your inner thoughts, feelings, and symptoms, in tandem with practical strategies to restore daily activity - moving you towards resilience that keeps your on healthy, sustainable track. The most effective rehab combines psychological, physiological, and activity sciences. For example, psychotherapy along with psychiatric medication and regular exercise is the most effective combined treatment for clinical depression and many other mental illnesses. Mental Health Occupational Therapy brings together these foundations to optimize progress and outcomes in many ways. 1. Evidence-Based Counselling & Psychotherapy: At Mindful Rehab, our clinical team is trained and experienced in modern approaches - CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), and PE (Prolonged Exposure), among others. These proven treatment modalities help navigate thoughts and feelings, align with values, approach challenges, and improve mental health. 2. Neuroscience Principles: Modern research demonstrates how the brain processes stress, pain, and emotions between regions, systems, and pathways. The current evidence validates the principles of modern psychotherapy and ancient mindfulness practices, demonstrating the role of the Prefrontal Cortex in emotion processing, cognitive processing, and Limbic System regulation. 3. Cognitive Rehabilitation: Psychological injuries are often associated with concentration and memory difficulties, poor focus, sensitivity to overstimulation, and brain fog. Cognitive rehabilitation strategies assist to retrain focus and executive function, improving attention and focus by gradually over time. 4. Behavior Activation: Dysfunction and and lack of activity, or low interest in activity, can contribute to mental health symptoms. Behavior activation strategies help to gradually regain functional tolerance and increase important or meaningful activity. Occupational Therapists also incorporate sensory preferences, activity analysis, and environment modification strategies to help you function at your best. 5. Being Deliberate: Intentional presence, focus, and awareness - often referred to as Mindfulness - will reinforce your efforts in personal, relational, and professional domains. Moving from the default mode, autopilot or instinctive way of being, to deliberate supports healthy regulation, limits unhelpful coping (like working harder, people pleasing, or shutting down), and enables progress through challenges. Instead of jumping right into the deep end, we create a step-by-step plan and slowly reintroduce challenge in a controlled way, allowing your confidence to grow with each success. 6. Practical Strategies: Being at your best means effective self-management. Skills, tools, and setups all can be tailored to your strengths and preferences to make the abstract, psychological strategies highly effective in your work demands, personal pursuits, key relationships, and daily life. We want to be strategic and practical to avoid the pitfalls of unhelpful coping mechanisms (like working harder, people pleasing, or shutting down).

To begin your claim and access specialist treatment, you must follow three essential reporting steps. In Alberta, mental health injuries (including those caused by a single traumatic event or chronic stress like bullying) are covered by the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) Alberta. 1. Report the Injury to Your Employer Tell your supervisor or HR department about the injury as soon as you are aware of it. By law, employers must report the injury to WCB within 72 hours if you require treatment beyond first aid or miss time from work. 2. Seek Medical Attention Immediately Visit a family doctor, a walk-in clinic, or an Occupational Injury Service (OIS) clinic. The Diagnosis: To accept a claim, WCB requires a formal diagnosis based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The Medical Report: Tell the doctor your symptoms are work-related. They are required to submit a Physician’s First Report to WCB within 48 hours. 3. File Your Worker's Report with your Insurer or WCB-Alberta You must personally report the injury to WCB to start your claim. The fastest way is through the myWCB mobile app or the WCB-Alberta website. If your injury developed over time (e.g., chronic stress), you may also need to complete the Progressive Injury Questionnaire. 4. How do I get referred to Mindful Rehab Once your claim is initiated, you don't have to wait for "final approval" to begin seeking specialized help. Here is how to ensure you are referred to us: Request Us Specifically: You have the right to choose your treatment provider. Tell your Case Manager or Adjudicator that you would like to receive treatment through Mindful Rehab. Physician Referral: Ask your family doctor to note "Referral to Mindful Rehab for specialized mental health rehabilitation" on their medical reports. Functional Assessment: If you are struggling with daily tasks or "brain fog," request a Cognitive Assessment or Functional Evaluation specifically through our clinic's Mental Health Occupational Therapists. Mindful Rehab works directly with WCB and insurance providers to streamline these authorizations, ensuring your treatment costs are covered so you can focus entirely on your recovery.

When a mental health leave is not caused by a workplace injury (non-occupational), the process shifts from WCB to your employer’s internal benefits and federal supports. In Alberta, you are protected by the Employment Standards Code and the Alberta Human Rights Act. Here is how to navigate a private mental health leave and connect with Mindful Rehab. How do I start a mental health leave in Alberta? If your leave is due to personal illness, burnout, or a non-work-related diagnosis, follow these steps to secure your income and your job. 1. Review Your Benefits & Coverage Before taking leave, identify how you will be paid. Most Albertans use one of the following: Short-Term Disability (STD) / Long-Term Disability (LTD): Private insurance through your employer (e.g., Sun Life, Canada Life). EI Sickness Benefits: A federal program providing up to 26 weeks of financial support if you don’t have private insurance. Paid Sick Leave: Accrued days provided by your employment contract. 2. Obtain Medical Documents You must visit a doctor or nurse practitioner to confirm you are "medically unable to work." What the note needs: The start date and estimated length of the leave. Privacy Rights: Under the Alberta Human Rights Act, you do not have to disclose your specific diagnosis (e.g., "Major Depressive Disorder") to your employer—only your functional limitations and the need for leave. 3. Formalize Your Leave In Alberta, if you have worked for the same employer for at least 90 days, you are eligible for Long-Term Illness and Injury Leave. This provides up to 16 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. The Process: Provide your employer with written notice and your medical certificate as soon as possible. 4. How do I get referred to Mindful Rehab? Since this is not a work-related WCB claim, the referral process is often faster and more flexible. Step 1: The Specialist Recommendation Ask your family doctor to specifically refer you to Mindful Rehab for "Mental Health Rehabilitation" or "Occupational Therapy for Return-to-Work." Insurance providers often prioritize claims that include a structured rehabilitation plan. Step 2: Insurance Approval If you are on STD or LTD, your Insurance Case Manager is your main contact. Tell them you wish to work with Mindful Rehab to facilitate a "Gradual Return to Work" (GRTW). Most insurers prefer proactive rehab as it increases the success rate of the return. Step 3: Direct Self-Referral You don't always need to wait for insurance. You can reach out to us directly to start private therapy or an assessment. We can then provide the clinical documentation your insurance company needs to justify your ongoing benefits. Why Mindful Rehab for private leave? Unlike general counseling, we focus on functional recovery. We help you manage the mental (self talk, flexibility, resilience), emotional (anxiety, depression, anger) and cognitive symptoms (concentration, memory, stamina) that specifically prevent you from functioning healthily. We work to ensure that you get back to regular life in a sustainable way for lasting wellness.

Yes. Providing objective, medically-backed recommendations is one of the core functions of an Occupational Therapist (OT). Because we focus on the connection between your health and your environments, our input is often critical in ensuring your return to work is safe and sustainable. We help translate your symptoms into clear workplace language: 1. Functional Evaluation: We assess your specific tolerances - your actual capacity for concentration, stress tolerance, task management, and stamina. This helps clarify objective detail to identify clear accommodations and restrictions. For example, "I feel stressed" (subjective) may be clarified to determine "I have a 2-hour cognitive limit before fatigue sets in" (objective). Mental Health OTs at Mindful Rehab complete Functional Evaluations that specifically assess mental health and cognition components to provide recommendations that support healthy and sustainable productivity through pain issues and psychological concerns. 2. Restrictions vs. Accommodations: We help you and your employer understand the difference: Restrictions (Safety): Tasks which cannot be safely completed right now (e.g., "No exposure to traumatic content," "No shift work"). These protects you from re-injury. Accommodations (Support): Tools or changes that allow you to work (e.g., "Noise-cancelling headphones," "Written instructions vs. verbal," "Flexible start times"). These help with sustainable productivity. 3. Your Return to Work Plan: We provide specific guidance to your employer or insurance provider on how to structure your return. This ensures that any Return to Work plan they create is based on your actual functional capacity, not just an arbitrary timeline. A gradual return plan is not uncommon to allow adjustment to resumed duties over a number of weeks. The Mindful Rehab team is happy to assist you and your workplace to determine how you can do your best work while accounting for your wellness needs.

Ideally, you should seek help before you hit a breaking point, but effective treatment can speed up recovery when issues become unmanageable or interfere with other important responsibilities or relationships. Chronic stress is not just "being busy"; it is a cumulative strain to your nervous system that can result in injury or illness. When you reach a state where your battery is very low and life's demands persist, your body and mind struggle to keep up which can lead to further issues. Signs that you need professional support include: Difficulty recharging with rest: Persistently or intermittently feeling tired, often leading to headaches, tension, sickness, or digestive issues. Sleep difficulties or ongoing fatigue despite sleep are not uncommon. Poor presence and focus: Difficulty with decisions, staying organized, or concentrating on tasks. Work duties and home management may take longer and be more draining. Low or negative moods: Feeling detached, depressed, cynical, or numb towards things you usually care about (work, family, hobbies). Why seek help? The more time spent in these states, the more they maintain and persist, or even worsen. Counselling and therapy allows you to get unstuck and shift into a more deliberate state of self-care and daily management. A Mental Health Occupational Therapist can help understand the specific factors making things difficult for you, restore a healthy mind-body state, and develop practical strategies to recharge effectively.