Dr. Patrick Keelan, Registered Psychologist
1813 8th Street Southwest T2T 2Z2 Calgary, AB, Canada

In this article, I discuss a visual framework you can use to reap the benefits of living according to your values. The focus of the influential Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is to accept the experience of difficult emotions and accompanying negative thoughts while simultaneously committing to take action which is consistent with your values. These value-consistent actions and activities occur in major areas of one’s life including work/education, relationships, personal growth/health and leisure.... https://drpatrickkeelan.com//moving-closer-to-the-bulls-e/

Estimated reading time: . People of all ages have to deal with issues in which managing their emotional reactions is at the core. Emotions such as sadness, anxiety, anger, frustration, guilt and shame are challenging to handle whether you are a young child, an adolescent or an adult. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) offers people skills which they can use to face these challenges.... https://drpatrickkeelan.com//helpful-thoughts-an-excellen/

Tune-in to The Morning News With Sue Deyell and Andrew Schultz on 770 CHQR radio on Monday, January 11th at 7:09am hear Sue and Andrew chat with Dr. Pat. The hot topic of discussion will be about consequences and behaviour related to recent protests, riots and people’s actions around the world amid a pandemic. Is there a sense of people no longer fearing consequences and taking social responsibility? Tune-in tomorrow morning for the discussion and share any questions or comments with Dr. Pat below. https://drpatrickkeelan.com//consequences-and-behaviour-t/

Estimated reading time: . With the start of the New Year comes the annual ritual for many people of making New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, research indicates that most such resolutions are abandoned after a short time. The good news is that there are some proven effective strategies to help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions. The bonus is that you can use these strategies to help you to stick to the pursuit of goals which you set at any time of the year.... https://drpatrickkeelan.com//how-to-stick-to-your-new-yea/

Estimated reading time: . The year 2020 marks the first year in my lengthy time on Earth in which I have not spent the Christmas holidays with my family members. This includes my early years living in Winnipeg where I was born and raised along with the last several years traveling to be with family. These trips were mostly to Winnipeg except for one year in which the family Christmas gathering was on Vancouver Island where my recently deceased older brother Mike and his family resided.... https://drpatrickkeelan.com//coping-with-being-alone-over/

Tune-in to Cochrane Now 91.5 FM radio on Tuesday, September 8th for Dr. Pat’s tips and strategies to help children and parents manage back-to-school anxiety during COVID-19. You can listen to the interview on the hour and half-hour between 6AM and 9AM and at 10AM and 11AM. Tune-in to the interview and share any questions or comments with Dr. Pat below. https://drpatrickkeelan.com//managing-back-to-school-anxi/

Estimated reading time: . One of the most effective tools my clients use to manage anxiety is the PR plan. This is a skill developed by psychologist Dr. Kathleen Mooney who specializes in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Its purpose is to help a client lower their anxiety about upcoming events to manageable levels. I’ve used this tool to help clients who are excessively anxious about situations including giving a presentation at work or school, having a challenging conversation with someone, competing in an athletic event and attending a social function. [ 1,307 more word ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//preparing-to-face-adversity-/

Estimated reading time: . Prior to working with clients as a counselling and clinical psychologist, I spent several years at various universities and colleges teaching and doing psychological research. This was preceded by several years of undergraduate and graduate education in which I was involved in research and teaching. Those years grounded me in the value of science and in the benefits of using the scientific method to gather knowledge. [ 1,291 more word ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//how-to-address-your-issues-b/

Estimated reading time: . During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve been struck by how straightforward the steps are which cities, provinces, states and countries need to take to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. I’ve also been surprised by how many jurisdictions have executed these steps with predictably good results in containing the spread while others have failed largely or partially to execute these steps with predictably bad results at containment. [ 925 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//how-to-address-your-issues-i/

Estimated reading time: . As a psychologist and former competitive runner, I’ve long been fascinated by the psychology behind great feats in the sport of track and field. One of the most notable such accomplishments occurred before I was born. This was the breaking of the four-minute mile barrier by Roger Bannister of Great Britain in 1954 who went on to have a career as a neurologist and was knighted in 1975. [ 788 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//breaking-through-barriers-le/

Estimated reading time: . In my practice as a psychologist, I often have clients whose goals are to feel better emotionally. The emotions which are causing them distress may include sadness or depression, anxiety, frustration, anger and guilt, to name a few. Although the distress involved in each of these emotions is unique, the strategy which I used to help clients alleviate distress from each of these emotions is similar. [ 825 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//a-new-take-on-the-abcs-chang/

Estimated reading time: . In my practice as a psychologist, I sometimes work with people whose goal is to change the behaviours of others. This typically entails the desire to have the other person increase the frequency of positive behaviours and decrease the frequency of negative behaviours. Examples include parents who would like their children do homework, behave respectfully and get chores done and a supervisor who wants their employees to perform better and make fewer mistakes on the job. [ 1,156 more word ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//if-aint-broke-dont-fix-it-bu/

Estimated reading time: . In my practice as a psychologist who is certified in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), I work with clients varying in age. This includes adults, adolescents and young children. And although CBT has been found to be effective for clients of different ages, there are some commonalities in the way it is used across ages as well as some age-related differences. [ 1,005 more word ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//cbt-across-the-life-span-how/

Estimated reading time: . One of the most fascinating phenomena I’ve learned about as a psychologist is hedonic adaptation. As detailed by researcher Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky in The How of Happiness, hedonic adaptation occurs when people who experience events and circumstances which affect their mood positively or negatively eventually return to the level of mood and happiness they experienced prior to the event or circumstances. [ 899 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//how-to-be-happy-during-stres/

Estimated reading time: . When I was in graduate school, one of the most fascinating projects I worked on was a class presentation on different styles of leadership. Research led me to conclude that there are two main styles of leadership. One is task-focused leadership which entails guiding the group you are leading toward the accomplishment of tasks. The second is relationship-focused leadership which concentrates of fostering good working relationships among the group members as well as between them and the leader. [ 921 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//two-elements-of-leadership-b/

Tune-in to Cochrane Now 91.5FM radio on Monday May 4th for Dr. Pat’s tips and strategies to help lower anxiety to a manageable level during COVID-19. You can listen to the interview at the top and bottom of the hour between 6:00 am and 10:00 am and then at the top of the hour until 6:00 pm. Tune-in for the interview and share your questions and comments with Dr. Pat below. https://drpatrickkeelan.com//managing-end-of-lockdown-anx/

Estimated reading time: . At one of his daily coronavirus pandemic news briefings, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo related a personal story which struck a chord with me. He said that one time when he was younger he told his grandmother about a guy and a girl he encountered who he thought were nice. His grandmother advised the young future Governor not to judge whether someone is nice when things are ‘nice’. [ 811 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//rising-to-the-occasion-how-t/

In this video, I share ideas on how to cope with the stress of the coronavirus pandemic. I discuss how I have been using these ideas to manage my own stress and how you can use them to manage yours. https://drpatrickkeelan.com//tips-for-coping-with-the-str/

Estimated reading time: . While watching a special coronavirus episode of Dr. Phil, I was struck by the excellent advice a psychiatrist guest offered on how to cope with the stress of the pandemic. Among the guest’s advice was to focus on the positives at the start of the day and at the end of the day. This entailed beginning the day by making it a point to look for the positives followed by a bedtime routine of thinking of the positives you encountered throughout the day. [ 833 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//finding-the-silver-lining-co/

Tune-in to Cochrane Now 91.5FM radio on Tuesday April 7th at 6am or 11am for tips on managing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the advice provided in the interview include: The importance for parents to speak with their children and offer reassurance around the pandemic. The importance to balance the time spent with in your home during isolation. The importance of exercise and doing things for yourself. [ 26 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//managing-during-the-pandemic/

Important Notice Regarding Counselling Sessions During The Coronavirus Pandemic Dear clients and prospective clients: During the difficult and stressful period of the coronavirus pandemic, in the name of social distancing, I am offering both 50-minute counselling sessions and free 30-minute consultations by video (FaceTime, Skype and Zoom) and by telephone. Please note that before and during the pandemic, I have had many sessions with clients using these alternative platforms. [ 100 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com/psychology/covid-19-information/

Estimated reading time: . In my last article, I discussed strategies you can use to cope with your anxiety as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, at a time when it is especially helpful to meet with a psychologist to help you learn and practice these strategies, recommended and in some cases mandatory social distancing practices preclude the usual option of having sessions at your psychologist’s office. [ 1,109 more word ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//counselling-during-the-coron/

Estimated reading time: . Sometimes it takes me a while to decide on a topic for my blog article. In this case, there was no hesitation. The coronavirus pandemic is the primary concern of the vast majority of people so focusing on it in my blog article was an obvious choice. My goal in this article is to give you strategies to help you manage your anxiety during this difficult time. [ 660 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//managing-anxiety-when-there-/

Estimated reading time: . I recently made several changes to my diet in order to be healthier, lose weight and enhance my performance in a 12-k swim event in which I will be competing this August. Among the changes was what I put in my two cups of coffee each day. For years, my habit would entail adding milk and two teaspoons of sugar to each cup of coffee. [ 719 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//but-i-dont-want-to-give-that/

Estimated reading time: . In the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, American Michael Phelps sought to make history by becoming the first swimmer to win eight gold medals in a single Olympics. While this was a daunting challenge in and of itself, it became even more so when he was faced with adversity while swimming for the gold in his strongest event--the 200 meter butterfly. [ 755 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//swimming-blind-a-demonstrati/

Estimated reading time: . In my last article, I discussed how to form good habits and eliminate bad habits. I defined habits as behaviours or sequences of behaviours which a person performs regularly by focusing on the three components of a habit--cue, routine and reward. In this article, I focus on the value of forming keystone habits. These are habits which have the additional value of spurring you to form additional habits which can lead you to make significant progress toward your goals in different areas of life. [ 922 more words ] https://drpatrickkeelan.com//struggling-in-making-progres/