Some people can sort their mental health issues with therapy, while some may need a more medical approach with a conclusive diagnosis and treatment. If you’re a part of the latter group, then the best psychiatrist in Calgary may be what you need.
We know you have lots on your mind already, which is why we’ve gone ahead and compiled the best Calgary clinics and hospitals for psychiatric services. We’ve also packed this article with the necessary information about the topic.
Table of Contents
How much do psychiatric services cost in Calgary?
First of all, we made this cost guide to help you financially prepare for a visit with a Calgary psychiatrist.
The Best Psychiatric Clinics in Calgary
Next, let’s get to the list of the best clinics and hospitals with psychiatric departments in the city. Here are some of the factors we considered when choosing entries for this list:
1. Dr. Eleanor Stein
Dr. Eleanor Stein mainly caters to Calgarians with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), environmental sensitivities (ES), and fibromyalgia. Her clinic offers specialized multidisciplinary assessments and objective tests for these conditions.
As part of the special Canadian Environment Team or ETeam, Dr. Eleanor helps confirm the diagnosis for ME/CFS, ES, and fibromyalgia and identify other kinds of psychiatric conditions. She also assesses and prescribes medications and lifestyle management steps to patients.
Since Dr. Eleanor works with the ETeam, she can also link her patients to other health practitioners such as psychologists, a kinesiologist, an optometrist, and an audiologist.
This clinic also offers group therapy sessions, which are currently conducted solely online to help improve the pandemic situation.
However, because of this niched practice, Dr. Eleanor’s psychiatric service may only be available to Calgarians with ME/CFS, ES, or fibromyalgia. Additionally, her clinic’s open only from Mondays to Thursdays until 2 PM.
Pros
- Expertise in child and adolescent psychiatry
- Centrally located
- Virtual and in person appointments offered
- Covered by Alberta Health care
Cons
- Relatively limited operating hours
- Specific range of services
2. Village Health & Wellness (Dr. Nina Gudeon)
Now, if you’re looking for the best psychiatrist in Calgary for your child, then Village Health & Wellness may be a strong choice. This clinic is home to Dr. Nina Gudeon, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.
Before opening Village Health & Wellness, Dr. Nina has been active in Alberta’s public health sector. She also has great contributions in studies and publications such as Exceptional Life Journeys: Stories of Childhood Disorders.
Dr. Nina Gudeon’s area of expertise is the diagnosis and treatment of Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder associated with Streptococcus (PANDAS) as well as all childhood and adolescent mental health disorders.
It’s also worth noting that Village Health & Wellness is open during weekdays from 8 AM until 4 PM.
Pros
- Expertise in child and adolescent psychiatry
- Centrally located
- Virtual and in person appointments offered
- Covered by Alberta Health care
Cons
- Normally closed on weekends and evenings
Customer Reviews
One of the kindest and most insightful doctors
“Dr. Gudeon is one of the kindest and most insightful doctors I have ever met! She is so smart and she really listens. She is a truly special human being and I am so grateful to have met her. I highly recommend her to anyone and everyone I know who have children who are struggling.”—Georgia Houston
Patient, kind, and knowledgeable pyschiatrist who listens and delivers results
“I am so thankful to Dr. Gudeon for giving my child back her life. We saw many doctors who were empathetic but not able to help her. I thought we were facing a life time of pain and disability for our daughter. Dr. Gudeon was patient, kind and knowledgeable. She took time to listen to our concerns and offered suggestions and treatment options. Thanks to her our daughter is well and happy again. I cannot say enough about this doctor’s genuine caring and ability to treat our child. Thank you so much!”
3. Riverview Medical Services Inc
Riverview Medical Services may be the clinic of choice for those in need of more than medication to treat their mental and psychiatric conditions. We say this because this clinic offers repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).
Studies on rTMS have found this treatment suitable for patients with depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. As an assurance, Riverview Medical Services only trusts registered nurses and a psychiatrist who all have sufficient training in rTMS therapy.
During treatment for rTMS in Riverview Medical Services, patients can still engage with their physician for the best results. The said treatment is also performed on an outpatient basis.
Just know that rTMS is only possible for those without epilepsy, a recent history of seizures, pacemaker and other metal implants. It’s also not covered by provincial health care.
Despite having rTMS as its main service, Riverview Medical Services still offers clinic assessment treatment planning services.
We also like that this clinic is wheelchair accessible, so those with physical disabilities can still benefit from Riverview Medical Services. It’s also open on all weekdays for better accessibility.
Pros
- Offers rTMS therapy
- A large team of nurses and psychiatrists
- Relatively extended operating hours
- Wheelchair accessible clinic
Cons
- Limited range of services
- Closed on weekends
- Not covered by Alberta Health Care plan
4. Peak Medical Specialty Montgomery NW Calgary
Peak Medical Group is a holistic practise with over eleven locations in Calgary alone. It offers diagnosis and treatment options concerning allergies, pulmonary, rheumatology, neurology, psychiatry, and many other fields.
Diagnosis and personalized treatment planning and execution are provided by Peak Medical Group’s two psychiatrists, Dr. Giovana de Amorim Levin and Dr. Vijender Balain. Both doctors are general adult psychiatrists.
With its doctors’ general expertise, Peak Medical Group is able to cater to a wide range of mental health conditions, from anxiety and depression to psychosis, schizophrenia, and personality disorders.
It also extends its helping hand to those with sleeping disorders, mood disorders, cognitive impairment, and dementia.
Aside from its variety of services and accepted mental health conditions, Peak Medical Group belongs to this list as it offers good accessibility. We say this because it offers free parking spaces as well as flexible scheduling on weekdays.
Pros
- Covered by Alberta Health Care plan
- Accepts a wide range of psychiatric conditions and issues
- Referral forms posted online
- Relatively extended operating hours
- Free parking
Cons
- No subspecialization
- Free parking is time-limited
5. Baxter Forensic Group
Baxter and Forensic Group is a team of experts not only in mental health but also in legal affairs. So, those looking for forensic psychiatrists, forensic psychologists, and behavioural experts are likely to benefit from this centre.
Its services include psychiatric assessments, psychological testing, and violent/sexual offending management. Baxter and Forensic Group also offers expert witness services, fitness for duty tests, as well as assessments for associations or regulatory bodies.
Baxter and Forensic Group also offers court-mandated treatments. It even helps with cases by offering case consultations, witness and trial preparation, records analysis, and more.
This clinic is also open to Calgarians who are willing to volunteer themselves for preventive therapy sessions. That’s because this clinic’s resident psychiatrist, Dr. Cynthia Baxter, continues to expand Project Dunkelfeld, a project dealing with potential offenders who want to change their ways.
We also like that Baxter and Forensic Group has its prices posted online for transparency.
Aside from psychiatric and psychological consultations, Baxter and Forensic Group also offers safety planning, workplace and campus assessments, and training and seminars.
Pros
- Expertise in forensic psychiatry and psychology
- Offers numerous assessment and seminar options
- Transparent pricing posted on website
- Preventive treatment options available
Cons
- Limited to legal or corporate related issues
- Relatively expensive services
Customer Reviews
Really cares about patients
“Dr Baxter is a amazing psychiatrist and really cares about her patients and loves her job and puts 100 percent into her patients and I miss her dearly. I would recommend her to anyone with a personality disorder or mental illness. She is the best psychiatrist in Calgary.”—Kathy Stuhlsatz
Psychiatric Subspecialties
As we’ve mentioned, psychiatrists also have varying specializations. Here are the different subspecialties with their respective definitions:
- Child and adolescent psychiatry
- Perinatal psychiatry
- Young adult psychiatry
- Geriatric psychiatry
- Addiction psychiatry
- Forensic psychiatry
Some psychiatrists also choose to focus on a certain type of mental health condition. Here are some of the major classes of mental disorders and the conditions that fall under them:
- Anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), phobias
- Eating disorders: anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder
- Mood disorders: bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and substance-induced mood disorder (SIMD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorders: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), hoarding disorder, and trichotillomania
- Personality disorders: borderline personality disorder (BPD), narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), and paranoid personality disorder (PPD)
- Psychotic disorders: substance-induced psychotic disorder (SIPD), schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder
FAQs about Psychiatry
We hope the best psychiatrist in Calgary you choose from our list can truly help you achieve a better mental state.
Now, each patient’s experience differs from one person to the next. So, if you think we might’ve missed a clinic or hospital with commendable psychiatric services, please feel free to tell us.
If you want a more therapy-based treatment, you can also seek help and refuge from the best psychologist in Calgary. For best results, you can even have both a psychiatrist and psychologist, so long as each party knows of such arrangement.