A wide lens invites us to pause, step back, and see the fuller picture of your life. When struggles feel intense, they can narrow your view and make it hard to notice important context, relationships, personal strengths, and the many ways you have already been coping. Because problems don't occur in a vacuum, counselling can help us "zoom out" to see the bigger context, providing greater clarity, understanding and compassion.
At Wide Lens Counselling in Calgary, my approach focuses on the whole person. Instead of reducing your experience to symptoms or labels, we explore the bigger landscape of your life, the values that guide you and the stories that matter most. This broader perspective supports real growth and helps you reconnect with your sense of possibility.
I offer mental health support for individuals, couples, families and other therapists who want a safe and welcoming therapeutic space. Services include:
Hi! I’m Lori Helfenbaum (she/her), RSW, MSW.
My therapy practice is 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming and I welcome people of all orientations, backgrounds and identities. I practice through a feminist and social justice lens.
I realize that no two people are the same and therefore tailor my therapy to understand and meet the specific needs of my clients. Regardless of what you’re struggling with, I aim to help you connect to what you really want, explore what might be getting in the way, and make space for possibility and hope.
I would be happy to meet or arrange a call with you for a short conversation to see if we are a good fit. There is no pressure to commit. This is simply an opportunity to ask questions, share what you are hoping for, and begin at a pace that feels comfortable.
With gratitude, I acknowledge that Wide Lens Counselling operates on Treaty 7 Land in Southern Alberta, known in the Blackfoot language as Moh'kinstsis - the place where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet. Treaty 7 includes the Blackfoot Confederacy - comprising the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai Nations - as well as the Tsuut'ina Nation and the Îyâxe Nakoda, which includes the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney Nations. Calgary is also home to the Metis Nation of Alberta, Districts 5 and 6. Settlers are also treaty people.
With a long history of violence inflicted on Indigenous people by healthcare professionals, it is very important to me to continually educate myself on our true history, the intergenerational effects of past and ongoing racism, and ways of decolonizing my therapeutic practice. I strive to honour the resilience, resistance, cultural beliefs and traditions of the Indigenous clients I serve.