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Dr. Melissa Jay | she/her
Program Director & Lead Faculty

tân'si, hello & tawow, welcome!

As a cisgender nehiyaw (Cree) member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, my work is grounded in decolonized healing and centres on putting social justice into action and supporting continued learning and unlearning across our lifespan. My roles as a psychologist, certified yoga therapist, and associate professor reflect my dedication to walking alongside incredible souls committed to self-awareness and community care.

I am privileged to learn from and be guided by many inspiring Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and yoga guides. It is a joy to offer trainings and supervision to fellow helpers and organizations committed to community care.

You can typically find me watching shows, listening to music, or outside with my spouse, Michael, and our loving rescue-turned-therapy-dog, Lulu.
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Sending care your way :)
My Credentials:
  • Registered Psychologist (R.Psych)
  • Associate Professor
  • Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT)
  • Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator (TCTSY)
  • Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500)
  • Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCYT)
  • Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT)
  • Continuing Education Provider (YACEP)

University Education: 
  • Ph.D. Psychology (2019)
  • Master of Counselling Psychology (2011)
  • Bachelor of Arts: Psychology (2007)
  • Master of Business Administration (current student)

Professional Affiliations: 
  • College of Alberta Psychologists
  • Canadian Psychological Association
  • Canadian Association of Suicide Prevention
  • International Association for Yoga Therapists
  • Yoga Alliance
Some of my Certifications: 
  • 75-hour Skill in Action (Michelle Cassandra Johnson)
  • 300-hour Embody Yoga’s Roots Training ( Susanna Barkataki)
  • 300-hour Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator Training (TCTSY)
  • 85-hour Pre and Post-Natal Yoga Teacher Training (Mamata Yoga)
  • Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Institute
  • 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (Inspired Yoga Institute)
  • 20-hour Embrace Yoga's Roots Training (Susanna Barkataki)
  • 95-hour Children and Teens' Yoga Teacher Training (Yoga Ed.)
  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (Sue Johnson)
  • 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (Yandara)
  • Attachment-Based Group for Parenting & Caregivers​

Canmore Location:

109-705 10th Street Canmore, AB T1W2A3
We're next to Communitea & Vermelho, 
​on the corner of 10th St. and 6th Ave.

Established in 2014.
​Copyright © 2026 by
Dr. Melissa Jay is an Indigenous, nehiyaw-Métis member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. The primary location of Canmore Counselling and Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School is located in Chuwapchipchiyan Kudi Bi (translated from Îyârhe Nakoda as “shooting at the willows”), colonially known as Canmore. We are grateful to be located on Treaty 7 territory and the current and ancestral lands of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda), which includes of the Bearspaw First Nation, Chiniki First Nation, and Goodstoney First Nation, as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy, including the Siksika First Nation, Piikani First Nation, and Kainai First Nation. This is also the home to the Rocky View Métis District 4 within the Battle River Territory. We recognize all Nations who continue to nurture these lands, and we are dedicated to uplifting Truth, language, and culture as essential to right relations. As an act of reconciliation and commitment to decolonization, we are committed to the TRC's Calls to Action. 

At Canmore Counselling, we are also privileged to be yoga students, practitioners, and guides. Our offerings centre on the root of yoga as Indigenous to South Asia, and we are grateful to learn from and amplify the South Asian practitioners and teachers whenever possible. We are grateful for the eight limbs of yoga, as taught by Patanjali. It is a joy to walk alongside our incredible alumni of the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School as they create opportunities for care, connection & curiosity within their communities. 

We believe wholeheartedly that trauma-informed care requires commitment to community, social justice, decolonization, anti-oppression, and anti-racism. Thank you for being here :)​