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(780) 963-7451
(780) 963-7451
Joel Pukalo is a registered psychologist, former teacher, educator, and consultant with nearly two decades of combined experience supporting children, youth, families, schools, and communities.
Before becoming a psychologist, Joel worked as a teacher. For the past decade, he has worked as a psychologist in close partnership with students, parents, educators, school leaders, and school divisions. This combined perspective helps him understand the real-world demands families and school teams are navigating—and translate psychological insight into practical next steps.
Joel is the founder of Family Life Psychology & Wellness. His work focuses on psychoeducational and neurodevelopmental assessment, consultation with families and schools, professional learning, and leadership development. He is especially passionate about helping people better understand neurodiversity and creating supports that build on a child or young person’s strengths.
Joel provides comprehensive assessment and consultation for children, adolescents, and young adults who may be experiencing learning, attention, developmental, behavioral, emotional, or school-functioning concerns.
His assessment and consultation work may include:
Joel believes an assessment should do more than identify a diagnosis or describe a difficulty. A helpful assessment gives families and schools a clearer understanding of how a child thinks, learns, communicates, manages emotions, relates to others, and functions across settings. It should also provide specific, realistic recommendations that can be used at home, at school, and in the community.
He works collaboratively with parents, caregivers, educators, physicians, and other professionals to ensure that assessment findings are communicated clearly and translated into meaningful support plans.
When a child’s presentation suggests that additional medical or specialist input may be helpful—such as possible tic or Tourette syndrome, OCD, or other complex developmental or health factors—Joel can provide psychological consultation and help families consider appropriate pediatric, medical, or allied-health referrals.
Joel’s background as both a teacher and psychologist informs a practical, collaborative approach to school-based consultation. He understands that families and educators often want the same outcome: for a child to feel understood, experience success, and receive support that is realistic within the demands of everyday life.
He works alongside school teams to help clarify learning and support needs, strengthen communication between home and school, and identify practical strategies that are responsive to the whole child. His consultation may support decisions related to educational programming, accommodations, intervention planning, behavior support, executive functioning, and transitions.
Joel values the expertise that parents and educators already bring. His role is to integrate perspectives, clarify patterns, and help teams identify the next most helpful step.
Joel also provides professional learning and consultation for educators, school teams, leaders, and community organizations. His work draws on his experience in education, psychology, and nonprofit leadership to support healthy, sustainable cultures where people can do meaningful work well.
His professional learning and consultation areas include:
Joel’s approach is evidence-informed, relational, and practical. He aims to help teams move from insight to implementation through strategies that fit within existing meetings, routines, and school structures.
Joel is committed to strengthening the well-being of children, families, schools, and communities. Through Family Life Psychology & Wellness and his community-based work, he collaborates with local partners to develop practical resources, support professional learning, and create initiatives that strengthen connection and capacity.
He believes lasting progress is most likely when families, schools, and communities work together with clarity, compassion, and a shared commitment to helping the next generation thrive.
Joel grew up on a farm outside Spruce Grove and remains actively involved in supporting his family’s farm, Century Simmentals. Both of his parents were teachers, and teaching was his first career before becoming a psychologist.
He is a husband and father who believes that meaningful leadership begins in everyday relationships at home, at school, and in the community. His dream job is still to be an NFL coach—coaching sports was one of his earliest experiences of helping others grow and helped shape his path toward psychology.
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For first time booking for minors please note dual consent is required if parents are separated. In addition, due to the laws in Alberta, if you don’t have full legal guardianship please phone the office so we can clarify how to most effectively book minor services. If you have a court order please contact the office so we can review it prior to your first appointment.
