Building spaces of acceptance and connection
Age: 39
Job Title: Manager of Clinical Programs and Community Relations at Insight Psychological
Sabrina Brady was drawn to people whose stories were overlooked or misunderstood from an early age. Her parents, both teachers, nurtured her curiosity and modelled acceptance without judgment. She was particularly influenced by her father, who taught in prisons and often told her stories that revealed the humanity of the people he taught behind bars.
“It’s wild to think that I was 21 years old and talking with hardened criminals, but I’ve always believed in the common decency of people and our circumstances lead us down different paths,” says Brady, who also worked as a probation officer for Edmonton’s Drug Treatment Court. “I wanted to create a space for people to just talk and not feel judged.”
Now as a psychologist, Brady has built a career around just that, with a practice that specializes in difficult areas, including sex work, sexual offences, addictions and crime. She’s motivated by the perseverance and resilience of her clients. “I love hearing people’s stories and what’s going on in their lives, their growth, their struggles, just being witness to that.”
While Brady works with a diverse portfolio of clients and collaborates with other psychologists to offer various programs and group therapy, at the root of all her projects is helping individuals “who don’t always feel very connected or have a place to go.”
In her 20s, Brady lost her best friend, and a few years ago she suddenly lost her sister. Those experiences reaffirm to her the value of connection and the need to have supportive people in one’s life, and motivate her psychology practice.
“We really can thrive when we’re supported, as opposed to ostracized.”
This article appears in the November/December 2025 issue of Edify
