She founded a novel neuropsychiatry clinic to address the mental health needs of a complex and underserved population who can fall through the gaps
Age: 39
Physician and neuropsychiatrist Caitlin Earle appreciates that hers is a small but growing field in Canada. People with complex neurological conditions — such as Tourette’s and epilepsy — compounded by psychiatric conditions have to navigate different parts of the health system before finding appropriate mental health care. After training in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, Earle returned to Edmonton to found the Adult Community Neuropsychiatry Clinic. For patients, her efforts can be tangible: better-coordinated care and sometimes a dramatically better quality of life.
The impact of neuropsychiatry can be profound. Earle works with several patients who spent long periods using mobility aids, for example. Through co-ordinated treatment with neuropsychiatry, neurology and allied health professionals, some patients regained enough function that they no longer needed those aids.
“Those are the most rewarding cases,” she says. “Being able to guide people through bad times to recovery is what makes community practice meaningful.”
Earle wants to expand her three-person team to support more patients, and is committed to building the next generation of neuropsychiatrists in a field gaining momentum. She’s involved in the residency program at the University of Alberta, and brings learners to the clinic, introducing them to the field. She wants more psychiatrists and residents to see a place for themselves in this specialization.
She says there’s much to learn about the brain, and neuropsychiatry bridges disciplines that traditionally operate separately. “There’s still a stigma associated with mental health, and a lack of knowledge,” Earle says. Bridging disciplines means creating a clinic for patients with complex needs.
This article appears in the November-December 2026 issue of Edify
