THE PEOPLE BEHIND
BLUE COLLAR THERAPY
Real people. Real care. Real support.
At Blue Collar Therapy, we believe good therapy starts with feeling comfortable with the person sitting across from you. Our team brings professional training, real-world experience, and a down-to-earth approach to mental health. No judgment. No putting on an act. Just honest conversations about what's going on and practical support to help you move forward. Whether you're dealing with stress, burnout, trauma, relationship problems, or simply carrying more than you can handle on your own, you don't have to figure it all out alone.
OUR TEAM
Brad Parsons,
RSSW
Tanner Emerson,
RP (Qualifying)
Brad Parsons is a Registered Social Service Worker with a passion for helping individuals, couples, and families navigate trauma, stress, and major life transitions. Known for his calm presence and no-nonsense approach, Brad creates an environment where people can talk honestly, feel understood, and start to make sense of what’s going on in their lives.
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Before entering the mental health field, Brad spent years working in hands-on, blue-collar settings experiences that continue to shape how he connects with clients today. He understands what it’s like to balance family, work, and personal struggles, and he meets people exactly where they are without judgment or pressure.
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In session, Brad’s approach is steady and practical. He focuses on helping clients gain perspective, find new ways to manage challenges, and build small, realistic steps toward change. Whether he’s working with men facing burnout, couples trying to rebuild trust, or families working through transitions, Brad’s goal is always the same to make therapy feel comfortable, honest, and useful.
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Now based in rural Stirling, Brad offers counselling under clinical supervision. His work is grounded in empathy, respect, and a deep belief that everyone has the capacity to heal and grow sometimes they just need someone who truly gets it.
Tanner Emerson is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the CRPO who brings a calm, steady, and grounded presence. He supports clients navigating stress, anxiety, depression, confidence issues, and life transitions, focusing on people carrying heavy loads: students, high-performers, tradespeople, athletes, and anyone managing pressure while keeping life moving.
Before entering mental health, Tanner spent years in high-level athletics. These experiences shape how he works: straightforward, team-oriented, and attuned to performance pressures, setbacks, and the mental demands of sport, work, and daily life. He is a student member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
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Tanner works with parents of high-performing hockey kids, athletes of all ages, youth in local leagues, high-performance teens, and adults balancing sport, career, and family. He helps clients manage expectations, motivation, confidence, burnout, injury, and the internal noise that can build over time. In session, he uses Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, mindfulness, and Psychological Skills Training. His style is practical and person-centred: breaking problems into manageable steps and building strategies that fit real life.
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Clients describe Tanner as calm, direct, and easy to talk to someone who listens, challenges when needed, and helps build the mental tools to move forward with purpose.
