ABOUT
I'm a Clinical and Health Psychologist providing services to children, adolescents and their families in Ottawa, Ontario. My office is located within Centrepointe Professional Services. I provide assessment and treatment (individual and family therapy) for a variety of conditions including:
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Anxiety disorders (e.g. Social Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder [OCD])
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Attachment disorders
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
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Behavioural difficulties
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Chronic health conditions (e.g. chronic pain or coping with chronic illnesses)
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Developmental disorders (e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder [ASD])
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Developmental disabilities
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Gifted testing
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Learning disabilities
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Mood disorders (e.g. depression)
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Parent-child relationship difficulties
I obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Honours Psychology from Concordia University (Montreal, Quebec) in 2005, and a Master's of Arts (M.A.) degree in Clinical Developmental Psychology from York University (Toronto, Ontario) in 2007. In 2012, I completed a Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) accredited Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Clinical Developmental Psychology and a Health Psychology Graduate Diploma at York University. My graduate research was funded by provincial and federal scholarships and I've co-authored several publications in the areas of pediatric pain, parent-child relationships (e.g. caregiver emotional availability) and infant emotion regulation. Read more
I've worked with children and families from various cultural backgrounds, who were experiencing a wide range of clinical, learning and developmental difficulties, across various age groups (infancy to adulthood). I've worked in a variety of settings including children’s mental health centers (e.g. Thistletown Regional Centre, Reach Out Centre for Kids and Mothercraft - Breaking the Cycle), university clinics (e.g. York University Psychology Clinic) and pediatric hospitals (e.g. Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital) in Toronto, Ontario. In addition, I completed a CPA accredited pre-doctoral internship in Clinical Child Psychology at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in Ottawa, Ontario, where I gained additional experience in the areas of Pediatric Health Psychology, Inpatient Mental Health, Crisis Assessment, Autism Assessment, Neuropsychology, Family Therapy, Individual Therapy and Program Evaluation.
My approach to case conceptualization and intervention is based on a Developmental Psychopathology framework. I believe that a child is influenced by a dynamic interplay of biological, psychological and social influences. For example, I consider the roles of child factors, family and school environments, peer relationships, and social-cultural contexts in the etiology of a child’s difficulties. Given that children and youth thrive in the context of healthy and supportive relationships, I place a lot of importance on strengthening family and social connections in therapy.
I believe in the scientist-practitioner model, namely that clinical practice should be informed by research. My main theoretical orientation is Integrative meaning that I combine different evidence-based (empirically supported) therapeutic tools and approaches to fit the needs of my clients. Although I mainly use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), I also draw from elements of Motivational Interviewing, Brief-Solution Focused Therapy, Family Systems and Attachment Theory. Despite the chosen course of treatment, I strongly believe that the therapeutic alliance between a client and therapist is of equal importance. As such, I aim to provide a supportive environment in which my clients feel safe to disclose personal information and build trust in the therapeutic relationship.
I'm registered with the College of Psychologist of Ontario (CPO) and I maintain memberships in several local, provincial and national professional associations.
