Education

2003 – 2004             Master of Social Work, University of Toronto

2001 – 2003             Bachelor of Social Work, York University

1993 – 1997             Bachelor of Arts, University of Toronto

 

Professional Positions

2006 – Present        Mental Health Therapist, Southlake Regional Health Centre 

2003 – Present        Mental Health Therapist, Private practice

2013 – Present        PESI, Presenter

2004 – 2006             Social Worker, Southlake Regional Health Centre In-Patient Unit

2001 – 2004             Case Manager, Bradford Community Support Services

2000 – 2004             Intake Worker, Mental Health Services of York Region (now CMHA)

 

Volunteer Experience 

2011 –2014              Facilitator, Bipolar Disorder Family Support Group

2011 – 2012             “Sharecare” expert, answering questions about mental health 

2000 – 2003             Crisis Worker, ViCARS (Victim Crisis Assistance and Referral Services) York Region

2001                          Team Leader, ViCARS York Region  

1998 – 2000             Canadian Mental Health Association    

 

Continuing Education

October, 2000           The Nature and Impact of Traumatization Across the Life 

October, 2000           Critical Incident Stress Management (Basic Group Crisis Intervention)

September, 2001     Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children, Adolescents and Families 

December, 2001       Interpersonal Psychotherapy 

February, 2002         Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training Program 

March, 2002             Applied Suicide Intervention Skills 

April, 2002                Anxiety:  Comprehensive Assessment & Integrative Therapy 

November, 2002      Problem Gambling:  Identification, Assessment, Treatment and Prevention 

March, 2003             Treating the Spectrum of Attachment Disorders 

March, 2003             Dialectical Behaviour Therapy 

May, 2003                 First Episode Psychosis 

February, 2004         Concurrent Disorders 

February, 2004         Mindfulness in Therapy 

2004 – 2005             Solution-Focused Therapy certificate program

February, 2006         Mindfulness Practice 

June, 2007                Mindfulness and Psychotherapy 

June, 2007                Dialectical Behavior Therapy On-Line Training 

 

Continuing Education (continued)

December, 2006      Cognitive Behavior Therapy certificate program

- October, 2007

March, 2008             DBT Intermediate Level Training

May, 2008                 Mindfulness-Based Approaches for the Treatment of Emotional Disorders

June, 2008                Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for the Prevention of Depression Relapse

November, 2008       Introductory Hypnosis

March, 2009             Advanced Applications of Hypnotherapy

April, 2010                Neural Plasticity and Mindfulness in the Treatment of Trauma

May, 2010                 Taming the Hungry Ghosts: Combining Science and Compassion in Working With Addictions

May, 2010                 Clinical Research Coordinator Workshop

November, 2010      Deconstructing Trauma: Memory Exposure, Mindfulness, and Existential Awareness in Psychotherapy

November, 2010      The Brain That Changes Itself: The Neuroplasticity Revolution for the Helping Professions

December, 2010       Couples Work: Ideas & Techniques for Couples Counselling

Jan. – March, 2011  Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Problem Based Learning (20 hour certificate program)

March – May, 2011  Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Clinical Supervision

December, 2011       Neuroscience, Mindfulness, and Mindfulness Meditation

May 3, 2012              Memory

Oct. 26 – 27, 2012    Attachment Across the Life Span for Front-Line Clinicians

June 6 – 7, 2013      Mindfulness-Integrated CBT

July 29, 2013 –         Updates in Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills with Marsha Linehan (15 hours)

Aug. 2, 2013                                  

Dec. 3 – 6, 2013       Doing DBT: An Advanced Intensive Training with Kelly Koerner and Charlie Swenson (32 hours)

May 27 – 30, 2014   Externship in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy with Sue Johnson & Gail Palmer (30 hours)

Oct. 8, 2014              Trauma in the Mind’s Eye: Mitigating and Eliminating Intrusive Thoughts, Flashbacks & Nightmares (6 hours)

 

Professional Activities

March – May, 2007  Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Borderline Personality Disorder workshop series, co-presenter at                                                   Southlake Regional Health Centre

 

June 8, 2007 The use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy with a mixed psychiatric population co-presenter at Southlake Regional

                                  Health Centre: 4th Annual Psychiatric Academic/Clinical Day

 

April 28, 2008 Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Borderline Personality Disorder, co-presenter at Addiction Services for

                                  York Region.

 

Sept. 26, 2010 A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Mindfulness Practice in a

                                  Psychoeducational Group for Individuals With Bipolar Disorder, paper presentation at the Canadian

                                  Psychiatric Association annual conference  

 

Jan. 28, 2011 Southlake Regional Health Centre Psychiatric Grand Rounds: DBT Skills Training in a Psychoeducational Group for

                                  Bipolar Patients 

 

Feb. 21 – 22, 2012 Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Case Management: Two-day workshop on DBT presented for Canadian Mental

                                  Health Association, Barrie.

 

April 28, 2012 DBT: Not Just for BPD! Keynote and workshop presentations at the General Practitioner Psychotherapy Association Annual Conference.

 

Sept. 26, 2012 Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Not Just for BPD: two ½ day workshops

         and presented at Toronto Western Hospital

Nov. 21, 2012

 

Nov. 2, 2012 Activating Neuroplasticity Through Mindfulness and Acceptance Techniques: co-presenter at Southlake Regional Health Centre’s Annual Psychiatric Clinical Day

 

May 6 – 7, 2013 Calming The Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Leading Edge Seminars in Toronto, Ontario

 

Oct. 26, 2013 DBT Made Simple (1-day workshop) for Pinewood Health Services, Oshawa

 

March 4, 2014 DBT Made Simple (1-day workshop) for Grey-Bruce Health Services, Owen Sound

 

April 25, 2014 Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: Not Just for BPD! Presented at North York General Hospital’s Psychiatric Grand

                                   Rounds

 

April 28-29, 2014 Calming The Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Leading Edge Seminars in Toronto, Ontario

 

Nov. 4 & 11, 2014 Calming The Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Catholic Family Services, Toronto, Ontario

 

Jan 12-13, 2015 Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for University of New Brunswick Counselling Department

 

March 25–27, 2015 Calming the Emotional Storm (3-day workshop) for Sunnybrook Health Services

 

April 27-28, 2015 Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Leading Edge Seminars in Toronto, Ontario

 

May 13-15, 2015 Calming the Emotional Storm (3-day workshop) for Sunnybrook Health Services

 

June 15-16, 2015 Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario

 

Publications

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bipolar Disorder: Using DBT to Regain 

Control of Your Emotions and Your Life. June, 2009. New Harbinger Publications.

 

The Bipolar Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Take Charge of Your Life. January, 

2010. New Harbinger Publications (co-author).

 

Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens. February, 2011. New Harbinger Publications.

 

Calming The Emotional Storm:  Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Help You Find Balance In Your Life. 2012. New Harbinger Publications.

 

DBT Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide to Dialectical Behavior Therapy. 2012. New Harbinger Publications.

 

Relationship Skills 101 For Teens. 2015. New Harbinger Publications.

 

Surviving The Emotional Roller Coaster for Teens. (in press). New Harbinger Publications.

 

Research

A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills in a 

Psychoeducational Group for Individuals With Bipolar Disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders (March, 2013).

 

Awards/Scholarships

2010 R.O. Jones Award, first place, for best paper submitted to the Canadian Psychiatric 

Association Annual Conference

 

2014 Dr. L. Morley Smith Scholarship Award

 

Professional Affiliations 

2001 – Present Ontario Association of Social Workers 

2004 – Present Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (license #802657)