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

2003 – Present        Mental Health Therapist, Private practice

2017 – Present        Founder, Ananda Mental Health Workshops

2016 – Present        TZK Seminars, Presenter (webinars)

2004 – July, 2018    Mental Health Therapist, Southlake Regional Health Centre 

2013 – 2017             PESI, Presenter

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 

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)

July 27 – 31, 2015   Teaching Mindfulness Using the New Revised DBT Skills Books, with Marsha Linehan and Kathryn Korslund                                     (15 hours)

July 18 – 22, 2016   Mindfulness, Radical Acceptance, and Willingness: Integrating DBT Skills into Clinical Practice, with Marsha                                     Linehan and Kathryn Korslund (15 hours)

Nov. 6 - 7, 2017        Fostering Post-Traumatic Growth and Resiliency in a Traumatic World, with Joddie Walker (12 hours)

April 30-May1,2018 Dialectical Behavior Therapy for the Treatment of Eating Disorders, with Anita Federici (12 hours)

June 4-5th, 2018      Cultivating Courage & Shame Resilience Within Clients, with Ivana Mitchell (12 hours)

Aug. 27-31, 2018      Integrating EMDR Into Your Clinical Practice: 5-day intensive, with Roy Kiessling (40 hours) 

April 23-24th, 2019  Working with Emotion in Psychotherapy: The Transforming Power of Affect, with Les Greenberg (12 hours)

June 6-7th, 2019      CBT for Depression & Psychosis, with Eilenna Denisoff and Noah Lazar (12 hours)

Nov. 22nd, 2019        New Developments in the Treatment of PTSD and Complex PTSD, with Donald Meichenbaum (6 hours)

Dec. 9th, 2019           Cannabis Update: What Counsellors and Therapists Need to Know Now, with Michael Verbora 

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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

 

Nov. 23-24, 2015     DBT: Beyond the Basics (2-day workshop) for Leading Edge Seminars in Toronto, Ontario

 

Dec. 5, 2016             CBT/DBT Conference, with Jack Hirose & Associates in Calgary, Alberta

 

April 12, 2016           One-day presentation for Renascent Drug & Alcohol Rehab Addiction Treatment Centres in Toronto, Ontario

 

May 2-3, 2016          Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Leading Edge Seminars in Toronto, Ontario

 

May 25, 2016            CBT/DBT Conference, with Jack Hirose & Associates in Vancouver, British Colombia

 

June 1, 2016             CBT/DBT Conference, with Jack Hirose & Associates in Winnipeg, Manitoba

 

Oct. 14, 2016            DBT Skills presentation to Milestone Foster Homes for foster families

 

Oct. 27-28, 2016      Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Mission Empowerment, Stratford

 

Oct. 29, 2016            Calming the Emotional Storm (1/2 day workshop) for the Ontario Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Annual General Meeting 

 

Nov. 7 & Dec. 12,    DBT Made Simple: Advanced DBT Skills for Addiction Services for York

2016                           Region

 

Nov. 18, 2016           DBT/CBT Conference – speaker for Jack Hirose & Associates, Edmonton

 

Nov. 28-19, 2016     Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Jack Hirose & Associates, Vancouver, BC

 

Nov. 30-Dec. 1,        Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Jack Hirose & 

2016                           Associates, Winnipeg, MB

 

Feb. 21 & 28, 2017  Calming the Emotional Storm (2 one-hour webinars) for General Practitioner Psychotherapy Association, Ontario

 

March 13-15, 2017  DBT Made Simple (3-day workshop) for PESI, Seattle, WA

 

March 30-31, 2017  Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for University of Northern British Columbia, BC 

 

April 3, 2017             DBT/CBT Conference – speaker for Jack Hirose & Associates, Edmonton

 

April 24-25, 2017     Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Leading Edge Seminars, Toronto, Ontario

 

May 15-16, 2017      Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Jack Hirose & Associates, Victoria, BC

 

May 17-18, 2017      Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Jack Hirose & Associates, Calgary, AB

 

June 5-6, 2017         Beyond the Basics: Advanced DBT Skills (2-day workshop) for Leading Edge Seminars, Toronto, Ontario

 

June 23rd, 2017        Advanced DBT Skills for Emotion Dysregulation (1-day workshop) for Jean Tweed Centre, Toronto

 

August, 2017            Surviving the Emotional Rollercoaster: 1-day workshop series for TATRA Training (Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, Australia)

 

September 28-29,    Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Ananda Mental Health

2017                           Workshops, Barrie, Ontario

 

Oct. 13, 2017            Advanced DBT Skills for Emotion Dysregulation (1-day workshop) for Family Services of Toronto, Ontario

 

Oct. 16-17, 2017      Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Cedar Centre, Newmarket, Ontario

 

Nov. 23-24, 2017     Beyond the Basics: Advanced DBT Skills (2-day workshop) for Mission Empowerment, Kitchener, Ontario

 

Jan. 5-6, 2018          Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Life Management Center, Panama City Beach, Florida

 

March 5-6, 2018       DBT: Beyond the Basics (2-day workshop) for Ananda Mental Health Workshops, Barrie, Ontario

 

March 15-16, 2018  Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Niagara College, Ontario

 

March 26-27, 2018  Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for The Learning Network, Alberta

 

Spring, 2018             Calming the Emotional Storm Webinar series for the North American Chinese Psychological Association

 

April 9-10, 2018        Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Jack Hirose & Associates, Edmonton, Alberta

 

April 11-12, 2018     Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Jack Hirose & Associates, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

 

April 23-24, 2018     Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Leading Edge Seminars, Toronto, Ontario

 

May 24-25, 2018      DBT: Beyond the Basics (2-day workshop) for University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia

 

May 28-29, 2018      Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Jack Hirose & Associates, Kelowna, British Columbia

 

June 14-15, 2018     Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Catholic Family Services, Simcoe County and Waypoint Centre, Penentanguishine

 

July 9-11, 2018         Calming the Emotional Storm (3-day workshop) for Jack Hirose & Associates, Charlottetown, PEI

 

Sept. 5-6, 2018         Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for Durham District School Board, Whitby

 

Nov. 8-9, 2018          Calming the Emotional Storm (2-day workshop) for University of Northern British Columbia, BC

 

March, 2019              Calming the Emotional Storm: 1-day workshop series for TATRA Training (Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide, Australia)

 

May 9-11, 2019        Calming the Emotional Storm: 2-day introduction to DBT workshop, and optional 1-day Beyond the Basics workshop, for Leading Edge Seminars, Toronto

 

May 30th, 2019         Calming the Emotional Storm:  1-day introduction to DBT workshop for Ontario Association of Social Workers

 

July 8- 10, 2019       DBT Made Simple: 3-day workshop for Jack Hirose & Associates, Banff, Alberta

 

Sept. 23-24, 2019    Calming the Emotional Storm: 2-day introduction to DBT workshop, for Ananda Mental Health Workshops, Barrie

 

Sept. 30th – Oct. 1, DBT Beyond The Basics: 2-day workshop for The Learning Network,

2019                           Bonnyville, Alberta

 

Oct. 3 – 4, 2019        Calming the Emotional Storm: 2-day introduction to DBT workshop, for UNBC, Prince George, BC

 

Oct. 10-11, 2019      Calming the Emotional Storm: 2-day DBT workshop for East Metro Youth Services, Scarborough, ON

 

Oct. 22, 2019            Introduction to DBT, Part Two: 1-day DBT workshop for OASW, Wasaga Beach, ON

 

Nov. 15, 2019           DBT-Informed Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: 1-day workshop for MediPsy, Montreal, Quebec

 

Dec. 5-6, 2019          DBT: Beyond The Basics: 2-day workshop for Renascent, Toronto, Ontario

 

Dec. 12, 2019   DBT-Informed Treatment of Bipolar Disorder (2-hour webinar presented for Russian Community through Nikolay Pavlov)

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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.

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ADDitude Magazine: The Role of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Treating ADHD (2019).

 

The DBT Skills Workbook for Self-harm 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)