On Psych: Presented by the Ontario Psychological Association

On this episode of OnPsych, we welcome Dr. Tyler Black — child and adolescent psychiatrist — to the podcast! ABOUT OUR GUEST Dr. Tyler Black is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and the Medical Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Emergency Department at BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver. With an impressive nine-year tenure, he has had the privilege of working closely with numerous families. In addition to his impactful work within the hospital, Dr. Black is deeply passionate about advancing knowledge on the science of suicide. He actively engages in educational initiatives, aiming to raise awareness and foster understanding in this critical area. Stay connected with Dr. Black and his research by following him on Twitter @tylerblack32. Explore valuable resources on self-harm and suicidality, as referenced by Dr. Black in this episode. Access the content at https://healthymindsbc.gov.bc.ca/resources/suicide-prevention-and-self-harm-video-series-and-resources/  

On this episode of OnPsych, we welcome Dr. Steven Taylor — clinical psychologist,  professor, and author— to the podcast!ABOUT OUR GUEST  Dr. Steven Taylor is a Professor and Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at UBC. His research and clinical work focus on anxiety disorders and the psychology of pandemics. Dr. Taylor has authored over 300 scientific publications and more than 20 books, which have been translated into many languages. His most recent book, published a few weeks before the outbreak of COVID-19, is titled The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease. In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Taylor served as a member of the Canadian federal government’s expert panel on COVID-19. He has also been involved with the editorial boards of over a dozen peer-reviewed journals, and has held positions such as Associate Editor or Editor-in-Chief for several journals, including Behaviour Research and Therapy, Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, and Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. You can learn more about Dr. Taylor and his work by visiting: https://www.drsteventaylor.com  

On this episode of OnPsych, we welcome Dr. Dana Ménard— clinical psychologist, assistant professor, researcher, and author— to the podcast! ABOUT OUR GUEST Dr. Dana Ménard is an assistant professor of clinical psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Windsor. She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa in 2013 after completing her pre-doctoral internship and the London Health Sciences Centre. Her doctoral dissertation was published as a book titled Magnificent Sex: Lessons from Extraordinary Lovers, which won the 2021 Consumer Choice Book Award for the Society for Sex Therapy and Research and has been profiled in the New York Times, Psychology Today, and The Guardian.  Her current research interests include sexual well-being and resilience, with a special focus on groups that have been marginalized or minoritized. Dr. Ménard’s research work has been funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Beyond her academic pursuits, she enjoys activities such as running, yoga, reading, and baking. Stay connected with Dr. Ménard and her research by following her on Twitter @shufflersunite. You can also keep up with her lab's activities through their social media profiles: Instagram: @MenardPsychGroup Twitter: @MenardPsych Facebook: MenardPsychGroup 

On this episode of OnPsych, we welcome Katie Hayes, Ph.D. — senior policy analyst, researcher, and climate advocate — to the podcast! ABOUT OUR GUEST Katie Hayes, Ph.D. is a senior policy analyst at Health Canada’s Climate Change and Innovation Bureau. She is also the lead author of the mental health and climate change chapter for the National Climate Change and Health Assessment Report led by Health Canada. Katie holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. For her doctoral research, she investigated formal and informal responses (policies, programs, and practices) to the psychosocial impacts associated with a changing climate. In addition to her academic accomplishments, Katie was trained in 2018 by Al Gore as a Climate Reality Leader. You can find out more about Katie Hayes’s work by visiting: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Katie-Hayes-7  

On this episode of OnPsych, we welcome Dr. Kris Boksman  — psychologist, intensive interventionist, professional mentor and clinical instructor  — to the podcast!ABOUT OUR GUESTDr. Kris Boksman, Ph.D., C.Psych., is a registered clinical psychologist and the owner of Limestone Clinic. She works with a wide array of client populations, licensed to work across the age spectrum and provides services to children, teens, adults, and seniors. Dr. Boksman's academic journey began with an Honours Bachelor of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Psychology from the University of Waterloo. She earned her Master's degree in Clinical Psychology, from Western University, and later obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, also from Western University.Dr. Boksman employs the treatment modality/blend of treatments that is the best fit for each individual, including but not limited to: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Hypnosis, Relaxation Training, or Behavioural Therapy.You can find out more about Dr. Boksman and her work by visiting: www.limestone.clinic

On this episode of OnPsych, we welcome Dr. Barbara Landau — Psychologist, Lawyer, Mediator, Arbitrator and trainer — to the podcast! ABOUT OUR GUESTDr. Barbara Landau, C.M., Ph.D., LL.B., LL.M., is the president of “Separation Pathways,” a multi-disciplinary, client-centred, safe and affordable choice for families seeking a cooperative option outside court. Dr. Landau is a leader in the field of mediation and family dispute resolution. She is devoted to improving access to justice for families and reducing unnecessary conflict for children experiencing separation. Barbara’s longstanding commitment to supporting her community and peers is evident in her work – both past and present. A few of her former roles include:·      Executive member of the ADR Section of the Ontario Bar Association·      Vice President of the ADR Institute of Ontario·      President of the Ontario Association for Family Mediation·      Executive Board member of the Academy of Family Mediators (now ACR)·      Director of the Psychology Foundation of Canada, chairing the “In Place of Violence” Committee. Notably, Dr. Landau was awarded the Order of Canada for her contribution to family law reform and as an advocate in Canada and internationally for interfaith cooperation, human rights, democracy, and peace.You can learn more about Dr. Landau and her work by visiting: www.separationpathways.ca

On the season 3 premiere of OnPsych, we welcome Dr. Richard Amaral — psychologist, author and speaker — to the podcast! ABOUT OUR GUESTDr. Richard Amaral, Ph.D., is a registered psychologist in private practice working with adolescents, adults, and families both online and in-person.  He is also the author of, “The Promise Wheel: Psychology for Growth and Balanced Living.”Dr. Amaral received his Ph.D. from the University of Calgary in applied psychology. He received his Master’s degree in counselling psychology from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, focusing on adolescents and addictions. His Bachelor of Science degree, also in psychology, is from the University of Toronto, the city where he is proudly born and raised.Dr. Amaral has special interests in addictions, anxiety, anger management, stress, trauma, and balanced living. He utilizes a variety of strategies to help people change, grow, and lead balanced lives. He lives with his wife and twin daughters in Whitby, Ontario. You can find out more about Dr. Amaral and his work by visiting his website at www.PsychologyForGrowth.com. 

On this episode of OnPsych, Dr. Jonathan Douglas sits down with guest, Dr. Julie Bindeman,  to explore the multi-faceted realm of Reproductive Psychology — the scope of work, current challenges, and future potential. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Dr. Julie Bindeman graduated from the George Washington University and is the co-owner of Integrative Therapy of Greater Washington in Rockville, Maryland. Her specialty is in the field of Reproductive Psychology, where she actively writes, lectures, and presents.  She is an approved consultant in EMDR through EMDRIA. She has served on several committees within the Mental Health Professional Group of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and was elected in 2021 to its Executive Committee.  She served as a former Board Member of the Maryland Psychological Association for over 10 years. Dr. Bindeman is a member of multiple organizations focused on Maternal and Reproductive Mental Health and was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to serve on its Maternal Mental Health Task Force. She was recently awarded the Karl Heiser Award for her legislative efforts on behalf of psychology. Dr. Bindeman has published several chapters and articles pertaining to Reproductive Psychology. 

On this episode of ONPsych, we hear from Dr. Beth Rom-Rymer to learn why her professional legacy has led many to consider her a force for social change within the field of Psychology. ABOUT OUR GUEST Beth N. Rom-Rymer, Ph.D. has been a pioneer throughout her life. She was in the first class of women at Princeton University, graduating in 1973.  She created the Victim-Witness Assistance Unit in the State Attorney's Office, Tallahassee, Florida, in 1977, which continues, today, as a robust service for crime victims and witnesses throughout the 2nd judicial circuit. During her tenure in the State Attorney’s Office, she worked on the Ted Bundy serial murder case, 1978-1979. During that time, Dr. Rom-Rymer co-founded and was the first Board president of Refuge House, a shelter for surviving families of domestic abuse in Tallahassee, Florida. Throughout her professional career, she has continued to champion a variety of initiatives, often finding herself stepping up into leadership capacities when she recognizes need. Her desire to study Clinical Psychopharmacology during the 1990's is just one example of this, leading her on the path to become a national leader in the advocacy for psychologists' prescriptive authority. At the time of this recording, Dr. Rom-Rymer is also a candidate for the American Psychological Association, President-elect (2023). 

Dr. Jonathan Douglas sits down with Dr. Jiaying Zhao on this episode of the On Psych Podcast to discuss how we might leverage basic personal income as a means of improving mental health.About Our GuestDr. Jiaying Zhao is the Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Sustainability and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Zhao's work centers around the use of psychological principles to design behavioural solutions to address financial and environmental sustainability challenges. Specifically, Dr. Zhao examines the cognitive consequences of poverty and designs interventions to alleviate the psychological burdens of low-income individuals. In addition, Dr. Zhao develops behavioural interventions to encourage climate actions, recycling, composting, and biodiversity conservation. Dr. Zhao has served as a research advisor and consultant for a dozen government organizations, including Privy Council Office, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Policy Horizons Canada, Behavioural Insights Group in the Province of British Columbia, City of Vancouver, and the U.S. Social and Behavioral Sciences Team. 

On this episode of the On Psych Podcast Dr. Jonathan Douglas and Dr. Raywat Deonandan sit down to discuss the art of science communication in the public sphere. About Our GuestRaywat Deonandan, PhD, is an Epidemiologist and Associate Professor with the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa, as well as a Senior Fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto. An award-winning novelist and journalist, Deonandan became recognizable in national and international media during the COVID-19 pandemic, appearing in over 2000 newspaper, television, radio, and podcast interviews. He continues to advise government, media, community groups, and the private sector on matters pertaining to the pandemic, and on how to communicate public health challenges to a variety of audiences.

OPA President, Dr. Julie Goldenson, sits down with host, Dr. Jonathan Douglas, to discuss the relevance, focus, and ambitions of the OPA as the organization continues to adapt to meet the needs of its community.About Our GuestDr. Julie Goldenson is a clinical and forensic psychologist and the current President of the Ontario Psychological Association. She has been practising psychotherapy, supervising psychotherapists, conducting forensic assessments, researching, and teaching for over 16 years.  Dr. Goldenson currently holds a position as an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto (OISE) in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Behaviour. She is passionate about trauma-informed forensic mental health practice and publishes and teaches on this topic.  Dr. Goldenson is also a member of the Program of Psychiatry and the Law in association with Massachusetts Mental Health and Harvard University and was the 2021 recipient of the Strasburger Award for her contributions to this program. She sits on the College of Psychologists of Ontario’s Fitness to Practice Committee and is a member of several organizations including the Canadian Psychological Association, the Canadian Association of Psychologists in Disability Assessment, the Association for Treatment of Sexual Abusers, the American Psychology-Law Society, the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, and the Society for Personality Assessment. 

February is Psychology month!On this very special episode of On Psych, host, Dr.Douglas sits down with the hon. Minister Tibollo for a candid conversation around psychology, mental health, and a few other important topics that you will not want to miss. About our guest. Prior to taking office, the Hon. Michael A. Tibollo volunteered as a certified addictions counsellor and advocated for a bed-based therapeutic community in the City of Vaughan, seeking to support those struggling with mental health and addictions challenges.Passionate about helping those faced with mental health and addictions challenges, Minister Tibollo is currently pursuing his PhD in Clinical Psychology with a focus on Addictions and Concurrent Disorders through the University of Southern California. Minister Tibollo holds several Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation (CACCF) certifications, including:Canadian Certified Addiction Counsellor (C.C.A.C.)Canadian Certified Recovery Coach (C.C.R.C.)Canadian Indigenous Addiction Counsellor (C.I.A.C.)Canadian Certified Telemedicine Addiction Counselling Professional (C.C.T.A.C.P.)  Minister Tibollo proudly serves the people of Ontario as the province’s very first Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and has made it his mission to create a connected system of care with comprehensive wrap-around services, so that every Ontarian can be fully supported in their journey towards mental wellness. 

ON Psych is back for season two!In the first episode of season two, Dr. Douglas sits down with Mark Baxter, President of the Police Association of Ontario two discuss mental health in policing. This is an episode that you will not want to miss.  About Our Guest:Mark Baxter is President of the Police Association of Ontario (PAO). Mark was first elected to the PAO Board of Directors in 2014 as a Uniform Director. Since that time, Mark has been actively engaged in provincial matters related to policing, including holding the position of Board Chair for five of the last seven years. Mark has been a police officer with the Brantford Police Service since January 2005. Throughout his 15+ year career, Mark has worked in front-line patrol, as a high school resource officer, as a qualified collision reconstructionist in traffic services and, most recently, as a front-line patrol Sergeant. Mark was elected as the Vice President of the Brantford Police Association in 2012, and elected President in 2015. He held the position of Brantford Police Association President until 2021 when he was elected as PAO President by members across the province. Mark lives in Brantford, ON and has two young sons – seven-year-old Jackson, and five-year-old Harrison. In his spare time, Mark is a basketball referee, officiating USport games at the national level as well as games for the National Basketball League of Canada.

In October of 2021, the OPA along with the City of Toronto hosted a virtual conference for front-line workers.  The conference was aimed at essential workers and managers to help and support them as they deal with emotional exhaustion and burnout from COVID-19. During the conference, we recorded a number of engaging conversations that we're now presenting to our ON Psych listeners!This episode is taken from a  discussion called, Building Resiliency Pathways, presented by Dr. Katy KamkarWe hope you enjoy.

In October of 2021, the OPA along with the City of Toronto hosted a virtual conference for front-line workers.  The conference was aimed at essential workers and managers to help and support them as they deal with emotional exhaustion and burnout from COVID-19. During the conference, we recorded a number of engaging conversations that we're now presenting to our ON Psych listeners!This episode is taken from a panel discussion on the Impacts on Service Providers, and features Dr. Taslim Alani-Verjee, Dr. Althea Monteiro and Dr. Jonathan Douglas. We hope you enjoy.

In this episode, Dr. Douglas has a candid chat with Christine Newman, LGBTQ2S Peer Support Advisor & Lived Experience Facilitator, Peer and Trauma Support Systems team, Mood Disorders Society of Canada , Facilitator - First Eyes | The Proactive Family Mental Health Program, Author, Apple Teacher, Storyteller, Educator, Speaker. During this episode, listeners will hear and learn more about Newman's work in LGBTQ2S Peer Support as well as stories of her own lived experience which reminds us that we are more than a gender identity. 

On the latest episode of On Psych, Dr.Douglas sits down with the women behind the Intentional Therapist for a candid chat about self care. About the Intentional Therapist.We are Karen and Melissa, two mid-career(ish) psychologists who love what we do and also recognize how important it is to take care of ourselves in this work.  (Read more about our professional backgrounds here.)We know that there are so many other female mental health professionals like us who are trying to balance our careers with additional caregiving roles - whether young children (like Melissa), aging parents (like Karen), or anything in between. And who value self-care but struggle with making it a priority.

In this episode Dr. Douglas sits down with Dr. Sachiko (Sachi) Nagasawa, Director of Bay Psychology in North Bay, Ontario to discuss Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Dr. Sachiko Nagasawa is a registered clinical psychologist in the province of Ontario. She is the director of Bay Psychology, a private practice located in North Bay, Ontario and the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg Peoples and the Nipissing First Nation. She completed a neurobehavioral science internship at McGill University and holds a Ph.D from the University of Toronto. Dr. Nagasawa has clinical interests in the area of prevention and optimum wellness related to perinatal mental health, embodiment, and trauma. She provides individual and group treatment as well as resiliency training to First Responder organizations. Dr. Nagasawa sits on multiple regional and national committees including the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative (CPMHC), the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC), and Ontario Psychologists for Racial Justice (OPRJ). She is an author, university lecturer, and speaker at national conferences on various topics related to mental health.Websitewww.baypsychology.caFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/BayPsychologyInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/bay.psychology/Twitterhttp://www.twitter.com/DrSachikoNagasawa