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Dr. Gabriela Ionita, Registered Psychologist
Gabriela holds a PhD from McGill University and has over 10 years of experience providing counselling to children, youth, young adults, and their families. Although she is effective at helping clients manage a number of issues, her main areas of practice are in Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Tics, Body Focused Repetitive Disorder, Depression, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. She is also a mother of two amazing and spirited children. Being a mother has provided her with an additional layer of understanding of the challenges faced by families and the incredible strengths that can be discovered within each family. Read more. Leeloo (Therapy Dog in Training) Leeloo is our new therapy dog in training. She will be joining our team from time to time, with the hope that she wants a more regular position when she is ready. |
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Dr. Humaira Mohsin, Registered Psychologist
Humaira holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and has over 25 years of experience providing individual and group therapy to adults. She uses an integrative treatment approach to address mental health issues, primarily using Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Her clinical areas of expertise are in the areas of Anxiety, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Humaira believes that her own life, family, friends and work experience have provided her with opportunities to develop into an empathetic and effective psychologist. She believes that the therapeutic journey is a collaboration between two experts: one being herself, an expert in psychology and the other is her client, who is an expert in their own life. She works towards making therapy meaningful and helps people develop a life worth living. Read more. |
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Dr. Mahsa Rad, Registered Clinical Counsellor
Mahsa has a Ph.D. in Psychology and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, specializing in working with adults who struggle with Depression, Anxiety, Self-Esteem, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Masha also has a passion for working with transgender individuals and has extensive experience working with transgender persons for improved post-gender affirmation surgery adjustment and working with parents to help them better support their trans child. Aside from her clinical work, she has conducted cross-contextual research in Iran and Canada examining transgender individuals’ identity development. She continues to engage in research and is working as part of the Child and Teens Studies Lab at the University of British Columbia. Mahsa applies Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy, and other evidence-based approaches in her work. She also holds a client-centered, non-oppressive philosophy. She is a compassionate listener and has a strength in building relationships with others. Read more. |
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Kara Mulligan, M.Ed, Registered Clinical Counsellor
Kara Mulligan holds a Master’s degree from the University of British Columbia and is continuously engaged in professional development. Recently, she has completed post graduate courses specializing in attachment, parent, teen, and child relationships, anxiety, OCD, and trauma. Kara has been providing counselling for over 15 years. In the past, she worked at Child and Youth Mental Health, where she specialized in working with children and teens struggling with Anxiety, ADHD, Depression, Trauma Related Symptoms, and OCD. Kara has also gained extensive experience working with adults. Her approach is grounded in research and customized to each person she works with. She draws from several approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Emotion Focused Family Therapy, narrative therapy, parent, child and teen attachment, family of origin work, and expressive tools. Kara creates a warm, collaborative environment in which children, youth, and adults can easily engage and feel supported. Read More. |
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Maria Ogilvie, M.A., Registered Clinical Counsellor
Maria holds a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology from Adler University and has over 20 year experience providing counselling, behavioural support, and consultation to children, youth, and families. She is a Certified Positive Discipline Parenting Educator and has been trained as a Circle of Security parent group facilitator. Maria recently completed the Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions training. Maria specializes in addressing challenges related to behavioural concerns, emotion regulation, anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD and attachment. Maria uses a nonjudgmental, warm, family-centered and client-centered approach. Through the counselling process Maria supports individuals and families with strategies to improve communication and cooperation, as well as empower children and youth to develop life long skills to manage mental health challenges. Maria is passionate about working collaboratively with parents, children, and youth to help them discover their strengths, the courage to be imperfect, and the importance of repair. She believes that with support and encouragement clients can feel safe to explore tools/solutions that will help them work through challenges. Read more. |
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Alex Gheorghe, MSW, Registered Social Worker
Alex holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of British Columbia. She has completed post graduate training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and working with post traumatic stress using somatic experiencing. She specializes in working with trauma, anxiety, OCD, depression, addictive behaviors, relationship conflict, and chronic pain. Alex has been working in the mental health field for 10 years and has experience working in outpatient and inpatient counseling settings in the healthcare field. Alex also has experience facilitating groups, educational workshops, and large group presentations on a variety of mental health topics. Read more. |
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Cara Brand, M.A., Registered Clinical Counsellor
Cara holds an M.A. from the University of Victoria and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor. She has post-graduate training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Play Therapy, Emotion Focused Family Therapy and is currently training in EMDR. Cara has been providing counselling to children, teens, young adults and families for the past five years. She continues to work in Vancouver Coastal Health’s Child and Youth Mental Health program. Cara specializes in working with children, teens, and young adults struggling with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma Related Symptoms, OCD and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors. She is passionate about helping school-aged children and teens survive and thrive through the challenges of their early years while helping them build a solid foundation for life long mental health. Read more. |
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Poupak Toufanian, M.A., Registered Clinical Counsellor
Poupak holds a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and has been working with children and youth for 14 years in the North Vancouver School District. As a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), Poupak has worked at the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) and various non-profit organizations in providing therapy to children, youth, and their families. She specializes in the areas of anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, relationship difficulties, and parenting challenges. In her clinical work, Poupak applies Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), while also considering broader factors that may be impacting children and their families. Poupak is also able to offer counselling services in Farsi. Read more. |
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Hailea Williams, BA (Applied Psychology; Honours), Behavioural Specialist
Hailea Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Applied Psychology (Honours) with a specialization in Pre-Counselling. Currently, she is a working on her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology program at Simon Fraser University. Hailea plans to become a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC). Hailea has worked with children, youth, and adults in a variety of helping professions and has worked in the Psychology Lab at Douglas College over the past years. She has completed training the area of OCD, CBT, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Anxiety Intervention Support, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Hailea is currently working as a Behavioural Specialist at Nova Mental Health. Her roles is to support clients in practicing skills and strategies between sessions with therapists. She can collaborate with therapists and help implement the skill practice plan. Hailea has gained training in helping clients through Exposure and Response Prevention activities and is able to meet clients in the community. Read more. |
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Janelle Steckley, Psy.D. Students, Practicum Placement (Not Currently Taking New Clients)
Janelle Steckley is a Doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program at Adler University. Janelle is completing a supplemental practicum placement at Nova Mental Health and is providing clients with free services at this time, under the supervision of Dr. Gabriela Ionita. Read more. |