Ph.D Student
York University
Toronto, ON, Canada
Cassandra received her B.Sc. in Psychology from McMaster University in 2014 and most recently obtained her M.A. in Clinical-Developmental Psychology from York University in 2021. She is currently in the second year of her Ph.D., under the supervision of Dr. Robert T. Muller. Her ongoing research investigates unique factors that hinder or foster therapeutic alliance when working with LGBTQ+ minority groups in trauma therapy. Her recent co-authored publication, with Drs. Robert T Muller and Leah Keating focused on identifying welcoming factors and barriers to accessing trauma therapy for LGBTQ+ individuals and received the SAIGE 2021 Quantitative Article of the Year Award. In addition, Cassandra's research interests include understanding effective and accessible trauma interventions; her Master's thesis investigated the effectiveness of a tri-phasic trauma therapy approach in a community-based setting. She uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods and has presented her findings at several conferences, including the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, 38th Annual International Conference. Her doctoral work is currently funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Outside of research, Cassandra's clinical interests focus on the parent-child relationship and child mental health. She has trained in various community-based settings, as well as within private practices and hospitals in Canada. She has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in these settings. Recently, she has sought training in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), as well as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She practices from a scientist-practitioner model, where her research influences her clinical work, and clinical work sparks her research interests.
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Saturday, April 15, 2023
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM US Eastern Time
Monday, April 17, 2023
9:30 AM – 9:50 AM US Eastern Time