Dr. Susan Abbey

Psychiatrist-in-Chief, University Health Network

Dr. Susan Abbey is the Psychiatrist-in-Chief at UHN, Program Medical Director at the Centre for Mental Health and a Professor at University of Toronto's Department of Psychiatry. A member of the Department of Psychiatry since 1991, she has received numerous academic awards and honours, including the Robin Hunter Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Psychiatric Education and the Prix d'Excellence from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She has been the President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Abbey's research and clinical interests relate to the psychiatric care of patients in medical and surgical settings, and the use of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in the management of medical illness. She was an early adopter of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression (IPT), and has taught IPT to international audiences. She has been teaching MSBR since 2000 and is part of a research group studying the role of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in preventing depressive relapse following rTMS treatment.

Slides
Psychedelics in MDD & TRD: Not Quite Ready for Primetime

Nicole Bangloy

Registered Social Worker, University Health Network

Nicole Bangloy is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) and completed her Master of Social Work in the Health and Mental Health specialization at the University of Toronto. Currently, Nicole works at the Mental Health in Medicine Clinic at Toronto General Hospital, which specializes in providing psychiatric care to patients requiring mental health support due to a serious or complex medical condition. Nicole has almost a decade of experience in working in both acute and community health care settings in both BC and Ontario. She has worked in the Emergency Department (ED), the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), in Renal/Nephrology, in Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS case management and in Clinical Supervision. In her individual work, Nicole works with individuals struggling with medical trauma, injuries, and chronic illness to support them with processing grief and transitioning towards value-based living. Nicole uses an array of approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) Mindfulness, Grief and Loss, Strength and Resiliency and Anti-Oppression. 

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1420_Bangloy_Wright.pdf

Dr. Rodrigo Mansur

Clinician-Scientist, University Health Network

Dr. Mansur is a staff psychiatrist at the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Dr. Mansur completed his medical degree at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo/Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), Brazil. He received his Psychiatry residency training and PhD at UNIFESP/EPM; and Fellowship training in Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Dr. Mansur's primary clinical and research efforts focus on the intersection between metabolic and mood disorders, specifically the epidemiological, phenomenological and mechanistic aspects of these frequently co-occurring conditions. His interests include identifying novel biological mechanisms and developing integrated, empirically supported preventive and therapeutic strategies. Dr. Mansur has authored multiple peer-reviewed scientific articles and in 2016 received the Gerald L. Klerman Young Investigator Award of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).

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1115_Mansur_Rodrigo.pdf

Jenna McLeod

Team Lead for the Poul Hansen Family Centre for Depression, University Health Network

Jenna McLeod holds a Master of Social Work degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a certified teacher of the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy program, graduating from the University of California San Diego Center for Mindfulness. In addition, Jenna's interests in psychotherapy have led her to complete certificates in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy through the University of Toronto. As the Team Lead for the Poul Hansen Family Centre for Depression, Jenna leads and supports the team in providing high quality of care for patients and families. She has primarily worked in acute care settings with individuals with severe mental illnesses and has also led program development initiatives and contributed to research endeavours focused on behavioural activation. Jenna's clinical work focuses on individual and group therapy, navigation and resources and family support. Jenna's approach to care is collaborative and embodies a commitment to holistic patient-centred care.

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1035_McLeod_Jenna and Blakie Sahay.pdf

Dr. Joshua Rosenblat

Psychiatrist, University Health Network

Dr. Joshua Rosenblat is a staff psychiatrist and clinician-researcher at the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit (MDPU) within the Poul Hansen Family Centre for Depression at Toronto Western Hospital. His clinical and research focus is treatment-resistant unipolar and bipolar depression. He has authored and co-authored over a hundred journal articles and textbook chapters and received numerous local, national and international grants and awards. Dr. Rosenblat studied medicine at the University of Western Ontario and then completed his residency training in Psychiatry and graduate training in Pharmacology at the University of Toronto. 

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1550_Rosenblat_Josh.pdf

Blakie Sahay

Director of Clinical and Education Services, The Centre for Mindfulness Studies

Blakie Sahay (she/her), BA, BscOT., MEd., is an occupational therapist, psychotherapist, and mindfulness based program facilitator and teacher trainer. She is the Director of Clinical and Education Services, The Centre for Mindfulness Studies, Toronto, Ontario. She holds advanced certifications in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and has additional training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and various trauma-informed approaches. At the Centre for Mindfulness Studies (Toronto, Canada), Blakie facilitates a variety of mindfulness-based group programs, delivers professional development programs and mentors new mindfulness facilitators-in-training. She also provides tailored mindfulness-based workshops for various organizations and businesses from local libraries, mental health organizations to universities and large corporations. Blakie has a private occupational therapy practice working with veterans and active duty military personnel with mental health, trauma and/or addictions challenges. She is also a certified yoga teacher and is currently a student in a 2-year Dharma Meditation Teacher Training with True North Insight. Blakie has additional training in trauma informed, trauma sensitive mindfulness approaches, anti-racism training and anti-oppression therapy practice. She is part of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee at the Centre for Mindfulness Studies.

Greg Samuelson

Registered Nurse, Registered Psychotherapist, The Mindfulness Clinic

Greg Samuelson is a Registered Nurse and a Registered Psychotherapist. He has over 30 years experience in the mental health field working in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings. He currently works in a Complex General Psychiatry Clinic, at The Mindfulness Clinic in Toronto, and at his private practice GPS Psychotherapy. Greg has training in CFT, CBT, DBT, IPT, CPT, and Mindfulness based therapies. His current practice focuses on the use of Compassion Focused Therapy in individual psychotherapy. Greg was a founding member of the Canadian Network - Compassion Focused Therapy - Réseau Canadien. He facilitates an online CFT peer consultation group and in person CFT meetings for therapists in Toronto. He also provides supervision and consultation for therapists interested in learning to use the model of CFT with their clients. Greg’s Buddhist practice includes practicing and teaching in the Korean Ganhwasoen (Koan Zen) tradition. He received Dharma Transmission from his teacher in 2013. Greg has attended retreats with teachers from various Buddhist traditions.

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1300_WillisOConnor_Samuelson.pdf

Dr. Rickinder Sethi

Psychiatrist, University Health Network

Dr. Rickinder Sethi is a staff psychiatrist at UHN. He also provides psychiatric care in under-serviced clinics within Ontario. He completed his medical degree at the Medical University of the Americas in the West Indies and completed his residency training in the Department of Psychiatry at Western University. After residency, Dr. Sethi completed a fellowship in Psycho-Oncology and end-of-life care at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto. He has a clinical interest in novel approaches to treatment-resistant depression, including rTMS, ketamine and psilocybin.

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0840_Sethi_Rickinder.pdf

Dr. Daphne Voineskos

Psychiatrist, University Health Network

Dr. Daphne Voineskos is the Medical Lead of the rTMS Clinic and is a psychiatrist in the Poul Hansen Family Centre for Depression at UHN. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and also works as a Clinician Scientist at the Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention at CAMH. She completed medical training at the University of Nottingham, England, followed by specialty training in psychiatry at the University of Toronto. As Dr. Voineskos has a long-standing dedication to research, she pursued a PhD through the Institute of Medical Science and Clinician Investigator program at the University of Toronto. After a maternity leave, she completed her PhD in September 2019. Following psychiatric residency training, and during her PhD, she undertook a research training fellowship at the Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention. Dr. Voineskos’ scientific impact is advancing and personalizing investigational and therapeutic brain stimulation techniques in treatment refractory psychiatric disorders.

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0920_Voineskos_Daphne.pdf

Dr. Alan Wai

Psychiatrist, University Health Network

Dr. Alan Wai is a staff psychiatrist and clinician-teacher in the Division of Medical Psychiatry, and currentlyserves as the interim post-graduate education site director at UHN Centre for Mental Health. He is a lecturer and also acts as the Consultation-Liaison-Psychiatry rotation coordinator for the Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. He completed his medical training at University of British Columbia and psychiatry residency at University of Toronto. During his training, he served as one of the co-chief residents at St Michael's Hospital. He is particularly interested in caring for those who have overlapping mental and physical health concerns.

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1520_Wai_Alan.pdf

Sariné Willis-O'Connor

Mental Health Clinician, University Health Network

Sariné Willis-O'Connor is a Registered Psychotherapist who champions accessibility and equity in patient care. She is proficient in American Sign Language, and has worked extensively with members of the Deaf community and with individuals with disabilities. She has published and presented on psychotherapy research in Canadian and international publications and conferences, primarily on topics related to multicultural counselling. Sariné co-develops and facilitates the psychotherapy groups and services offered at the Poul Hansen Family Centre for Depression using her knowledge and skills in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT).

Shannon Wright

Nurse Practitioner, University Health Network

Shannon Wright is a primary healthcare nurse practitioner specializing in medical psychiatry at UHN who is passionate about combining physical and mental health care. She is also an adjunct lecturer in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto. Shannon completed a bachelor of science in nursing at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), later earning a master of science and Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Diploma at McMaster University. She holds national certification in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing through the Canadian Nurses Association. In 2018, she became the first nurse practitioner to win a prestigious fellowship from the Medical Psychiatry Alliance.