WHO
Our team of clinicians provides client-centered compassionate and evidence-based psychological services to children, adolescents and adults.
Director, Psychologist
Dr. Julie Torrance-Perks (DIRECTOR)
Dr. Torrance-Perks (Director & Psychologist) received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Waterloo. She is a registered Psychologist and has worked in a number of clinical settings including the University of Waterloo Psychology Clinic, the Child and Family Centre at the Grand River Hospital, the Toronto Hospital and private practice.
Dr. Torrance-Perks conducts psychological assessments and therapy with adults, adolescents and children and provides therapy for couples. She provides supervision to psychologists and psychological associates and is an Adjunct Faculty member of the Psychology Department, University of Waterloo providing supervision to senior psychology graduate students.
Dr. Torrance-Perks has a special interest in wellness training and the use of clinical hypnosis to treat anxiety, depression, and habit disorders.
Psychologist
Dr. Robert Doering
Dr. Robert Doering (Psychologist) completed his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto and has been a registered psychologist in Ontario since 1982. He has had many years of clinical experience as a psychologist. He has been in private practice in Waterloo since 1991. Prior to this he was a psychologist at Thistletown Children’s Mental Health Centre, Peel Children’s Centre, Toronto Family Court Clinic, and Lutherwood in Waterloo.
He offers consultations, individual psychotherapy, and therapy for couples. He provides evidence-based psychological treatment for difficulties with anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, self-esteem, relationship challenges, career-related concerns, and problematic personality patterns.
Dr. Doering has trained extensively in mindfulness practice and related wisdom and psycho-spiritual traditions and often draws on mindfulness-informed and compassion-focused therapies.
Psychologist
Dr. KATHY LAWRENCE
Dr. Kathy Lawrence (Psychologist) received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology (Pasadena, California). A Registered Psychologist since 1996, she has worked with adolescents and adults in a variety of settings, including the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH, Toronto), Peel Children's Centre (Mississauga), Lutherwood Children's Mental Health Centre (Waterloo) and Grand River Hospital (Kitchener).
Dr. Lawrence provides consultations, assessment and psychotherapy with adolescents and adults. She draws from a variety of evidenced-based therapies, including cognitive-behavioural (CBT), cognitive-processing (CPT), dialectical-behaviour (DBT) and narrative therapies. Dr. Lawrence provides services for a variety of concerns, including depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, ADHD, relationship issues, self-esteem and work-related stress. She has worked extensively with individuals who have experienced trauma(s), including first responders, refugees, and individuals who have experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse and intimate partner violence.
Associate
Dr. Nikan Eghbali
Dr. Nikan Eghbali, Ph.D., C.Psych. (Supervised Practice) completed his doctoral degree in Clinical and Counselling Psychology at the University of Toronto. He has trained and worked in a variety of hospital settings including Sunnybrook Hospital, Homewood Health Centre, the University of Toronto’s OISE Psychology Clinic, and various private psychology practices. Through these experiences, he has gained extensive experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Dr. Eghbali provides various forms of psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and psychological education to individuals and groups with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, obsessive and compulsive tendencies, emotion dysregulation, traumatic experiences, low self-esteem and self-criticism, bereavement and grief, interpersonal and relationship issues, occupational and career-related concerns, sleep disorders, ADHD and executive functioning problems, and personality-related challenges.
Dr. Eghbali's theoretical orientation is shaped by multiple neuroscientifically grounded and evidence-based approaches including cognitive behavioral approaches, emotion-focused therapies, and mindfulness/self-compassion-focused modalities. His work is also enriched by his research and personal interest in the scholarly studies of growth through adversity, cultivation of wisdom, and the role of emotions in human psychology.
Dr. Eghbali currently works with adults seeking treatment and psychodiagnostic assessments.
Associate
Gabriela Sheinin
Ms. Gabriela Sheinin (Doctoral Associate) received her Master's degree in 2018 in Clinical Psychology. She is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Windsor and has completed her pre-doctoral residency at the Waterloo Region Psychology Consortium. She has experience providing evidence-based therapy, consultation, and conducting psychological assessments with children and adolescents of all ages, as well as providing therapy to young adults.
Ms. Sheinin has gained clinical experience at Kinark Child and Family Services (Greater Toronto Area, ON), The Children's Center (Detroit, MI), Greater Essex County District School Board (Windsor, ON), Psychological Services and Research Centre (Windsor, ON), Lutherwood (Waterloo, ON), and Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment (CMHRT; Waterloo, ON). She has training in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy, and behaviour management.
Ms. Sheinin has worked with individuals that are living with a variety of mental health difficulties (e.g., trauma, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, personality disorders, ADHD, developmental disorders). This mix of experiences has led her to focus on the whole client and incorporate into practice the various barriers and strengths that are present in their lives. Ms. Sheinin currently works with children, adolescents, and adults.
Associate
Aliya McNeil
Ms. Aliya McNeil (Doctoral Practicum Student) received her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology in 2023. She is currently completing her Ph.D. in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Waterloo.
Ms. McNeil has completed clinical training in a variety of settings including the Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment (University of Waterloo), the Child and Youth Mental Health Outpatient Program at Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre (Hamilton Health Sciences), and a private practice specializing in the treatment of selective mutism. She has experience working with individuals with a variety of mental health difficulties including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, selective-mutism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and emotion dysregulation.
Ms. McNeil provides consultations, psychological assessments and evidence-based therapy with children, adolescents and young adults. She has training in cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), and emotion-focused family therapy (EFFT). Ms. McNeil’s doctoral research also enhances her clinical knowledge as she investigates the impact of shame on individuals with OCD and anxiety.
Associate
Sarena Daljeet
Ms. Sarena Daljeet (Doctoral Practicum Student) received her Master's degree in Clinical Psychology in 2021. She is currently completing her Ph.D. in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Waterloo. Ms. Daljeet has received clinical training at the Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment (University of Waterloo), the Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre (Sunnybrook Health Sciences), as well as private psychology practices, including Broadleaf Health (Waterloo) and The Feelings Place (Toronto).
Ms. Daljeet has experience providing evidence-based therapy and conducting psychological assessments with children and adolescents of all ages, as well as providing therapy to young adults. She has worked with individuals with a variety of mental health difficulties, including anxiety, depression, behavioural issues, ADHD, emotion dysregulation, and selective mutism. She has a particular interest in providing services to caregivers looking to support their children of all ages. She has training in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), emotion-focused family therapy (EFFT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), behaviour management, and positive parenting strategies.
Ms. Daljeet’s research focuses on emotion-focused therapy for youth and their caregivers. She is also interested in the roles of the therapeutic relationship and client emotional processing in therapy outcomes.