Our Team

Dr. Anita Federici is a Clinical Psychologist and the Owner of The Centre for Psychology and Emotion Regulation, a private Clinic specializing in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders, personality disorders, and trauma. Anita has an established reputation for her work as a therapist, clinical trainer, researcher, program director and consultant. A distinguished Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders, Anita is a recognized authority on eating disorder treatment and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT). Her work has been presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals and invited book chapters.

Dr. Federici is a registered member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario and the elected Co-Chair for the Suicide and DBT Special Interest Group for the Academy for Eating Disorders. In 2019, she was awarded Business Woman of the Year by the Meridian Women of Excellence Committee for her outstanding contributions to the community and to the province. Anita has had a considerable impact on the field through her leadership and expertise. Over the past ten years, she has developed a robust training program, a wide network of allied health professionals, and a treatment centre in an underserved and rural region of Ontario. She has provided more than 100 lectures, workshops, and invited talks on eating disorders, DBT, the adaptation DBT for EDs, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and personality disorders. Known for her engaging and authentic style of training, Anita has become a highly sought-after consultant for numerous hospitals and community based organizations across North America who are seeking to improve treatment programs or expand access.

When she is not training and consulting to other clinical professionals in her field, she’s working at her private practice providing supervision and support to her team. In addition to DBT and CBT, Anita is also intensively trained by the developers of Cognitive Processing Therapy. Recently, Anita started an online petition to raise awareness about the lack of treatment for eating disorders in Canada. As of December 2020, the petition has more than 21,000 signatures. Midland community members, Dr. Federici’s colleagues, National Eating Disorder Information Centre, WaterStone Foundation, F.E.A.S.T., and Body Brave support the petition, and it has received coverage by Simcoe.com and NEWSTALK 1010 Radio. Dr. Federici hopes that through leading this movement, she can affect positive change by increasing treatment access for her clients and the 2.8 million Canadians who suffer from eating disorders.

View Anita’s CV.

Dr. Mengran Xu  (he/him)
Clinical and Counselling Psychologist

Member of NIHB

Dr. Xu received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Waterloo and is registered as a clinical and counseling psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.

Dr. Xu specializes in the assessment and treatment of adults presenting with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Eating Disorders, Borderline Personality Disorder, and related conditions, using a variety of evidence-based interventions (such as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy).

Dr. Xu is a certified provider, consultant, and trainer for Cognitive Processing Therapy, and a certified provider of Prolonged Exposure. These two interventions are usually referred to as the “gold-standard treatments” for PTSD.

In addition to his work with Midland DBT, Dr. Xu works full-time as a clinical psychologist at Canadian Forces Base Borden and provides mental health services to current Canadian Armed Forces members. He also works as an adjunct faculty for the psychology department at the University of Waterloo.

Dr. Xu has previously held several positions in both outpatient and inpatient mental health settings, including Campus Wellness at the University of Waterloo, the Waterloo Psychology Group, and the Eating Disorders Program of Homewood Health Centre. Dr. Xu completed his pre-doctoral residency at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. During his residency year, he worked at the Eating Disorders Program as well as the Borderline Personality Disorder Clinic.

In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Xu has extensive research experience in anxiety disorders and mindfulness-based interventions and has published several peer-reviewed journal articles in these areas. He has also published several books and online courses, provided professional workshops, and conducted various presentations on topics such as trauma, eating, weight, and emotion regulation.

Dr. Xu is also fluent in Chinese and can provide assessment and treatment in Mandarin.

Dr. Niki Dignard, Clinical Psychologist (she/her)

Dr. Niki Dignard received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Windsor and is a registered clinical psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. She trained in a variety of settings during her graduate studies and completed her pre-doctoral residency at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) in the Borderline Personality Disorder and Intensive Day Treatment Programs.

Dr. Dignard’s graduate research was focused on body image and eating disorders and reflects her view of mental health: that wellness is about more than the absence of symptoms. Drawing on research investigating positive body image, embodiment, and intuitive eating, her doctoral research was focused on exploring yoga as a novel intervention for individuals with eating disorders to help them move from a state of tolerating their body to feeling connected with and empowered by it.

Dr. Dignard specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, borderline personality disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and related conditions. She draws on her extensive training to use a variety of evidence-based approaches including cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), emotion-focused therapy (EFT), mindfulness, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and specialized adaptations of these.

Dr. Dignard believes that the right approach should be based on evidence and should reflect the individual and their unique challenges and strengths. She has been known to do a happy dance to celebrate her client’s growth in treatment and believes that her job is to work her way out of having a job. She views clients as experts in their lives and enjoys working with them to help explore what it means to be alive and to learn the skills to build a life that is joyful and feels worth living (even if it sometimes hurts).

When she is not working, Dr. Dignard loves making a mess of the kitchen while trying new recipes, running, and snuggling with her two rescue cats (though only one of them actually likes snuggles).

Dr. Healey Gardiner

 Mental Health Clinician ( she/her)

Dr. Healey Gardiner is a Clinical Psychologist supervised by Dr. Anita Federici (the Center for Psychology and Emotion Regulation) and Dr. Jasmine Mahdy (Sick Kids, The Clinic on Dupont). Dr. Gardiner received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Windsor and is presently completing supervised practice for registration with the College of Psychologists of Ontario as a clinical and health psychologist with adults and adolescent populations.

Dr. Gardiner specializes in the assessment and treatment of adults and adolescents presenting with eating disorders, PTSD, mood and anxiety disorders, borderline personality disorder, and related conditions or concerns. She has training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, and Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT). Dr. Gardiner views herself as an integrative clinician and takes a client-centered approach with awareness of diverse needs. Using evidence-based approaches, she has worked with diverse client presentations including LGBTQ2sIA+, ethnicity, and disability. Most recently, she completed her pre-doctoral residency at The Ottawa Hospital working in The Rehabilitation Centre and the Regional Centre for Eating disorders.

A born-and-raised resident of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Dr. Gardiner is thrilled to provide virtual services while living in the Northwestern Ontario city that she calls home. When not working, she can usually be found spending time outside in nature, usually accompanied by her dog.

Dr. Darcy Waisman, M.D. FRCPC  Psychiatrist, Medical Doctor  

Dr. Darcy Waisman completed her medical training as a Psychiatrist with the University of Toronto, and is a Board-Certified Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada. She previously completed a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Alberta and obtained her Medical Degree, with Honours, from the National University of Ireland, University College Dublin.  

 Dr. Waisman has experience both as a specialist and general psychiatrist, who has practiced in both hospitals and in the community, in the Greater Toronto Area, including most recently, Credit Valley Hospital, CAMH and Toronto General Hospital, where she has been privileged to be involved in the treating of individuals with a wide range of mental health presentations, in inpatient, urgent care, outpatient and emergency room settings. Furthermore, Dr. Waisman is extensively trained in and has more than a decade of experience providing numerous psychotherapy modalities, including, but not limited to, individual and group Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Mindfulness, and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.  

 Dr. Waisman is a knowledgeable, dedicated and collaborative physician, who is open, curious and supportive of her patients and their mental health journeys. She would describe herself as a life-long learner, an avid traveler and someone who loves to read, cook, explore nature and spend time with loved ones. 

 Dr. Waisman is honoured and delighted to be joining the team at The Centre For Psychology and Emotion Regulation. 

Rachel Gerow, MA, RP (she/her) 
Registered Psychotherapist

Carla Katsuno, MACP, RP (she/her)

Victoria Weatherston, MACP, RP (she/her)

Trent Simons (he/him)
Registered Psychotherapist
Trauma Team Lead

Trent is a Registered Psychotherapist with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counselling (Indigenous Studies emphasis) from Tyndale University and Seminary. Trent brings diverse personal, educational and professional experiences to the room, having received his first Master’s Degree in 2002 in Community Economic Development, spent time in over 25 countries, and was born and raised in the Philippines. He also worked for five years as a Family Services Worker for the Children’s Aid Society, ten years as an Associate Pastor of a local church, where he became an ordained minister, and three years at Chigamik Community Health Centre as a therapist and team manager.

Trent has provider status for Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and has been trained in DBT Prolonged Exposure and DBT for cPTSD. He has extensive training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and is also trained in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Radically Open DBT, Eating Disorder treatment, and Narrative Therapy.  He specializes in working with PTSD, anxiety and mood disorders, Eating Disorders and is able to provide services to indigenous clients through NIHB.

While Trent brings some training and experience in the area of therapy and counselling, you are the expert on your life. Therapy is a collaborative process in which your experiences (both positive and negative) and strengths combine with the skills a therapist has learned to move you towards becoming the person you were meant to be.

Trent has lived in this community for nearly 20 years. When not in the office, you might find him enjoying time with his lovely wife of over 20 years or their 2 boys. Or you might see him on the soccer pitch trying to kick a ball in a net.

Fayssoux Bombardier, MSW, RSW (she/her)
Registered Social Worker/Therapist

Fayssoux works with a compassionate inquiry approach toward a collaborative relationship where you can safely explore and manage issues in your life. With training and experience in a variety of evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative, Attachment models, Solution Focused and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction techniques. She is also trained in Traumatic Incident Reduction, a systematic method to locate, review, and resolve traumatic events.

With over 15 years of experience in the field including within hospitals, family systems work, community clinics, and social service settings Fayssoux brings a wealth of understanding and skill toward inspiring mental wellness. She completed her BSc in Psychology and Women’s Studies while working in various youth and family program initiatives on a military base in Nova Scotia. Following that she obtained a Masters Degree in Social Work and keeps current with numerous additional clinical training and certifications. She is also an experienced facilitator who has taught mental health awareness to both clinical and corporate environments tailored to meet the needs of each unique group.

Her passion is therapy and the awareness and peace of mind that can come out of this important work. Together with her partner, she is raising a young family here in Georgian Bay, exploring the beauty of the area and taking time to enjoy the simple things in life.

Anita Maria Pudlik MA, MSW, RSW (she/her)

Registered Social Worker/Therapist

Anita has worked in hospitals in the GTA for almost 30 years. Over the past several years, she has been a therapist within the Eating Disorders Program.  She has also previously assisted persons who have experienced traumatic injuries as well as individuals living with chronic illness.

Anita holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Toronto as well as a Master of Arts (Sociology) degree. She has extensive training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) from the School of Continuing Education, University of Toronto, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), and is a Level 1 Therapist in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy.

Anita has maintained a daily mindfulness and meditation practice for 25 years and has learned from many wonderful teachers – Jon Kabat-Zinn, Kristin Neff, Mark Coleman, Susan Woods, Bill Knight to name a few. Anita has experience teaching mindfulness while applying some empirically tested mindfulness-based protocols.

In therapy, Anita wants to offer warmth and compassion, clarity of thought and precision of language, practical skills and a sense of connection, full acceptance, and a strong invitation for change.

Anita likes any type of physical activity (cleaning the house included) and any type of learning.

Amanda Barron, MSW, RSW (she/her)
Registered Social Worker

Amanda Barron is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.  Amanda has a Drug and Alcohol Counsellor Diploma from Canadore College, a Bachelor of Social Work Degree from Laurentian University, and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Carleton University.

Amanda has been honoured to accompany individuals on their journey of self-discovery and recovery for the past twenty years.  Her primary areas of focus include; trauma recovery, substance use disorders, insomnia, mood disorders, and the treatment of eating disorders.  Amanda has completed specialized training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, CBT for Insomnia, CBT-E for Eating Disorders, Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT skills for Adolescents & Families, and Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD.

Amanda’s engaging and caring approach is centered on client needs with an emphasis on strengths, activation strategies, and enhancing access to inner wisdom.  Amanda offers a compassionate environment where exploration, learning, and growth are supported and encouraged.  A life worth sharing is possible; Amanda can support you with identifying what might be getting in the way of your overall well-being and developing a plan to overcome these obstacles.

Rosalyn Kieft, BA, BSW, MSW, RSW (she/her)
Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist
Clinical Consultation and Wellness Lead

Rosalyn Kieft is a Registered Social Worker & Psychotherapist with the Ontario College of Social Workers & Social Service Workers. She completed her Masters of Social Work with the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Social Work with McMaster University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English with McMaster University as well.

Rosalyn knew at a young age that she wanted to help others, and her lived experience & practical education have allowed her to do this for over ten years now. With a background in youth work, interpersonal trauma, and addictions counselling, she now specializes in providing trauma treatment to specific populations including veterans, first responders, and members of First Nations communities. To provide her clients with a variety of options for trauma treatment, Rosalyn has extensive training in multiple therapeutic approaches including prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD (PE), trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy (TF-CBT), internal family systems therapy for trauma (IFS), attachment-focused therapy, narrative therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). She is also a certified provider of cognitive processing therapy (CPT), and has received extensive training from the creators of CPT in delivering this therapy to groups and individuals.

In addition to providing trauma treatment, Rosalyn also enjoys supporting folks to learn how to live with anxiety, tune into their emotions, and use effective coping strategies to create a life that accurately reflects their values. She is part of the dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) team at the Centre, providing DBT for individuals and groups; she is also trained in acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT) and radically-open dialectical behavior therapy (RO-DBT). Additionally, she is able to provide couples counselling, trained in Level 1 of the Gottman Method Couples Therapy. She is a registered provider with Medavie Blue Cross and the Non-Insured Health Benefits program.

Outside of work, Rosalyn prioritizes self-care and time with family. You can find her reading, cooking new recipes, and taking her rambunctious dog Stevie out for adventures on the water.

Sara Robb, MSW, RSW (she/her)

Registered Social Worker/Therapist

Sara is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.  She completed her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Toronto and has worked in the mental health and eating disorder field for eight years.  Sara’s clinical experience includes work in university, community, and non-profit settings, as well as in hospital settings.  For the past few years she worked as a social worker and therapist at Credit Valley Hospital’s eating disorder program.  She has comprehensive training in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), with additional training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Enhanced (CBT-E).  She specializes in working with eating disorders, body image distress, anxiety, and emotion dysregulation.

Sara strives to provide a collaborative, warm, and non-judgmental space, where together you can use compassion, curiosity, and at times gentle humour to explore and make sense of your emotions, thoughts, bodily sensations, and behaviours. She cares about deeply understanding clients’ experiences in order to help them accept themselves while also helping them create change toward their therapeutic goals.

When not working or learning about new research in the field, Sara is an avid camper and loves being in nature as much as possible. In suboptimal weather, you can find her curled up reading, listening to music, cooking, and trying to be patient with herself while she learns to watercolour paint.

Nicole Turner (she/her)
Registered Dietitian

Nicole Turner is a registered dietitian with the College of Dieticians of Ontario. She completed her Bachelor of Applied Science in Nutrition and Food from Ryerson University and her Masters of Public Health from The University of Waterloo. Nicole then completed her dietetic internship at Hamilton Health Sciences. Her experiences include working in the neurology department at McMaster Children’s Hospital and working in the eating disorder unit at Southlake Regional Health Centre.

Nicole lives in Innisfil with her young family and two big dogs. She would like to continue to serve the eating disorder population and help to provide further access to care.

Paula Ng (she/her)
Registered Dietician

Paula has been a Registered Dietitian since 2009. She provides nutrition counselling services to adults, adolescents and children, specializing in: eating disorders/disordered eating; behavioural feeding issues; childhood nutrition and picky eaters.
Paula has training in motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), all of which inform her practice.
She has worked in various hospital-based eating disorder treatment programs for many years, as well as inpatient general psychiatry, diabetes education centres and in long term care. She studied at the University of Toronto and University of Western Ontario and completed her dietetic internship at North York General Hospital.

Holly Dickinson, RP (she/her)
Registered Dietitian

Holly Dickinson started working as a Registered Dietitian in the area of eating disorders 15 years ago after she obtained her bachelor of science nutrition degree from The University of Western Ontario and dietetic internship at The University Health Network. 

Holly enjoys the rewards and challenges of working in mental health, specifically eating disorders. Holly uses a weight-inclusive approach, helping clients recognize and learn the skills needed to improve and normalize their relationship with food. 

Soon into her career, Holly recognized the importance of having a strong therapeutic background as a Dietitian working within the field. She recognized that although she was working as a Dietitian, a lot of her time was spent offering emotional support through nutrition counselling. She decided to go back to school as she wanted to expand her counselling skills.

Holly completed her Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology at OISE, Toronto, Ontario. She then applied for membership at the College of Psychotherapists and is pleased to say she is now a Registered Psychotherapist, as well as a Dietitian.

Holly has experience working in both an inpatient and outpatient setting and has completed extensive training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).  She has experience running and co-facilitating a number of groups, including CBT and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. She has experience working individually with clients using Motivational Interviewing techniques in order to help clients meet goals and facilitate behaviour change. During her schooling, Holly completed a practicum working in an individual CBT-based relapse prevention program for those who just completed intense treatment and working on maintaining their recovery goals. 

Holly is thrilled to be a member of The Centre for Psychology and Emotion Regulation team.

Megan Bolt, MA (she/her)
Therapist

Cortney Lacroix (she/her)

MACP, Registered Psychotherapist

Cortney completed her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and is supervised by Trent Simons. Cortney has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Human Kinetics in Applied Sport Psychology from the University of Ottawa.

Cortney has training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). She has a range of clinical interests including eating disorders, anxiety and mood disorders, trauma, and emotion regulation.

Cortney is grateful to be living near Georgian Bay and working in the community where she grew up. Outside of work, Cortney spends most of her time with her family, dog (Ari), and friends. She also enjoys being active and spending time in nature such as hiking and paddle boarding.

Samantha Kittell, MSW, RSW (she/her)

Registered Social Worker

Samantha is a Registered Social Worker & Psychotherapist with the Ontario College of Social Workers & Social Service Workers.  She completed her Masters of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology at the University of Waterloo.

Samantha has received training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).  She has experience working in a variety of agencies that specialize in mental health and addictions.  Samantha has spent the last few years working at the Canadian Mental Health Association, where she works part-time as a mental health clinician.  Samantha strives to create a safe, respectful, and compassionate environment where individuals can express themselves.  She is passionate about empowering individuals so they can recognize their internal strengths and make meaningful changes.

Kari Loyst, MA, RP (she/her)

Danielle Sugar RP (Qualifying) Practicum Student

Danielle is currently completing her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and is supervised by Trent Simons. 

Danielle has a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care from Ryerson University in Toronto (now known as Toronto Metropolitan University).   

Danielle has training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) as well as Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for eating disorders (CBT-E). She has over 15 years of experience working with children and youth in public and private school systems as well as hospital settings. Danielle continues to work in an International private school setting as well as an inpatient hospital program for children and adolescents with eating disorders. She is passionate about learning and understanding clients and their experiences as she supports them within a compassionate and collaborative counseling environment.  Danielle prides herself on providing a warm and safe space for her clients to share their lived experiences and worldview through active listening. Human connection is something that Danielle values most in the therapeutic space.   

Danielle resides in Aurora, Ontario with her husband and 3 children ages 10, 8, and 6.  When she is not working, Danielle loves to spend time outdoors with her family. She is also an avid movie buff and animal lover. Danielle is proud and excited to be a part of the team. 

Rebecca Graham (she/her)

MACP RP

Jodi Oschefski (she/her)
Office Manager

Jodi was born and raised in Midland and is a proud member of her community.  She has an educational background in Office Administration.  She is caring, compassionate and always eager to meet new people, which she does through her time volunteering with a variety of charities.  Jodi stays busy chasing around her active toddler, spending time with her family and watching/playing sports.

Rosie Collins (she/her)
Office Administrator

Rosie joined the Centre for Psychology in November 2020, bringing with her an extensive background in office administration within the hospital and family practice setting, where she worked in bookings, surgical scheduling and accounts payable/receivable. Rosie has a passion for listening and connecting with people, and believes that helping clients feel comfortable and at ease begins from their very first phone call.

In her spare time, you can find Rosie with her husband and two daughters, traveling across Canada by RV, with the dream of exploring each and every province within Canada and beyond. They share their heart and home with two lovable dogs, and a teeny-tiny rescue kitty named Mia. Camping, reading and crocheting are just a few of her favourite activities.

Brenda Lefaivre (she/her)
Office Administrator

Brenda joins us with over twenty years of experience in customer service.  She is bilingual and has a passion for interacting with people and building lasting relationships

Brenda is organized, compassionate, and a good listener.  She will do her best to help clients and place them with the clinician that best suits their needs.

Brenda can be found outside enjoying all that nature has to offer including everything she does with her dog,  riding her horses, playing golf, yoga, meditation in the woods/by the water, reading, hiking, swimming, cycling, kayaking, and camping.

Katie Lalonde (she/her)
Social Media Coordinator