Dr. Monica Vermani
Clinical Psychologist

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

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Sept. 2018 to present

Start Living Corporate Wellness – Vitaodyssey Incorporation

Founder, Speaker, Executive Coach Consultant and Clinical Psychologist

 

Responsibilities:

• Facilitate Corporate Wellness programs for mental health awareness and treatment

• Corporate Wellness Consultant

• Speaking engagements for a variety of platforms/populations: Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH), College of Naturopathy, Anokhi Vibe, Ayurvedic Rituals Spa - Food for Mood 12-week Group Therapy, Empowerment and Learning from Friends  ELF Women’s Group, GTAA – Toronto Pearson Safety GTAA, FESTI Fire Services, BELL Canada, Breath~Body~Mind, SS Television, News Talk Sauga 960am, E Baba Ent., Badge of Life Canada, UHN – Lunch and Learns for Nurses 

• Educating groups and individuals on mental health and treatment options Facilitating Lunch and Learn Talks, Seminars, Workshops, Retreats

• Crisis Intervention in workplaces

• Train the Trainer Workshops

• Q&A for small employee groups, addressing mental health and wellness questions

• Psycho-education and Awareness on Coverage within Benefits

• Self-care for the Self-care Provider - Caregiver wellness (for nurses)

• Creation of an Online Platform for Self Help:  Life Lessons - A Deeper Wellness for ongoing continuous help for employees and their family members

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Oct. 2014 to present

Registered Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Monica Vermani, C. Psych. MV Psychological Services,

Dr. Vermani Balanced Wellbeing Private Practice (Toronto)

 

Responsibilities:

• Conducting Psychological Assessments: interviewing/diagnosing patients, note taking, administering, scoring & interpreting test protocols & writing assessment reports and relaying results to patients and relevant clientele

• Administrating Psychological, Vocational, Forensic, & Neuropsychological psychometric tests/measures

• Providing individual psycho-educational training and psychotherapy/counselling, and couple, family and group support for individual clients

• Therapist: Providing Crisis Intervention, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Mindfulness Meditation (Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction MBSR & Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy MBCT), Breath~Body~Mind Trauma relief and Stress Reduction to patients presenting with trauma, addictions/substance abuse, attention (ADD/ADHD), mood and anxiety disorders

• Training & Supervising students/volunteers

• Presenting data/research/symposiums at conferences and hospital research rounds

• Organizational Psychology – Facilitating Psychoeducation and Re- structuring and training seminars to employers/employees in corporations & small businesses

• Professional Psychological Executive Coaching

 

 

June 2019 to present

College of Psychologists of Ontario – Peer Reviewer 

Clinical Psychologist Dr. Monica Vermani, C. Psych. 

 

Responsibilities:

• Co-Facilitate Peer Reviews for the College of Psychologists of Ontario

 

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Aug. 2014 to June 2019

Clinical Psychologist

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute TRI - Lyndhurst Centre Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Unit

 

Responsibilities:

• Performed Crisis Intervention and Suicide/Pain/Mood & Anxiety Management with brain and spinal cord injury patients 

• Performed psychological assessments/consultations 

• Facilitated individual and group treatments

• Performed Psychoeducation Sessions, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychotherapy, EMDR, and Supportive Counselling

• Facilitated Mindfulness Meditation (MBSR, MBCT, and Breath~Body~Mind) Individual and Group Therapy

• Provided supervision and workplace team education and management

• Facilitated patient case planning meetings

• Wrote case notes and provide case management and treatment recommendations of inpatient/outpatient patient populations and their families
  
   

Nov. 2012 to Jan. 2015 

Clinical Psychologist 

Correctional Services of Canada (PS-03) Part-Time Fenbrook Institution & Beaver Creek Institution

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Responsibilities:

• Crisis Intervention and Suicide Management

• Perform psychological/forensic psychometric testing

• Facilitate treatment groups

• Perform individual psychotherapy with a forensic population

• Attend supervision- patient case planning meetings

• Write case notes, offender treatment assessment reports

 

 

Oct. 2012 to present

Breath~Body~Mind Group Therapy Teaching Assistant

to present Teaching Assistant for Military Workshops at Fort Drum.

Work alongside with Dr. Richard Brown and Dr. Pat Gerbarg

 

Responsibilities:

• Assisting in teaching the Breath~Body~Mind Course for the Military population

 

 

Sept. 2002 to present

Breath~Body~Mind Group Therapy Teaching Assistant

New York City & Watertown, NY—Serving Those That Serve Us (STWS).

Work alongside Dr. Richard Brown and Dr. Pat Gerbarg

 

Responsibilities:

• Assisting/Co-Facilitating Breath~Body~Mind Course for 9/11 Responders in NYC and War Veterans populations.

 

 

Apr. 2008 to Oct.2014

Clinical Psychologist 

Stress, Trauma, Anxiety, Rehabilitation and Treatment (START)

Clinic for Mood and Anxiety Disorders (Toronto)

 

Responsibilities:

• Administering the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) to patients referred to the tertiary care center presenting with mood, anxiety, substance abuse, psychotic and somatoform disorders

• Performing Psychological Assessments: interviewing patients, note taking, administering, scoring & interpreting test protocols & writing assessment reports and relaying results to patients and relevant clientele

• Administrating Psychological, Vocational, Forensic & Neuropsychological psychometric tests/measures

• Providing individual and group psycho-educational training

• Counselling Individuals and Couple/Family Units

• Therapist: Providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to patients presenting with Panic Disorder (with or without Agoraphobia), Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Specific Phobia

• Training & Supervising Students/Volunteers

• Presenting clinical cases to clinic staff for supervision and discussion

• Supervising Research Coordinators on clinical research trials:

  • Undertaking the initiation of the study

  • Preparing protocols and ethics submission

  • Financial management of clinical trials

  • Designing advertisements

  • Recruiting, screening & determining eligibility of subjects

  • Addressing adverse events

  • Completion of the clinical assessment packages

• Analyzing research data (using SPSS), interpreting results, and preparing manuscripts for publication

• Conducting literature searches & selecting research review articles

• Conducting research and writing clinical reports/papers for journal submissions

• Presenting data/research at conferences, symposia and research rounds

 

 

Jan. 2009 to Sept 2013

Adjunct Professor

Lakehead University - Faculty of Department of Psychology

 

Responsibilities:

• Co-facilitating Psychology Courses

• Supervising Students
   

 

Nov. 2008 to Jun. 2009

Adjunct Professor

Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning School of Social & Community Services

Faculty of Community and Justice Services Program

 

Responsibilities:

• Teaching Counselling Courses

 

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Oct. 2003 to Apr. 2008

Therapist & Research Coordinator

Stress, Trauma, Anxiety, Rehabilitation and Treatment (START)

Clinic for Mood and Anxiety Disorders (Toronto)

 

Responsibilities:

• Administering the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) to patients referred to the tertiary care center presenting with mood, anxiety, substance abuse, psychotic and somatoform disorders

• Administering the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y- BOCS) to thoroughly assess patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Therapist: Providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to patients presenting with Panic Disorder (with or without Agoraphobia), Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Specific Phobia

• Presenting clinical cases to clinic staff for supervision and discussion

• Coordinating clinical research trials

• Analyzing research data (using SPSS), interpreting results, and preparing manuscripts for publication

• Conducting literature searches & selecting research articles for review

• Conducting research and writing clinical reports/papers for journal submissions

• Presenting data/research at conferences, symposia and research rounds
  
   

Jul. 2000 to June 2005

Research Coordinator/Psychometrist 

Center for Addiction & Mental Health CAMH METFORS – Queen Street Site,

Clarke Institute of Psychiatry (Toronto) – Mood and Anxiety Disorders Clinic

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Responsibilities:

• Administering the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) to patients referred to the tertiary care center presenting with mood, anxiety, substance abuse, psychotic and somatoform disorders

• Administering the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y- BOCS) to thoroughly assess patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Therapist: Providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to patients presenting with Panic Disorder (with or without Agoraphobia), Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Specific Phobia

• Presenting clinical cases to clinic staff for supervision and discussion

• Coordinating clinical research trials

• Analyzing research data (using SPSS), interpreting results, and preparing manuscripts for publication

• Conducting literature searches & selecting research articles for review

• Conducting research and writing clinical reports/papers for journal submissions

• Presenting data/research at conferences, symposia and research rounds
  
   

Dec. 1997 to Jul. 2002

Psychometrist
Dr. Giorgio E. Ilacqua, Clinical Psychologist

 

Responsibilities:

• Performing psychological assessments: note taking, administering & scoring test protocols & writing draft reports

• Administrating Psychological, Vocational, Forensic, & Neuropsychological psychometric tests/measures (see appendix for comprehensive list)

• Provided supervised individual and group psycho-educational groups

• Supervised Individual and Couple/Family Counselling

• Driving Desensitization Therapy sessions

• Providing assessment & treatment to Hindi & Punjabi speaking clients

 

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Dec. 1997 to Sept. 1998

Treatment Group Facilitator

Vanier Centre for Women - Psychology Department Ministry of Correctional Services CSC

 

Responsibilities:

• Facilitated the Anti-Fraud and Substance Abuse treatment groups to the adult residents

• Evaluated and provided certificates to residents at the completion of course

• Wrote reference letters & brief reports to the parole board commenting on the resident’s motivation and performance

• Handled complex, emotional situations in a confident, empathetic manner

• Provided crisis intervention and counselling to residents

• Administered & scored psychological, vocational, forensic and neuropsychological psychometric tests

• Effectively worked with a diverse cultural spectrum of individuals Built trusting relationships, supporting residents

 

 

INTERNSHIP & PRACTICA

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Sept. 2005 to Oct. 2007
 

Psychology Doctoral Internship Student (1200 Hours)

Stress, Trauma, Anxiety, Rehabilitation and Treatment (START)

Clinic for Mood and Anxiety Disorders (Toronto)

Supervisors: Dr. Henny Westra & Dr. Martin Katzman

 

Responsibilities:

• Administering the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) to patients referred to the tertiary care center presenting with mood, anxiety, substance abuse, psychotic and somatoform disorders

• Administering the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y- BOCS) to thoroughly assess patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Therapist: Providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to patients presenting with Panic Disorder (with or without Agoraphobia), Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Specific Phobia

• Presenting clinical cases to clinic staff for supervision and discussion

• Coordinating clinical research trials:
  Undertaking the initiation of the study
  Preparing protocols and ethics submission
  Financial management of clinical trials
  Designing advertisements
  Recruiting, screening & determining eligibility of subjects
  Completion of the clinical assessment packages.
  Supervise medication dispensation

• Analyzing research data (using SPSS), interpreting results, and preparing manuscripts for publication

• Conducting literature searches & selecting research articles for review

• Conducting research and writing clinical reports/papers for journal submissions

• Presenting data/research at conferences, symposia and research rounds
  
   

Jul. 2004 to May 2005

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Psychology Doctoral Internship Student (1200 Hours)

Correctional Services of Canada CSC

Supervisors: Dr. Jeff Abracen & Dr. Robin Wilson

 

Responsibilities:

• Performed psychological testing to resistant & difficult criminal offenders

• Administered and scored various computerized psychological tests to a forensic psychiatric inpatient/outpatient population

• Co-facilitate two Sex Offender Treatment Groups

• Performed Individual Psychotherapy with a forensic population

• Attended supervision - patient case planning meetings

• Wrote Case Notes, Sex Offender Treatment Assessment Reports, and Group Progress Reports

• Performed research assistant duties

• Researched and analyzed various articles for court purposes (included within a literature review for a research study)

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Sept. 2003 to Jun. 2004

Psychology Doctoral Practicum Student (1200 Hours)

Lakeridge Mental Health Centre

Adult Outpatient Services & Child, Youth & Family Services Supervisors:

Dr. Deborah Azoulay & Dr. Lorne Sugar

 

Responsibilities:

• Performed psychological testing with Adult and Children Outpatients

• Administered and scored various psychological tests

• Performed Individual Counselling with adult patients with anxiety disorders

• Facilitated Child Anxiety Disorder Group Treatment Programs.

• Performed individual and family counselling

• Attended supervision - patient case planning meetings

• Facilitated an educational session teaching the basics of Anxiety Disorders

 

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Sept. 1998 to Aug. 1999

Research Assistant/Psychology Extern (600 Hours)

Metropolitan Toronto Forensic Services METFORS - CAMH Center for Addictions and Mental Health – Queen Street Site Supervisors: Dr. David Nussbaum & Dr. Piercy Wright

 

Responsibilities:

• Dealt with and performed psychological testing to resistant & difficult criminal offenders

• Administered and scored various computerized psychological tests to a forensic psychiatric inpatient population

• Attended supervision - patient case planning meetings

• Designed SPSS database - Input METFORS patient information and test results into the SPSS database system

• Performed research assistant duties for Dr. David Nussbaum (Senior Psychologist)

• Researched and analyzed over 80 articles for court purposes (included within a literature review for a research study)

• Attended various seminars on assessment techniques (incl. Fitness to stand trial questionnaire, personality assessment inventory, etc.)
   

 

Sept. 1998 to Aug. 1999

Student Placement (600 Hours)

Vanier Centre for Women - Psychology Department Ministry of Correctional Services CSC

 

Responsibilities:

• Lead Anger Management, Anti-Fraud, Effective Problem Solving, and Substance Abuse Control treatment classes for adult residents and young offenders

• Conducted one-to-one counselling

• Administered psychometric tests under supervision

• Wrote letters and draft assessment reports to the parole board

• Devised ‘Stress Management’ and ‘Survivors of Abuse’ treatment programs for adult residents and young offenders

• Trained students and volunteers in the delivery of psychological treatment services to difficult residents

• Gained employment on a part-time contract to teach the Anti-Fraud and Substance Abuse Control treatment classes