Amy McGrath, M.A., RP,OPC Dipl. Psych, OSP, CAPT, holds a Masters in Sociology. She is a Clinical Member of The Ontario Society of Psychotherapist (OSP) as well as holding a membership with The Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapy (CAPT). Amy is also a Registered Psychotherapist with the CRPO.
Her training began in obtaining her Bachelors of Theology with a concentration in both Pastoral and Theological studies. She then spent 8 years as a counselor and Program Director for a long-term residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility. She continued her studies, obtaining a second Bachelor’s of Arts Honours degree in Sociology and then her Masters in Sociology from York University in Toronto. She entered the OPC Program in September 2003 and graduated in May 2008.
Amy began a private practice in psychotherapy in the St. Catharines and Niagara areas in 2004. She continues to conduct individual therapy, couples therapy and group therapy in the region.
Amy joined the OPC Program staff team in 2008 and became Associate Faculty in June 2009. In 2011 she became the Assistant Educational Director and in August 2016, Amy became the Educational Director taking over from Barbara Dewar.
She teaches and facilitates learning groups, residencies and provides clinical supervision to the OPC training therapists and graduates.
Scott Petrie, M.Ts., R.P. Scott is a Registered Psychotherapist, member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapy. He is the Assistant Educational Director, Faculty and Clinical Supervisor at OPC. He lectures on Ethics and Professional Practices and the Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Model of Practice. Scott’s interest in Eastern philosophy has led him to explore the many intersections between eastern and western conceptions of the self which continues to inform his clinical work with dissociation and the effects of trauma upon the structure of the personality.
Scott joined the OPC admin/faculty in 2015.
Akanksha Ganguly (MPH, RP, OPC Dipl. Psych., MPH, HBSc, CAPT) is a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapy.
With a Masters of Public Health (Health Promotion), Akanksha’s approach to psychotherapy is multidimensional and focuses on understanding individual experiences, cultural and environmental influences and systemic factors that impact mental health.
In the past, Akanksha has worked in various coordination and management roles in other educational institutions and in various levels of government. Her love for supporting the student experience, and of all things psychotherapy and organizational management led her to joining OPC in 2023.
Eva Moran, BA, MA, OPC Dipl. Psych, RP. Eva is a Registered Psychotherapist and a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapy. She joined the OPC Program staff team in 2014 and became Faculty in 2018. Eva teaches and facilitates seminars and learning groups.
Paula Ruiz – Faculty, TA Coordinator, Clinical Supervisor
Paula Ruiz, RP. Paula is a Registered Psychotherapist. She is member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), the Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapy (CAPT) and the Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists (OSRP). She is a Faculty Member, TA Coordinator, and Clinical Supervisor. Paula also serves as a the faculty representative on the OPC Committee on Diversity (COD).
Prior to training as a psychotherapist, Paula earned a PhD in Anthropology from McGill University with a focus on collective trauma and women’s mental health. Paula also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Social Aetiology of Mental Illness program (SAMI) at the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH).
Paula joined the OPC staff as a teaching assistant in 2020 and faculty member in 2021.
Heather Lee Kilty holds a Ph.D. in Health Services. Her original training began with a diploma in Social Services, from which point she went on to get her B.A. and then her MEd. from Harvard University.
Heather is a published author and the co-founder of Stress & Wellness Enterprises. She works as a consultant, motivational speaker and is currently on Faculty at Brock University.
Heather has had a counseling practice since 1980 in stress management, grief work, career counseling, addictions and positive conscious living.
Heather joined the OPC Program as an Adjunct Faculty member in January 2007.
Tala El-Achkar, MEd, RP, OPC Dipl. Psych, CRPO and CAPT Member.
Tala’s interest in healing work comes from an inherently multidisciplinary place. She completed a Bachelors of Sociology at the University of Guelph and a Masters of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education at OISE, University of Toronto (now known as an MEd in Social Justice Education). She joined the OPC Program in 2012, while simultaneously working on her Masters. This cross-pollinated an exploration of trauma and avenues for healing from an equity perspective. Her final concentration– Race & Racial Identity: Understanding the Impact in the PPMP–was the culmination of these experiences.
Her psychodynamic psychotherapeutic approach and private practice are deeply rooted in an intersectional lens that centers varied ways of knowing. She emphasizes working with the presence of collective, intergenerational, and relational threads, and sees the breath and the body as vehicles for integrating memory and accessing movement.
Tala rejoined OPC in 2019 as a Teaching Assistant, and in 2020 as lecturer and facilitator of Critical Diversity Workshops.
Carolyn Leu, MBA, RP. Carolyn is a Registered Psychotherapist, a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapy. Carolyn has studied Art History, Arts and Media Administration, and completed the OPC Program. Her psychotherapy practice is informed by her interest in considering the body and the unique and diverse experiences of the whole self.
Carolyn Caesar OPC Dipl. Psych, RP. Carolyn is a Registered Psychotherapist and a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapy, and the Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists (OSRP). Carolyn has a private practice focused on treating adolescents, adults, and couples. Her orientation is psychodynamic, attachment, and trauma informed. She competed her training at the Ontario Psychotherapy and Counselling Program and then completed further training in Couples Therapy (EFT, RLT), Trauma Therapy (CTTP), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as well as completing the University of Guelphs Sex Therapy program.
Lanie Chalmers, RP, is a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapy. She is a trauma-informed, psychodynamic psychotherapist in private practice. She understands that relational, intergenerational and systemic issues deeply impact mental, emotional and physical health, and that the body is a important resource for healing.
Tasha Carter, M.A., RP, OPC Dipl. Psych, CRPO, CAPT, holds a Masters in Developmental Psychology from OISE, U of T. She is a Registered Psychotherapist with the CRPO as well as holding a membership with The Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapy (CAPT). Tasha is also a recognized CRPO Clinical Supervisor for budding and established Psychotherapists.
