Marie-Emma Gagné
Marie-Emma Gagné is a PhD candidate in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. Her research documents the adaptation and implementation of a trauma-informed framework in a community organization offering medical and psycho-social services to young mothers and their infants. Marie-Emma previously completed her master’s degree in Counselling Psychology at McGill University (clinical program).
Alesha Frederickson
Alesha Frederickson is a PhD candidate in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. She is interested in investigating how childhood sexual abuse impacts individuals during pregnancy, labour, and future parent-child attachment. She also completed her Master’s degree with Dr. Langevin, where she did an integrative review of the literature on which aspects during the perinatal period (re)traumatize child sexual abuse survivors. Previously, she completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Winnipeg, where her thesis explored women’s feelings of threat and belonging in gym environments.
Cheryl Gabbay
Cheryl Gabbay is a PhD candidate in School/Applied Child Psychology at McGill University. She also completed her master’s degree at McGill, where her thesis examined the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and student functioning in university. Her doctoral research, co-supervised by Drs. Ashley Wazana and Rachel Langevin, examines the developmental course of dysregulation in early childhood through two complementary questions: how bidirectional influences between children and their early caregiving environment shape regulatory capacities, and how markers of genetic sensitivity, maternal prenatal stress, and early caregiving experiences may interact to influence dysregulation. Given dysregulation’s role as a transdiagnostic risk factor for mental health difficulties, Cheryl aims to identify modifiable factors that can inform care and resources for mothers and their infants, beginning in the perinatal period. Cheryl’s experience in clinical and community settings grounds her research and deepens her commitment to supporting co-regulation and emerging self-regulation from the earliest years.
Sebastian Kay
Sebastian Kay is a PhD candidate in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. His research is concerned with the impacts of childhood neglect on physical health, as well as the degree to which such consequences may contribute to the perpetuation of neglect victimization across generations. Prior to beginning his Ph.D., Sebastian also completed his Master’s degree at McGill University under the supervision of Dr. Martin Drapeau, where he conducted a national survey investigating therapist perspectives on the future state of Canadian psychotherapy. Sebastian completed his Honours B.Sc. in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour at McMaster University, where he carried out research examining the impacts of early life stress on microbiota-gut-brain axis function, neurochemistry, immunity, and behaviour.
Teresa Pirro
Teresa Pirro is a PhD candidate in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. Her research interests are to examine romantic satisfaction and help-seeking experiences in middle-aged mothers, with and without histories of child maltreatment. She has completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with a double minor in Behavioural Science and Education at McGill University, a Master of Arts in Child Studies (Thesis Option) at Concordia University, and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. Her Master’s thesis at Concordia University investigated interpersonal disagreements in conversations between mothers and their children. Her Master’s project, under the supervision of Dr. Rachel Langevin, at McGill University, examined the associations between maternal histories of different forms of child maltreatment, dissociation, and early mother-infant bonding during the perinatal period.
Olivia Mazzarello
Olivia Mazzarello is a PhD candidate in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. She previously earned both her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and her Bachelor of Science in Honours Psychology from McGill. Her master’s research examined the associations between parental experiences of childhood maltreatment and the placement outcomes of children involved with child protective services. Building on this work, her doctoral research aims to deepen our understanding of the placement outcomes and decision-making processes for children involved with Child Protective Services who are placed in kinship care.
Sophie Beaudette
Sophie Beaudette is a PsyD student in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. Her research interests include parenting and child maltreatment-related social norms, the long-term effects of childhood emotional maltreatment and improving clinical services for individuals with complex trauma. Prior to beginning her doctoral training, Sophie completed an MA in Counselling Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Rachel Langevin, which focused on childhood emotional maltreatment, adult attachment, and romantic relationship satisfaction among young adults. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.
Laura Pareja Conto
Laura Pareja Conto is a PhD candidate in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. Her doctoral research focuses on the adaptation and implementation of trauma-informed care training for service providers in community organizations working with young mothers and their children. She is also interested in exploring communities of practice as a way to support and strengthen the implementation of trauma-informed care. Prior to her PhD work, Laura completed an Honours degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Child Studies at Concordia University, where she examined youths’ perspectives on punitive and restorative justice models in schools and beyond. Broadly, Laura is deeply interested in interventions and programs that can have a positive impact on the lives of young people, particularly minoritized adolescents..
Chelsea Cuffaro
Chelsea Cuffaro is a PhD student in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. Her work focuses on trauma-informed care and lived experience engagement in research. Chelsea completed her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at McGill University, where she examined the effects of an online trauma-informed care training on the attitudes and well-being of practitioners working in a community organization serving vulnerable young mothers. Throughout her studies, Chelsea has partnered with people with lived experience across research, advisory, and knowledge mobilization initiatives. Her doctoral research builds on this work by bringing together lived experience partners, clinicians, and researchers to co-develop guidelines for the meaningful inclusion of people living with complex trauma in research.
Alessia Civita
Alessia Civita is a PhD student in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. Her doctoral research focuses on childhood maltreatment and later mental health service use. Prior to her PhD, she earned a Master of Science in Mental Health (Thesis option) from McGill University and a Bachelor of Arts in Honours Psychology from Concordia University. Her master’s research examined the longitudinal associations between youth suicidal distress and adult mental health.
Lynette Chen
Lynette Chen is an MA student in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. Her research focuses on protective and risk factors associated with the intergenerational continuity and discontinuity of child maltreatment. In particular, she is interested in the role of gender, caregiving processes, and cultural context in shaping intergenerational patterns of child maltreatment. She previously completed her bachelor’s degree at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, with double majors in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies.
Dr. Joshua Kirabo Sempungu
Joshua Kirabo Sempungu is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Educational Counselling and Psychology at McGill University. He completed his PhD in Public Health at Korea University conducting research about the prevalence and correlates of suicide attempts among adolescent in low and lower-middle income countries. His research at McGill focuses on the life course epidemiology of suicidal distress in female youth in Quebec. His broader research spans the epidemiology of suicide and self-harm, including cross-national analyses of suicide and self-harm trends and their social and economic determinants.
Dr. Maya Pilin
Maya Pilin is a postdoctoral researcher researcher in the Department of Educational Counselling and Psychology at McGill University. Her research focuses on the role of maternal substance use as a risk factor for intergenerational cycles of child maltreatment. Previously, she completed her PhD in Psychological Science at the University of British Columbia in 2023, where she studied the cognitive processes that shape alcohol and cannabis use in young adults. She completed an Honours B.A. in Psychology at the University of Ottawa in 2017. Overall, she is interested in understanding the factors that contribute to problematic substance use in mothers and identifying ways to better support them.