Paola Garcia Mairena
Paola Garcia is a Practicum Student in her third year of study in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at the University of Ottawa. At OICBT, Paola is supervised by Dr. Kiran Vadaga, C. Psych. Paola is eager to assist you with a variety of mental health challenges. She holds a special interest in working with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Paola is dedicated to fostering a safe and non-judgmental environment where clients can pursue their goals and aspirations while enhancing their well-being. Paola provides in-person and virtual sessions for individual therapy, and virtual sessions for the DBT program.
About Paola
- MA/Ph.D Clinical Psychology; University of Ottawa, expected 2027;
https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-social-sciences/psychology/graduate/clinical-psychology-programs - Microprogram on Evaluation of Social and Health Programs and Policies; University of Ottawa, 2024;
https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-social-sciences/psychology/graduate/clinical-psychology-programs - Honours Bachelor of Science, Specialization in Psychology with Minor in Criminology; University of Ottawa, 2021;
https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-social-sciences/psychology/undergraduate/psychology-bsc-program - Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences with a Minor in Life Sciences; University of Ottawa, 2018;
https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-health-sciences/interdisciplinary/undergraduate-studies/honours-bachelor-health-sciences-bhsc
Paola Garcia’s practice (assessment, diagnosis, and treatment) is in the service of adult populations (age 18+) within the following area of focus:
- Mood Disorders (Depression, Bipolar, Post-partum)
- Anxiety (Social, Generalized, Panic, Health, Agoraphobia, Specific)
- Attention-related disorders (ADHD)
- Caregiver Burnout
- Interpersonal/Relational goals
- Grief/Loss
- Diversity informed care
- Borderline personality disorder
- Trauma/PTSD
- Obsessive-Compulsive and related disorders (OCD, Hair-pulling, Skin-picking, Body Dysmorphic Disorder)
- Paola works from an integrative perspective, relying on evidence-based, research-backed therapeutic modalities tailored to specific client needs:
- Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Interpersonal Therapy (ITP)
- Mindfulness & Compassion based approaches
- Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS-M), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), 2022; https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/CGSM-BESCM_eng.asp
- Admission Scholarship, University of Ottawa, (Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies), 2023-2025; https://www.uottawa.ca/study/fees-financial-support/scholarships-awards-overview
- Special Merit Scholarship, University of Ottawa, 2022; https://www.uottawa.ca/study/graduate-studies/funding-financing/awards/special-merit-scholarship
- Dean’s Honour List, University of Ottawa – 2020-2022; https://www.uottawa.ca/study/fees-financial-support/scholarships-awards-overview
- Practicum Student Montfort Hospital (Aline Chrétien Health Hub), Health Psychology Services; https://carrefoursantealinechretien.com/en/services/clinical-health-psychology
- Practicum Student, Centre for Psychological Services and Research (CPSR); https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-social-sciences/centre-psychological-services-research
Publications
Pétrin-Pomerleau, P., Vincent,C., Garcia Mairena, P.M., Yilmaz,E., Théberge Charbonneau, A., Husereau, T., Niyonkuru, G., Jacob, G., Cousineau, D. (2023). The Bayesian Approach is Intuitive Conditionally to Prior Exposition to These Examples. The Quantitative Methods for Psychology.19 (3): 244-253. Doi: 10.20982/tqmp.19.3.p244
Mutsaers, B., Langmuir, T., MacDonald-Liska, C., Presseau, J., Larocque, G., Harris,C., Chomienne, M.-H., Giguère, L., Garcia Mairena, P.M., Babiker, D., Thavorn, K., & Lebel, S. (2024). Applying Implementation Science to Identify Primary Care Providers’ Enablers and Barriers to Using Survivorship Care Plans. Curr. Oncol. 2024, 31, 3278-3290. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol31060249
Presentations
Garcia Mairena, P.M., Ndengeyingoma, A. (2024, May). Une taille unique ne convient pas à tous : examen des interventions éducatives en santé auprès des personnes issues des minorités raciales et ethniques. Presentation at the Association canadienne-française pour l’avancement des sciences, Ottawa, ON.
Garcia Mairena, P. M. (2023). The psychological impacts of revictimization on crime victims. Presentation at the XXXVII Postgraduate course of Victimology, Victim Assistance and Criminal Justice, Inter University Centre Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Garcia, P., Mutsaers, B., Langmuir, T., MacDonald-Liska, C., Presseau, J., Larocque, G., Harris,C., Chomienne, M., Thavorn, K., & Lebel, S. (2021, June). Primary Care Providers’ Perspectives on Providing Follow-up Cancer Care: A Qualitative Analysis of Survivorship Care Plan Use. Presentation at the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology, Ottawa, ON.
Garcia, P., Zhou, C. (2017). “Prostate cancer incidence and mortality between Caucasian and African men.” Canadian Society for Epidemiology & Biostatistics – University of Ottawa Research Day. Intanjible Publishing, Ottawa, Canada. https://ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/37317