Ruo Feng
Ruo Ying Feng, B.A. (Hons), is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa. at the OICBT, Ruo supports adult clients within the Anxiety and Depression Clinic, emphasizing a warm, empathetic, collaborative, client-centered, and integrative approach. She is also involved in the Intensive Assessment Program. Currently expanding her training at the Center for Psychological Services and Research at the University of Ottawa, she is dedicated to incorporating a culturally informed, competent, and safe approach into her clinical practice. Beyond clinical work, Ruo is engaged in doctoral research focused on mental health help-seeking and service use among immigrant and racialized youth, with a focus on stigma, intersectionality, and racial discrimination. Her passion lies in contributing to the evolving landscape of mental health, embracing diversity, and creating positive transformations in the lives of those she works with.
In person and on-line therapy is available
About Ruo
Doctorate (Ph.D.); Clinical Psychology, University of Ottawa, 2021-Ongoing. https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-social-sciences/programs/graduate/clinical-psychology
Bachelor’s of Arts Honours (B.A., Hons); Psychology, McGill University, 2017-2021; https://www.mcgill.ca/psychology/undergraduate/programs-study/bachelor-arts-ba/honors-psychology
Diplôme d’Études Collégiales (D.E.C.); Social Science with Math, Honours, Marianopolis College, 2015-2017.
Ruo uses culturally-informed and -competent care to assess, diagnose, and treat clients of all ages with challenges relating to the following areas:
- Mood Disorders (Depression, Bipolar, Post-partum)
- Anxiety (Social, Generalized, Panic, Agoraphobia, Specific)
- Trauma/PTSD
- Obsessive-Compulsive and related disorders (OCD, Hair-pulling, Skin-picking, Body Dysmorphic Disorder)
- Life Transitions
- Interpersonal/Relational goals
- Psychosis-related disorders
- Diversity informed-care
Ruo incorporates an eclectic stance of varied therapeutic modalities based on a research-informed lens tailored to client needs.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Schema Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness & Compassion based approaches
2024: Scientific Affairs Committee Student Research Grant, Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)
https://cpa.ca/funding/
2023-2026: Canada Graduate Scholarship-Doctoral (CGS D), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/students-etudiants/pg-cs/cgsd-bescd_eng.asp
2023-2027: Bourse de doctorat en recherche (Declined), Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC)
https://frq.gouv.qc.ca/en/program/frqsc-doctoral-training-scholarships-b2z-and-a2z2-autumn-2023-competition/
2023-2024: Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) (Declined), Government of Ontario and University of Ottawa
https://osap.gov.on.ca/OSAPPortal/en/A-ZListofAid/PRDR019245.html
2022-2024: Admission Scholarship (Doctoral), University of Ottawa
https://www.uottawa.ca/study/graduate-studies/funding-financing/awards/admission-scholarship
2022-2023: Bourse de maîtrise en recherche, Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC)
https://frq.gouv.qc.ca/en/program/frqsc-masters-training-scholarships-b1z-and-a2z1-fall-2023-2/
2021-2022: Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s (CGS M), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/students-etudiants/pg-cs/cgsm-bescm_eng.asp
2021-2022: Admission Scholarship (Master’s), University of Ottawa
https://www.uottawa.ca/study/graduate-studies/funding-financing/awards/admission-scholarship
2021: Poster Talk Award, Networks 2021: A joint Sunbelt and NetSci Conference
https://networks2021.net/program/awards
2021: Tomlinson Engagement Award for Mentoring (TEAM), McGill University
https://www.mcgill.ca/tpulse/tomlinson-engagement-award-mentoring-team
2020: ÉVISSA 2020 Summer Research Scholarship, Université du Québec à Montréal
https://martinehebert.uqam.ca/en/projets/evissa/
2020: Psychology Undergraduate Research Award (PURA), McGill University
https://www.mcgill.ca/psychology/undergraduate/current-students/research-opportunities/summer-fellowships
2019: Faculty of Arts Research Internship Award (ARIA), McGill University
https://www.mcgill.ca/arts-internships/research
Ruo is invested in life-long professional development as a personal and career-based value. The following are areas of training thus far:
Doctoral Training:
2023-Present: Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (OICBT)
https://www.ottawacbt.ca/
2022-Present: Centre for Psychological Services and Research (CPSR)
https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-social-sciences/centre-psychological-services-research
2023: Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB)
https://www.ocdsb.ca/
2022-2023: Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services (CRECS)
https://www.uottawa.ca/research-innovation/crecs
Clinical Experiences:
2021-Present: Volunteer, 1/5 Initiative
https://1in5initiative.ca/
2020-2021: Volunteer, Telehealth Intervention Program for Older Adults
http://www.telehealthmontreal.ca/
2020-2021: Volunteer, McGill Students’ Nightline
https://nightline.ssmu.ca/
2019-2020: Volunteer, Douglas Mental Health Institute
https://www.mcgill.ca/neurology-neurosurgery/research/douglas-mental-health-university-institute
2019: Workshop Presenter, OSMOSE IFMSA-Québec
https://ifmsa.org/osmose-canada-quebec-ifmsa-quebec/
Research Experiences:
2021-Present: Research Assistant, Culture, Youth, and Youth Development Lab, University of Ottawa (Supervisor: Dr. Irene Vitoroulis)
https://uniweb.uottawa.ca/members/3998
2023: Research Consultant, Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) (Supervisor: Dr. Ashley Pullman)
https://srdc.org/
2020-2023: Research Assistant, Center for Research on Children and Families, McGill University (Supervisor: Dr. Monica Ruiz-Casares)
https://www.mcgill.ca/tcpsych/faculty/monica-ruiz-casares
2020-2021: Honours Thesis Student, McGill Intergroup Cognition Lab, McGill University (Supervisor: Dr. Jordan Axt)
https://www.miclab.ca/
2020-2021: Research Coordinator, Resilience, Adversity and Childhood Trauma (ReACT) Lab, McGill University (Supervisor: Dr. Rachel Langevin)
https://react-lab.com/
2020-2021: Research Assistant, Psychopathology and Psychoanalysis Lab, Kyoto University (Supervisor: Dr. Nicholas Tajan)
https://psy.h.kyoto-u.ac.jp/
2019-2021: Research Assistant, Language and Multilingualism Lab, McGill University (Supervisor: Dr. Debra Titone)
https://www.mcgill.ca/language-lab/
2019-2020: Research Assistant, McGill Group for Suicide Studies (MGSS), McGill University (Supervisor: Dr. Gustavo Turecki)
https://douglas.research.mcgill.ca/mcgill-group-suicide-studies-mgss/
Teaching Experiences:
2023: Teaching Assistant, PSY 1101 – Introduction to Psychology: Foundations, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa
2023: Teaching Assistant, PSY 2105 – Child Development, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa
2021: TEAM Peer Mentor, PSYC 537 – Advanced Psychology of Language, Department of Psychology, McGill University
- Williams, M. T., Feng, R. Y., Faber, S., & Abdulrehman, R. Y. (in press). Building a positive racial and ethnic identity: Implications for Mental Health and Treatment Engagement. In: E. Goetter et al. (Eds.), Optimizing Treatment Engagement Processes in CBT for Anxiety and Related Disorders. Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Science into Practice Series. Springer Nature. https://www.monnicawilliams.com/articles/Williams_PositiveIdentity-preprint.pdf
- Feng, R. Y., Krygsman, A., Vaillancourt, T., & Vitoroulis, I. (2023). Experiences of racial microaggression among immigrant and Canadian-born young adults: Effects of double stigma on mental health and service use. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 207640231174374. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00207640231174374
- Rodriguez, C., Feng, R. Y., & Vitoroulis, I. (2023). Racial discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health of young adults: A cross-sectional study of university students from East Asian backgrounds. University of Ottawa Journal of Medicine, 13(1). Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.18192/uojm.v13i01.6413
- Feng, R. Y., Tiv, M., Kutlu, E., Gullifer, J., Palma, P., O’Regan, E., Vingron, N., Doucerain, M., & Titone, D. (2023). A systems approach to multilingual language attitudes: A case study of Montréal, Québec, Canada. International Journal of Bilingualism. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006922113
- Axt, J., Buttrick, N., & Feng, R. Y. (2023). A comparative investigation of the predictive validity of four indirect measures of bias and prejudice. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 1461672221150229. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672221150229
- Rodriguez, C., Feng, R. Y., Campbell, Z., Poitras, M., & Vitoroulis, I. (2022). Racial Discrimination, Cultural Processes, and Mental Health Among Individuals from Asian Backgrounds during COVID-19: A Narrative Review. University of Ottawa Journal of Medicine, 11(2), 24-33. https://doi.org/10.18192/uojm.v11i2.5975
- Rodriguez, C., Feng, R. Y., & Vitoroulis, I. (2022). Study Protocol: Racial Discrimination, Cultural Processes and Wellbeing Among Asian University Students. University of Ottawa Journal of Medicine, 11(2), 17–23. https://doi.org/10.18192/uojm.v11i2.6065
- Tiv, M., Kutlu, E., Gullifer, J. W., Feng, R. Y., Doucerain, M. M., & Titone, D. A. (2022). Bridging interpersonal and ecological dynamics of cognition through a systems framework of bilingualism. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001174
- Tiv, M., Gullifer, J. W., Feng, R. Y., & Titone, D. (2020). Using network science to map what Montréal bilinguals talk about across languages and communicative contexts. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 56, 100913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2020.100913
- Feng, R. Y. (2020). Implications of reciprocity in the evolution of ethnocentrism and cooperation. McGill Science Undergraduate Research Journal, 15(1), 24-29. https://doi.org/10.26443/msurj.v15i1.6
- Research Symposiums & Workshops:
- Feng, R. Y., Buchan-Pham, C., Abu-Osbeh, F., Saade, T. M., & Vitoroulis, I. (June 2024). Investigating Barriers and Sources of Help-Seeking Among Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Adolescents. Poster to be presented at the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)’s 85th Annual National Convention. Ottawa, Canada.
- Ruiz-Casares, M., Iwo, R., Zamani, N., Feng, R. Y., Janus, M., Twum-Danso Imoh, A., Mansouri, S., Correa Pereira, C., Sultana, T., Mohammed, A., Nazif-Muñoz, J. I. (February 2024). Socio-Ecological Indicators of Non-Adult Supervision in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Research panel presented at the 9th Conference of the International Society for Child Indicators. Bhubaneswar, India.
- Feng, R. Y., & Vitoroulis, I. (July 2022). Mental health and victimization among “double minority” young adults with multiple intersectional identities. Paper presented at the International Society for Research on Aggression (ISRA) 2022. Ottawa, Canada.
- Feng, R. Y., Krygsman, A., Vaillancourt, T., & Vitoroulis, I. (July 2022). Experiences of racial microaggression among immigrant and Canadian-born young adults: Effects of double stigma on mental health and service use. Poster presented at the International Society for Research on Aggression (ISRA) 2022. Ottawa, Canada.
- Rodriguez, C., Feng, R. Y., & Vitoroulis, I. (July 2022). Racial discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health of young adults: A cross-sectional study of university students from East Asian backgrounds. Poster presented at the International Society for Research on Aggression (ISRA) 2022. Ottawa, Canada.
- Vaillancourt, T., Brittain, H., Krygsman, A., Farrell, A., & the uOttawa Brain and Behaviour Laboratory (July 2022). Places to avoid 2.0: An updated population-based study of student reports of high bullying areas at school. Poster presented at the International Society for Research on Aggression (ISRA) 2022. Ottawa, Canada.
- Feng, R. Y., & Vitoroulis, I. (July 2022). The role of social network structure on mental health among immigrant and non-immigrant emerging adults. Poster presented at Sunbelt 2022: the XLII Social Networks Conference of the International Network for Social Network Analysis (INSNA). Cairns, Australia.
- Tiv, M., Gullifer, J. W., Feng, R. Y., Titone, D. (August 2021). Mapping Montreal bilingual topics of conversation with network analysis. Paper presented at the 2021 Language Policy and Planning (LPP) Conference. Virtual.
- Feng, R. Y., Tiv, M., Kutlu, E., Gullifer, J., Palma, P., O’Regan, E., Vingron, N., Doucerain, M., & Titone, D. (July 2021). Investigating bilinguals’ language attitudes through a Systems Approach: The role of social networks and neighbourhood-level language exposure. Poster presented at Networks 2021: A joint Sunbelt and NetSci Conference. Virtual.
- Tiv, M., Kutlu, E., Gullifer, J., Feng, R. Y., Doucerain, M., & Titone, D. (July 2021). Capturing ‘Bilingualism in Flux’ through a novel Systems Framework. Paper presented at the 13th International Symposium on Bilingualism. Virtual.
- Kern, A., Langevin, R., Khoury, B., Frederickson, A., Feng, R. Y. (June 2021). The associations between childhood maltreatment and pregnancy complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Poster presented at the World Association for Infant Mental Health 2021 World Congress. Virtual.
- Kern, A., Langevin, R., Khoury, B., Frederickson, A., Feng, R. Y. (May 2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis of pregnancy complications following child maltreatment. In R. Langevin (Chair), Intergenerational impacts of child maltreatment. Research panel presented at the 2021 Child and Youth Trauma Symposium. Virtual.
- Feng, R. Y., Tiv, M., Kutlu, E., Gullifer, J., Palma, P., O’Regan, E., Vingron, N., Doucerain, M., & Titone, D. (May 2021). Assessing language attitudes in Montréal though a Dynamic Systems Approach. Poster presented at the annual Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM) Scientific Day. Virtual.
- Tiv, M., Kutlu, E., Gullifer, J., Feng, R. Y., Doucerain, M., & Titone, D. (February 2021). Bridging personal and ecological language dynamics with Network Science. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Virtual.
- Tiv, M., Gullifer, J., Feng, R. Y., & Titone, D. (November 2020). The talk of the town. A network approach to characterizing bilingual conversational topics in Montreal. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society. Virtual.
- Tiv, M., Kutlu, E., Gullifer, J., Feng, R. Y. & Titone, D. (November 2020). Bridging personal and ecological language dynamics using Network Science. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society. Virtual.
- Tiv, M., Gullifer, J., Feng, R. Y., & Titone, D. (August 2020). Mapping the Dynamics of Bilingual Conversational Topics with Network Science. Poster presented at the NSERC-Create Symposium in Nonlinear Dynamics of Brain and Behaviour. Virtual.
- Tiv, M., Gullifer, J., Feng, R. Y., & Titone, D. (June 2019). Using network analysis to estimate bilingual L1 and L2 lexical interconnectedness. Poster presented at the 39th Sunbelt Social Networks Conference of the International Network for Social Network Analysis (INSNA). Montreal, Canada.
- Other Professional Presentations:
Feng, R. Y., & Vitoroulis, I. (November 2023). Maintaining strong relationships with adolescents: Culture, immigration, and parenting. Workshop presented at Immigrant Women Services Ottawa. Ottawa, Canada. - Feng, R. Y., & Vitoroulis, I. (April 2022). Maintaining strong relationships with adolescents: Culture, immigration, and parenting. Workshop presented at Immigrant Women Services Ottawa. Ottawa, Canada.
- Feng, R. Y., Axt, J. (April 2021). Assessing test-retest reliability and convergent validity among four implicit association measures. Poster presented at the McGill Department of Psychology Undergraduate Poster Session. Virtual.
- Feng, R. Y., Tiv, M., Kutlu, E., Gullifer, J., Palma, P., O’Regan, E., Vingron, N., Doucerain, M., & Titone, D. (March 2021). Examining the personal and ecological language dynamics of Montréal bilinguals’ language attitudes with social network analysis. Poster presented at the McGill Faculty of Science Undergraduate Poster Showcase. Virtual.
- Feng, R. Y., Tiv, M., Gullifer, J., & Titone, D. (January 2020). Network analysis on bilingual interactional contexts and lexical interconnectedness. Poster presented at the McGill Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Research Event. Montreal, Canada.