By Mental Health Services Staff, CF H Svcs C (A)
February is national psychology month, a great opportunity to highlight the role and contributions of psychologists serving CF members in MARLANT.
As one military member recently told his psychologist, "Thank you for helping me to be the kind of man whose wife and kids actually want to spend time with again.”
Canadian Forces Health Services Centre (Atlantic) (CF H Svcs C (A)) employs nine clinical psychologists in Mental Health Services. At a ratio of approximately one for every 780 members, MARLANT has nearly four times the number available to the general population of Nova Scotia. Their primary role is to provide assessment, consultation, and therapy services. They can diagnose mental illness, and work in partnership with psychiatrists, mental health nurses, social workers, addiction counsellors, case managers, chaplains and family physicians.
According to the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), a psychologist “studies how we think, feel and behave from a scientific viewpoint and applies this knowledge to help people understand, explain and change their behaviour” (www.cpa.ca). Psychologists may specialize in certain areas; for example, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, addictions, developmental disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder. They work in clinical settings, in research and/or in education.
Psychologists have extensive training in a variety of treatment methods they use, depending on the particular circumstances of the patient. Treatment is significantly more than talk. For example, one method is specifically designed to assist patients in changing their behaviours to better match their beliefs, while another works by increasing motivation. Several of the psychologists also have additional training in highly specialized treatment methods.
Meet your psychologists. Together they have more than120 years experience.
General Mental Health Program: non-service related mental health conditions:
Annie Boivin, M.Ps.; bilingual, additional training in human sexuality and gerontology, specialty areas include mood, anxiety, personality, and addiction disorders, 22 years experience,10 with the CF.
Dr. Tina Oates-Johnson; speciality areas include anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders and personality disorders, 11 years experience, eight with the CF.
Jeannette Kennedy, M.Sc.; experienced in depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and addictions; background in forensic psychology; nine years experience (two with the CF).
Addiction Prevention and Treatment Program (APT): substance abuse and dependency and other addictions.
Mary McGrath, MSc; Program Manager, specialty areas include addictions (alcohol, drug, gambling, and gaming), sexual behaviour problems and concurrent disorders such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and personality disorders, background in forensic psychology, 15 years experience, 11 with the CF.
Debbie Sutherland, M.Sc.; experienced in addictions, sexual behaviour problems, and concurrent disorders, specialized training in acupuncture, background in forensic psychology, 14 years experience, six with the CF.
Operational Trauma and Stress Support Centre (OTSSC): service- related mental health conditions.
Mary Clark-Touesnard, M.A.; Program Manager, specialty in posttraumatic stress disorder, background in child, adolescent and family mental health services, 15 years experience, eight with the CF.
Dr. Dion Goodland; specialty in post-traumatic stress disorder; background includes chronic pain and outpatient general mental health, 13 years experience,10 with the CF.
Silvia Frausin, M.Sc.; experienced in post-traumatic stress disorder, background includes work in a psychiatric hospital and in forensic psychology, more than 21 years experience, four with the CF.
Patricia Roache, M.Sc.; background in forensic psychology and gender-based issues, five years experience, new to CF in February, 2012.
All psychologists are registered with the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology (NSBEP), (http://nsbep.org), whose mandate is to protect the public by ensuring that providers are properly trained and qualified. For more information about psychologists, consult CPA, NSBEP, or the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia (APNS) (www.apns.ca).
For more information on Mental Health programs, consult CF H Svcs C (A), http://halifax.mil.ca/cfhsvcsca/ or contact Jeannette Kennedy at 902-721-6738.
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