Compassionate Psychotherapists and Counsellors in Thunder Bay
Do you continually feel in distress? Do you feel unable to cope with life’s pressures? Do you feel that it would help to have a professional listen to your concerns and help you to come up with solutions? Here at Thunder Bay Psychology, our professional mental health team is dedicated to providing you with the care you deserve. Our team of professional psychologists, social workers and psychotherapists approach counselling with care and compassion, tailoring therapy to the specific needs of each of our clients. We seek to help every one of our clients find a renewed sense of hope and confidence as they resolve issues, reduce distress, and achieve personal growth. Consult our psychotherapists so they can assist you in dealing with any of the difficulties or mental health issues that you may be experiencing.
Know More About Our Psychotherapists
The storms of life can feel overwhelming, threatening to knock us off course and drag us under. Fear, doubt, sadness, old emotional dilemmas and broken relationships can all take their toll on us and rob us of our joy and peace. However, we are so much more than our struggles and pain. To overcome these struggles can take considerable effort and at times might benefit from professional help. If you choose to embark on your healing journey with our assistance, be assured you won’t have to face the storms alone. Our compassionate mental health specialists will be with you to support and guide you throughout the process. Get ready to begin your next chapter of healing with one of the following experienced clinicians. Read on to know more about our esteemed panel of Psychotherapists in Thunder Bay.
Dr. Paul Johnston
Registered Clinical and Forensic/Correctional Psychologist
Dr. Johnston is a registered clinical and forensic/correctional psychologist in good standing with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Beginning in 1987, he has accumulated over 30 years of hospital-based experience at both McKellar General Hospital and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. From 1992 to 2011, Dr. Johnston served as a Part-Time Consultant with St. Joseph’s Care Group Behavioural Sciences Centre. Dr. Johnston has extensive experience in assessing, diagnosing and treating troubled adults with psychotherapy. This includes both inpatient and outpatient treatment.
In addition to opening his own private practice in 2011 (now Thunder Bay Psychology), Dr. Johnston is a partner in Thunder Bay Mental Health Assessments with Psychiatrist Dr. J. Stewart. To find out more about this organization, click here.
For many years, Dr. Johnston has been an adjunct professor with Lakehead University, and lecturer with the University of Toronto. He was a clinical supervisor of hospital staff, a psychotherapy supervisor for psychiatric residents, and continues to supervise university psychology graduate students in office. He is also the former director of training for the Northern Ontario Psychology Internship Consortium (NORPIC). and has worked with the judiciary system as well. His work has also involved the psychiatric, characterological, intellectual, risk of recidivism and malingering assessment of both forensic and correctional patients and offenders.
Dr. Johnston has performed countless psychological assessments throughout his career at the hospital, for insurance companies, employers, the Behavioural Sciences Centre as well as at his own practice, Thunder Bay Psychology.
Dan Boudreau
Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist
Dan Boudreau is a licensed social worker in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. He is also a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers. Dan joined our team in 2019, but has been working full time as a Mental Health Counselor for over 25 years. For over two decades he has been working with the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, and is also on faculty for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to supervise psychiatry residents for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Dan is passionate about the therapeutic relationship he has with his clients, and is very passionate about working with each and every individual he sees. He has extensive training in a number of therapy models including, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Solution-focused therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy.
He is experienced in working with people affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, anxiety, work stress, interpersonal conflict, and trauma.
Dr. Mandy Hawkins
Registered Psychologist
Dr. Mandy Hawkins is a registered psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. She has been working in the field since 2004. For the last eight years, Dr. Hawkins has been working primarily with adults with various types of trauma, PTSD, stress, depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, and work-related issues. For the past four years, she has also worked in an Occupational Trauma Program, providing trauma - and return - to work-focused treatment to workers who developed a psychological injury in response to stressors and incidents at work.
Dr. Hawkins has spent the last nine years offering these services in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. She has recently returned to her hometown of Thunder Bay and is excited to continue with this work here.
Her primary treatment modality is Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), but she can also offer Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Exposure and Response Prevention, and mindfulness-based interventions.
Lauren Dupuis
Psychotherapist and Social Worker
Lauren is grateful to be living and working on the traditional territory of Fort William First Nation, a signatory to the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850. She was born and raised in Thunder Bay and is passionate about helping people in our northern community.
Lauren is a licensed social worker in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and is also a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers. Lauren has completed her Honours Bachelor of Social Work and will complete the Masters of Social Work in the summer of 2021.
Lauren is well versed and trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy and mindfulness-based therapies. Lauren has experience working within a multidisciplinary team, with a primary focus on brief counselling for depression, anxiety, grief and loss, relationship issues and burnout.
She prides herself in providing care in a kind and gentle manner.
Sharon Howk-Ventrudo
Registered Psychologist
Sharon Howk-Ventrudo is a registered clinical and health psychologist who has been working in the field since 1992. She graduated with her Master of Arts degree in clinical psychology from Lakehead University and is registered, in good standing, with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Sharon has been working in hospital-based programs providing out-patient psychotherapy in the areas of general community mental health and chronic disease management. Her service provision consists of therapy for depression, anxiety, grief, stress, burn out, interpersonal conflict, health self-management, and trauma/PTSD.
She has been trained in a number of therapy models including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and mindfulness based interventions.
She has had the privilege of developing trusting relationships with her clients over the years and is honoured to share in each person’s personal journey.
Steve Handy
Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist
Bringing with him a Master of Social Work degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, Steve joined Thunder Bay Psychology in 2022. He is registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers as well as the Ontario Association of Social Workers. With every meeting, Steve conveys his sincere desire for his clients to overcome the challenges they face and fulfill their unique potential. Supportive and enthusiastic, he works with them to develop the resources they already possess while suggesting additional insights and tools they can use not just now but throughout their lives. Steve has training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based interventions, as well as therapy for depression in men, anxiety, anger, trauma & grief.
Kerri-Lynne Capulak Andrychuk
Registered Psychologist Associate
Kerri-Lynne Capulak Andrychuk graduated with a Master's in Psychology from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She has been registered in good standing as a Psychological Associate with the College of Psychologists of Ontario since 2014. It has been an honour for Kerri to work with clients for over 25 years in the areas of trauma, depression, grief, infertility, anxiety, chronic pain and disease management and coping with life changes and stressors.
She is client centred and uses an integrative approach to therapy based on the clients' needs. She has been trained in EMDR, Cognitive behavioural therapy, Cognitive processing therapy, Interpersonal therapy and critical incident stress management.
Why Choose Us
Day-to-day stressful events, conflicts, and unpleasant situations may generate negativity and instability in your life, harming your self-esteem and lowering your self-confidence. But you do not have to define yourself by these feelings of instability. Instead, you can learn skills to help you to rise above them. Thunder Bay Psychology offers the services of highly-experienced psychotherapists in Thunder Bay to provide you with a supportive environment in which you can learn effective coping skills. Read more to know the benefits of getting associated with us in your healing journey:
- Experience: Although Dr. Paul Johnson started Thunder Bay Psychology in 2011, he has more than 35 years of professional experience and a wealth of expertise. Our highly-qualified and skillful psychologists and mental health specialists have been providing valuable services to the community for a long time.
- Professional affiliations: We are affiliated with several organizations of repute, including the Ontario Psychological Association, the Canadian Psychological Association, the College of Psychologists of Ontario, the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and the Ontario Association of Social Workers.
- Comprehensive (Best Practices) therapeutic approaches: Our range of therapies is wide and includes best practices approaches such as Trauma Informed, Mindfulness-Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and more. We provide supportive best practices interventions for multiple mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, relationship conflicts, grief, stress, burnout, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more.
- Customized services: We understand that every person is dealing with a unique set of stressful situations. Thus, we craft customized healing plans that suit your specific needs and circumstances.
- Flexible operations: We are a phone call away and will schedule appointments outside of our regular working hours, if that suits you. Your wellness and comfort are our priority.
- Compassionate team: Our team strongly believes that any mental health issue can be resolved with the right guidance, compassion, care and empathy. Thus, we help you manage and heal your problems in a positive and comfortable environment.
Connect with us to let us help you find constructive solutions to any complicated life situations. We will be glad to serve and assist you find your way through any issue-small or big. Get in touch!
