Christine Medvid earned her Masters of Psychology degree in 2024. She has since been completing 6000 hours of supervised psychological clinical work to register as a Psychological Associate in Supervised Practice. Christine works under the supervision of Dr. Barbera, PhD, C.Psych. She also works at the McMaster University Medical Centre with chronic pain patients.
Christine has worked in and with various settings and populations. She has served university students in a university counselling centre, adults with OCD in an in-patient hospital program, and adults, adolescents, and children in private practice settings.
Christine works with adults, adolescents, and couples. She draws from approaches such as CBT, DBT, ACT, ERP, and I-CBT. She has experience assisting with stress, depression, anxiety, OCD, grief, relationship issues, self-esteem/ self-image issues, chronic pain, insomnia and trauma.
An interview to get to know Christine:
Can you briefly describe your educational background and training in therapy & psychology?
My experience is quite varied. I have an educational background in clinical psychology which covered both therapy and assessment practices. I’ve worked in university and healthcare institutions and private practice settings providing both short- and long-term therapies. My assessment experience includes assessing adults and adolescents for various mental health concerns, as well as conducting psycho-educational assessments for children and adolescents.
Can you tell me more about what made you go into psychology as a career?
Psychology was always a topic of interest for me. I was exposed to providing therapy-like services while working for a non-profit and found the work extremely rewarding. Working as a therapist means that my learning and development are endless.
What qualities do you think are most important in a therapist?
Someone who practices with empathy, non-judgement, and a continuous positive regard for their clients.
How do you prioritize self-care to prevent burnout and maintain your own emotional well-being?
This is tricky and something I am still working towards! To me, self-care consists of regularly checking in with myself. There are times where I am able to take on more work and times where I need to prioritize rest. Using both firm and flexible boundaries has been a helpful guiding post to preventing burnout.
What is your favourite thing about being a therapist?
My favourite thing about being a therapist at this point in my training is connecting and forming community with an array of people. I enjoy navigating the complexities of life and being a practitioner in psychology alongside my clients, colleagues, and supervisors.
What is your least favourite thing about being a therapist?
The copious amounts of paperwork and documentation.
Where do you see your career as a clinician heading in the next few years?
My goal is to be registered as an autonomous psychological associate. With that, I hope to continue to grow professionally, provide client-centred care, and take on supervision responsibilities.