Nominee Statement for Dr. James Watson-Gaze seeking the Director-At-Large
I am a Clinical Psychologist (C.Psych, licensed in Ontario) who has always been drawn to complex issues throughout my professional life, whether enacted in clinical care, advocacy initiatives, policy creation, or business development.
I am the Clinic Director at WG Psychology, a private practice I founded in Toronto in 2020, where I lead a multidisciplinary team that provides clinical intervention and assessment for adults struggling with a variety of mental health issues, with particular focus on serious mental illness and men’s mental health. This work reflects my dedication to clinical and leadership practices that draw on complex case formulation, evidence-based clinical decision-making, and a deep commitment to high-quality client care.
I received a PhD in Clinical Psychology from York University, and I completed my predoctoral residency at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, where I later completed a postdoctoral fellowship and held a staff position. Across my roles at CAMH, I was involved in providing individual and group interventions, developing novel clinical programs, delivering numerous professional trainings for frontline staff, and supervising doctoral and postdoctoral psychology trainees. These experiences honed my skills and reinforced my interests in leadership, knowledge mobilization, and mentoring future generations of psychology and allied professionals.
I have demonstrated a commitment to the profession throughout my career and am eager to continue to do so at the national level. I have taken on leadership roles within multidisciplinary teams, on organizing committees, and for policy initiatives. Most recently, I was on the executive leadership team for the Psychology Advocacy Network (Ontario) where we advocated for thoughtful, evidence-based regulatory discussions and sought to raise public and professional awareness about issues at the intersection of clinical practice and regulatory policy.
I believe psychology is at an inflection point. The rise of AI is transforming how we teach students, conduct research, and deliver care to Canadians. Meanwhile, access to psychological services remains an unresolved issue across the country. Fragmented health systems, differing regulatory environments, and persistently underfunded public sectors mean that many Canadians, particularly those from historically marginalized groups, are unable to access the care they need. Additionally, significant regulatory changes are being proposed and enacted across the country that have considerable implications for the public and the profession.
These challenges and opportunities require steady national leadership driven by leaders who can navigate complexity through rigorous analysis, high integrity, respect for different perspectives and lived experiences, and skillful collaboration with diverse stakeholder groups. These are interests and skills that I have honed over my career and are what motivate me to stand in this election.
I am proud to be a psychologist and of the important clinical, scientific, and educational work that we do across the country. I would be honoured to continue to advocate for psychology and the application of psychological science for the benefit of all Canadians in the role of Director-at-Large on the CPA’s Board of Directors.