2025-2026 ESP Section Executive
Chair:
Steven R. Shaw, Ph.D.
McGill University
School and Applied Child Psychology Program
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology
Steven R. Shaw is associate professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. He earned a M.Ed., Ed.S., and Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Florida. At McGill University, he is the Graduate Program Director of the Combined School and Counselling Psychology Program.
Before entering academia, he had 16 years of experience as a school psychologist in school, hospital, medical school, and independent practice. He served as the lead psychologist and associate professor of pediatrics at The Children’s Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina and Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Shaw is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist.
His clinical and research interests include pediatric school psychology, improving education for children with rare genetic disorders, improving implementation of innovation and clinical research in education and psychology, and developing skills in children who are struggling academically. He has over 210 scholarly publications and presentations, has edited five books, and authored two others. His most recent book is, Reaching and Teaching Students Who Don’t Qualify for Special Education Strategies for the Inclusive Education of Diverse Learners (2022) published by Routledge. He sits on the editorial boards of six international scholarly journals, is past editor of School Psychology Forum, and is the current editor of the Canadian Journal of School Psychology.
Past Chair:
Maria Kokai, Ph.D., C.Psych. (Retired)
Private Practice Consulting
Toronto, Ontario
Maria Kokai has work experience for over 35 years as a registered psychologist, in school board and private practice settings. She earned her PhD at the E. Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, annd obtained specialized experience in Scandinavia related to psychological services for deaf and hard of hearing children. As a school psychologist, she worked with a wide range of populations, including students with LD, Giftedness, as well as deaf and hard of hearing students. As the Chief Psychologist at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for 14 years until 2018, she was overseeing and directing psychological services for the 90,000 students of this board, as well as participating in the selection, implementation and evaluation of various system-wide intervention programs in the areas of LD, resilience and mental health. She supported and facilitated collaboration in research, service delivery and training with other organizations (e.g., SickKids Hospital LD Research Program, Integra, Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario – LDAO, Psychology Foundation of Canada, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Friends Resilience), and helped establish and obtain CPA accreditation for the Toronto Area Residency Program with rotations in school psychology. She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Psychological Association and the Psychology Foundation of Canada, and the former President of the Association of Chief Psychologists with Ontario School Boards. She was also an advisory member of the LDAO’s LD@School project. She was co-chair of the Cross-sectoral Psychology Working Group creating Guidelines for Diagnosis and Assessment of Children, Adolescents and Adults with Learning Disabilities. Consensus Statement and Supporting Documents (currently available as a CPA CE workshop). Currently she is a member of the Ontario Psychological Association’s Section on Psychology in Education Council. Her co-edited book, titled Mental Health Consultation and Interventions in School Settings: A Scientist-Practitioner’s Guide. (Eds.: Ester Cole & Maria Kokai) was published in 2021 (Hogrefe Publishing GmbH.)
Chair Elect:
Yuanyuan Jiang, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Professeure adjointe / Assistant Professor, l’Université Saint-Paul / Saint Paul University
(La version française suit)
Dr. Jiang is an Assistant Professor in Counselling, Psychotherapy, and Spirituality in the Faculty of Human Sciences at Saint Paul University, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta. She is a Registered Psychologist in Ontario, and Director of the Attention, Behaviour, and Compassion (ABC) Lab, which focuses on improving the psychological well-being of children and adults with challenges with attention and behaviour through compassion-based care. Much of the lab’s research concerns Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and strives to study the strengths and challenges of ADHD so that the right supports can be put in place to empower individuals with ADHD and their communities. Research in the lab also aims to understand in general how to disrupt the cycle of self-blame through trauma-informed self-compassion to contribute to an open and engaged society that nurtures the human spirit and the authentic self. Dr. Jiang completed her predoctoral and postdoctoral Clinical Psychology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, and completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of British Columbia, where she was a Vanier Scholar. She completed her Honours Bachelor of Science in the Psychology Research Specialist program at the University of Toronto. Dr. Jiang has received federal, provincial, and university funding for her research, including grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF). She has worked with children and adults in schools, clinics, and hospitals in Vancouver, British Columbia, Edmonton, Alberta, Ottawa, Ontario, Miami, Florida, and San Francisco, California.
Dre. Jiang est professeure adjointe en Counselling, psychothérapie et spiritualité à la Faculté des sciences humaines à l’Université Saint-Paul, et professeure associée à l’Université de l’Alberta. Elle est psychologue agréée en Ontario et directrice du Labo d’attention, de comportement, et de la compassion, avec le but d’améliorer le bien-être psychologique des enfants et adultes avec défis d’attention et de comportement grâce à des soins avec compassion. Une grande partie de la recherche en labo est sur le Trouble du déficit de l’attention avec ou sans hyperactivité (TDAH). L’objectif du labo est d’étudier les forces et les défis associés au TDAH, afin que les soutiens appropriés puissent être mis en place pour renforcer les capacités des gens qui ont le TDAH et de leurs communautés. L’autre but en générale est de comprendre comment interrompre le cycle de la honte grâce à l’autocompassion fondée sur des approches tenant compte des traumatismes, afin de contribuer à une société ouverte et engagée qui nourrit l’esprit humain et facilite un moi authentique. Dre. Jiang a suivi une formation prédoctorale et postdoctorale en psychologie clinique à l’Université de Californie à San Francisco, et a obtenu une maîtrise et un doctorat en psychologie clinique à l’Université de Colombie-Britannique, où elle était boursière Vanier. Elle a obtenu son baccalauréat avec spécialité en recherche en psychologie à l’Université de Toronto. Dre. Jiang a reçu des financements fédéraux, provinciaux et universitaires pour ses recherches, notamment des subventions du Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada (CRSH), des Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada (IRSC), du Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) et du Fonds Nouvelles frontières en recherche (FNFR). Elle a travaillé avec des enfants et des adultes dans des écoles, des cliniques et des hôpitaux à Vancouver en Colombie-Britannique, à Edmonton en Alberta, à Ottawa en Ontario, à Miami en Floride et à San Francisco en Californie.
Secretary/Treasurer:
Kerry Spice
Heartland Psychological Services Prof. Corp.
Kerry completed her Master’s of Educational Psychology at the University of Regina in 2011. She is a duly Registered Psychologist with the Saskatchewan College of Psychologists, and the College of Psychologists of Ontario (inactive). She holds Authorized Practice Endorsement (APE), which allows her to assess and diagnose psychological disorders. Kerry is a member of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) and has been an executive member of the Psychology Association of Saskatchewan since 2008.
Kerry is the president of Heartland Psychological Services Prof. Corp. which services urban areas and the rural north east area of Saskatchewan. Kerry has extensive experience with psycho-educational assessment and diagnosis (e.g., learning disorders, intellectual disability, ADHD, behavioural and emotional difficulties), offering this service to children, adolescents, and adults. Kerry provides assessment services to several Saskatchewan school divisions (public, catholic, federal), post-secondary institutions (university, technical), as well as other government funded programs and private contracts. Lastly, she provides supervision for provisionally registered psychologists, as well as practicum opportunities for graduate students (Masters and Doctoral).
Kerry has extended her services to include therapy to children, adolescents, and adult clients in Saskatchewan, and will be offering therapy services to adult clients in Ontario. Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) practices Kerry supports clients to learn and practice skills to help them manage anxiety, depression, anger, ADHD symptoms, trauma, personal and occupational stress, interpersonal difficulties, relationship concerns, and chronic pain.
Member at Large:
Dr. Sara King
Mount Saint Vincent University
I obtained my PhD in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 2007. My doctoral research focused on broadly on social cognition, aggressive behaviour, and response to behavioural interventions in children with ADHD. After completing my pre-doctoral internship in rehabilitation and developmental psychology at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship funded by the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program at the IWK Health Centre and Dalhousie University before taking a position as a full-time clinician in a secure care facility for youth with severe mental health and behavioural disorders. I obtained a tenure-track position in the School Psychology program at Mount Saint Vincent University in 2011 and am currently an associate professor and co-coordinator of the School Psychology program.
Although I began my academic career intending to continue my experimental work on social cognition in children with various exceptionalities, my experiences training graduate students and working with school psychologists and educators quickly prompted me to shift my focus to more applied areas of research that could potentially have a direct effect on the provision of psychological services in schools. Along with several talented graduate students, I am currently conducting provincially- and SSHRC-funded research examining availability of evidence-based information about treatment of ADHD, teacher knowledge and perceptions of evidence-based practice, and teacher perceptions and experiences of psychoeducational assessment.
Along with my work at MSVU, I maintain an active clinical practice; since 2011, I have held part-time contracts at IWK Community Mental Health in Halifax and the ADHD Clinic in Truro, NS. Currently, I work part-time in a private practice in Halifax, where I provide assessment and diagnosis services for a wide range of learning, behaviour, and mental health disorders and difficulties in children and adolescents. I currently serve as an ad-hoc reviewer for several psychology and medical journals, as well as for CPA convention abstract submissions.
Member at Large:
Dr. Simon Lisaingo
School and Applied Child Psychology Program
University of British Columbia
Dr. Simon Lisaingo is an Assistant Professor of Teaching with the School and Applied Child Psychology program at the University of British Columbia. He was previously a classroom teacher in Vancouver, Ottawa, and the Yukon. His doctoral research examined the development, implementation, and evaluation of a home-school consultative intervention for students with emerging emotional and behavioural problems. He completed his pre-doctoral residency at the Ottawa-Carleton School District. He has worked at the BC Psychosis Program and Mood Disorders clinic, and the Children and Youth with Complex Care Needs (CYCCN) program. He is interested in family-school partnerships, school mental health, school psychology advocacy, and telepsychology. When not working, he can be found on the soccer field or in the wilderness. He has two young boys who challenge him to enjoy the present moment.
Member at Large:
Luke Hupton, M.A.
Provincial Child and Youth Mental Health Program
Ministry of Children and Family Development
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Luke Hupton has 7+ years experience in counselling and psychotherapy with children, adolescents, young adults and their families in both agency and private settings. He earned his B.A. (Honours) from the University of Salford in the UK in 2011, a Diploma in Art Therapy/Psychotherapy from the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute in 2016, and his M.A. in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University in 2020 while working in an assertive outreach counselling program with adolescents and young adults impacted by the opioid crisis on Vancouver’s Downtown East Side. He was awarded the 2018-2019 Community Recognition Award by Pacific Community Resources Society (PCRS) for his community collaboration and group therapy work with youth recovering from substance use while at the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast BC.
Since 2020, Luke has worked with BC Children’s Hospital and for BC’s provincial Child and Youth Mental Health service within BC’s Ministry of Children and Family Development as both a Regional Concurrent Disorder Consultant for the Eastern Fraser Valley and High-Risk Outreach Clinician with adolescents and their families in Abbotsford, BC. He completed an advanced practicum placement with Mission Public Schools. Currently he is a Doctoral Student in the new Ed.D. School Psychology program within the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto, and his Doctoral research focuses on clinician perspectives of masculinity identity in adolescent gay men in the Canadian school system. When not working, Luke can be found walking his two miniature dachshunds, reading, and continuing to dabble in filmmaking, which he has done since childhood.
Student Representative:
Laine Jackart
School and Applied Child Psychology, The University of British Columbia
I am a third-year PhD student in the School and Applied Child Psychology program at the University of British Columbia. My doctoral research focuses on the impact of strength training and physical activity on the social-emotional well-being of adolescents with depression. Previously, my master’s research focused on the practices of Canadian psychologist when conducting psychoeducational assessments with linguistically diverse clients. Outside of academics, I have been involved in advocacy work related to the rights of two spirit and trans youth in Canada. In my spare time, I am a nationally competitive powerlifter and enjoy long walks in the forest with “Baggy”, my dog, as well as cuddling on the floor with my cat “Dewey.” I am currently serving my second term as the doctoral student representative for the School and Applied Child Psychology program at UBC and enjoy working behind the scenes to represent student voices. In addition to this, I am looking forward to being actively involved in the CPA’s ESP section during my term as one of its student representatives. My clinical work has involved psychoeducational assessment; cognitive behavioural therapy with youth; facilitation of social skills groups, such as the Peers and Social Thinkers programs; facilitation of professional development for special education teachers; and systems-level implementation of reading screening programs within schools. Currently, I am working toward furthering my therapeutic skills as they relate to my work with adolescents. My hope is to continue blending my passion for exercise and psychology within my research and clinical practice as I progress through my doctoral studies.
Student Representative:
Lena Selitser
Adler University, Vancouver, BC
Lena Selitser is a PsyD student in Clinical Psychology at Adler University in Vancouver, BC. She holds an Honours B.A. in Psychology with a Research Specialization and a minor in Biology from Wilfrid Laurier University, where she completed a thesis on the cognitive mechanisms of phonetic convergence. At Adler, she has served as a Teaching Assistant in Cognitive and Intellectual Assessment, Integrated Assessment, and Statistics. Clinically, Lena completed an assessment-focused practicum at the Chilliwack Youth Health Centre, where she conducted psychoeducational assessments for children and adolescents, and is currently completing a therapy practicum at the North Shore CBT Centre in Vancouver. Her professional interests include educational assessment, cognitive diversity, and the ways in which learning environments can be adapted to better support diverse learners. She is committed to promoting accessible, evidence-based practices and to fostering collaboration between students, faculty, and professional communities.
Conference Chair (Ex-Officio):
Dr. Tasmia Hai
Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Manitoba and an adjunct professor at McGill University
Dr. Tasmia Hai is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Manitoba and an adjunct professor at McGill University. She received her doctoral training in both school and clinical child psychology from the University of Alberta. Dr. Hai is deeply passionate about school psychology, particularly its role in promoting equitable access to mental health and educational supports for children and youth. This passion informs her integrative approach to research and practice. Her research program focuses on the intersection of family mental health, neurodevelopmental disorders (including ADHD, ASD, and FASD), and social determinants of health, with a particular emphasis on immigrant and racialized populations. Her work employs a multimodal approach, including neuroimaging (MRI), clinical assessments, and qualitative interviews to understand how early life adversity, parenting, and cultural context influence children’s mental health and brain development. Dr. Hai is also a registered psychologist in Ontario and primarily services rural and remote regions of Northwestern Ontario.
Newsletter:
Laurie Ford, Ph.D.
University of British Columbia
Director of Training, Ph.D. Program in School and Applied Child Psychology
Director Early Childhood Education
I am a former special education teacher having taught in early childhood and middle school settings. This work led me to doctoral study in School and Child Clinical Psychology at the University of Kansas (APA Accredited). I completed my pre-doctoral internship and a doctoral fellowship in Pediatric Psychology with the University of Nebraska Professional Psychology Internship Consortium (APA Accredited) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Through my experiences as an educator and school psychologist I developed interest in children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds including a clinical focus on children in early childhood and families. I have been fortunate to serve and work closely with members of our section as a former Member-at-Large, Chair Elect, Chair, and Past Chair. I am also a past member of the CPA accreditation panel and CPA Board of Directors, Chair of Council of Chairs.
The favourite part of my job is working with graduate students and supporting them in their research and clinical training. I have supervised 30+ doctoral dissertations and 45+ masters theses. When I am not at work I enjoy being outdoors and hanging with my dogs Gracie Belle and Cooper.