Psychologists at Aulakh Psychological and Counselling Services
Leslie MacIntyre, Ph.D. (she/her/hers pronouns)
Video Conference Link: https://doxy.me/lesliemacintyre
Telephone Session: Leslie will call you for your session. Her number will show up as Private Number, so please answer this at your designated appointment time.
Dr. Leslie MacIntyre completed her undergraduate training in psychology at the University of Ottawa, and then completed her MA/PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of New Brunswick. During her studies, Leslie developed a solid understanding of client’s personal struggles across their lifespan and strong clinical assessment and treatment skills with children, adolescents and adults. She completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, where she focused her training in mental health. Leslie went on to work at the IWK Health Centre in outpatient mental health for several years following her internship. She currently works in private practice at Aulakh Psychology and Counselling Services Inc.
Leslie has extensive experience in assessments, (diagnostic mental health assessments and cognitive/academic assessments), and in providing therapy in both individual and group formats. Leslie believes in the importance of relationships across the lifespan. She works closely with children, adolescents and adults to foster connections with themselves and those close to them. She helps clients manage difficult issues, such as stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and adjustment to life transitions across the lifespan. She also has experience supporting individuals who have ADHD, developmental or learning difficulties across the lifespan.
Leslie is known for her warm, empathic and collaborative style. She uses evidence-based treatments to help clients cultivate their unique strengths and work through personal struggles. She draws primarily from cognitive-behavioural, acceptance and commitment, mindfulness based and motivational enhancement models of therapy. She also enjoys working with parents to foster strong relationships and connections with their children through the emotion focused family therapy model.
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Olivia Cleary, M.Sc. (she/her/hers pronouns)
Video Conference Link: https://doxy.me/oliviacleary
Telephone Session: Olivia will call you for your session. Her number will show up as Private Number, so please answer this at your designated appointment time.
Olivia is a Psychologist (Candidate Register) with the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology and works in private practice at Aulakh Psychological and Counselling Services. She received her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology and Master of Applied Psychological Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2014 and 2016 respectively, and her Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Acadia University in 2023. Olivia completed her Master’s research on the coming out experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals and is passionate about supporting people through their process of coming out to their loved ones.
Olivia has clinical experience working in both hospital and private practice settings. Before returning to school, she worked as a Psychometrist in Neuropsychology for the Acquired Brain Injury Program at the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre. More recently, Olivia completed her practicum placement in private practice at Bower-Jacquard Psychological Services in Coldbrook, NS, assessing and treating depressive, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, as well as attentional and interpersonal difficulties in adults.
Olivia currently offers individual therapy to adults for the treatment of depression, anxiety and stress, relationship difficulties, and executive functioning challenges. She has a warm and compassionate approach to care and collaborates with her clients to meet their unique needs, goals, and values. She uses evidence-based techniques, integrating Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and mindfulness modalities, and is committed to continuing education and lifelong learning. Olivia welcomes members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and is dedicated to offering an inclusive and culturally safe service.
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Jey Benoit, MSW RSW (they/them/theirs pronouns)
Video Conference Link: https://doxy.me/jeybenoit
Telephone Session: Jey will call you for your session. Their number will show up as Private Number, so please answer this at your designated appointment time.
Jey received their Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology from Saint Mary’s University in 2017, and their Master of Social Work from University of British Columbia in 2020. Jey is a Registered Social Worker with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers where they also sit on the Board of Examiners.
Jey has extensive experience working in community-based agencies focused on housing & homelessness, harm reduction, and sexual health. They have previously worked in Community Mental Health & Addictions where they served as Team Lead for Child & Adolescent services. Jey currently works with the Halifax Sexual Health Centre providing support with Gender Affirming Care access.
At Aulakh Psychological, Jey works with individuals, couples, and families across the lifespan with particular focus on adolescence and early adulthood. As a transgender person, Jey greatly enjoys working with 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and those interested in further exploring their sexual and gender identities. Their practice interests include PTSD (single-incident and complex), relationship challenges, stress management, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and navigating overwhelming life challenges.
Jey is formally trained in a variety of evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). They have completed additional advanced trainings in Trauma-Focused CBT, Brief CBT for Suicide Prevention, Flash Technique, and Sensorimotor Integrations for EMDR. Jey’s practice approach is eclectic where they integrate transtheoretical elements in their sessions to best suit individual client needs and preferences. They are also WPATH trained and can write Letters of Readiness for gender-affirming healthcare including hormones and surgeries.
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Jillian Filliter, Ph.D. (she/her/hers pronouns)
Video Conference Link: https://doxy.me/jillianfilliter
Telephone Session: Jillian will call you for your session. Her number will show up as Private Number, so please answer this at your designated appointment time.
Dr. Jillian Filliter completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University, and her predoctoral residency in Pediatric Psychology at the IWK Health Centre (IWK). While her training was broad-based, Jill also worked to develop specialized expertise in the areas of neurodevelopmental differences/disabilities and health psychology.
After finishing her residency, Jill stayed on at the IWK as a psychologist with the Community Mental Health and Addictions Service. In this role, she worked with children, teenagers, and families to provide a broad range of assessment and intervention services. Following this, Dr. Filliter worked for several years conducting multidisciplinary autism assessments as a psychologist with the IWK’s School Age Autism Team.
Dr. Filliter is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Dalhousie University, where the primary focus of her research is increasing equitable access to healthcare services, particularly for people with neurodevelopmental differences/disabilities. Dr. Filliter is also very interested in community-focused research and frequently partners with patients and caregivers to ensure that her research is responsive to community needs.
At Aulakh Psychological, Dr. Filliter will be primarily be conducting autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder assessments with teenagers and young adults. Dr. Filliter has a genuine and warm interpersonal style and works hard to cultivate relationships in which patients and their loved ones feel safe, understood, and valued.
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Kate Robertson, Ph.D. (she/her/hers pronouns)
Video Conference Link: https://doxy.me/drkaterobertson
Telephone Session: Kate will call you for your session. Her number will show up as Private Number, so please answer this at your designated appointment time.
Dr. Kate Robertson is a clinical psychologist and holds registration with the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners of Psychologists. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Graduate Center at City University of New York. She has wide-ranging training and clinical experience working with children, youth, and adults who struggle with mild to severe mental health difficulties. She has worked in a variety of settings, including adolescent and adult inpatient units, community mental health services, and university counselling centers. Dr. Robertson helps foster change with her clients who struggle with a variety of life’s stresses, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship concerns. She has extensive experience working with individuals to repair and foster connections with themselves and those close to them. Currently, she divides her time between Aulakh Psychological and Counselling Services and the Garron Centre, the IWK Health Child and Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit.
Dr. Robertson is a firm believer in the power of the therapeutic relationship and strives to create a safe, healthy, and authentic space for clients to begin their journey of psychological growth and change. She believes that effective therapy is a co-created process where she and the client work together as a team. Acknowledging and understanding that change can be difficult and hard work, she meets each client with warmth and compassion. Dr. Robertson’s style combines approaches that work to increase an individual’s and family’s self-knowledge and insight (key components of the psychodynamic psychotherapy, EMDR, and attachment-based therapy) with practical techniques like coping strategies, skills building and goal-setting (cognitive behaviour therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy). She uses attachment and trauma lenses to better understand life’s stressors and is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Above all, Dr. Robertson is adaptable to meet each client’s individual needs and engages with each person with curiosity and empathy.
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Erica Lundberg, M.A. (she/her/hers pronouns)
Video Conference Link: https://doxy.me/ericalundberg
Telephone Session: Erica will call you for your session. Her number will show up as Private Number, so please answer this at your designated appointment time.
Erica works with children 12 years and older, adolescents, and adults, including those struggling with lifestyle issues, relationship concerns, transition issues, trauma/PTSD, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and gender and sexuality issues. She assists individuals experiencing difficulties with issues such as self-esteem, perfectionism, academic stress, and workplace stress and burnout. She welcomes individuals with differing lifestyles, cultural and religious backgrounds, diverse family structures and relationship styles. She has a particular interest in working with members of the LGBTQ2AI+ community, and she has specialized training in completing readiness assessments for gender affirming hormone treatment and surgeries according to the WPATH standards of care. Respecting and celebrating human diversity is central to Erica’s practice philosophy.
Erica regards the relationship between client and therapist as central to meaningful change, and she is genuine, warm, and flexible in her approach with her clients. Further, she is committed to providing evidence-based treatments that are tailored to meet the unique needs, values and lifestyle of each client. Erica uses an integrated approach, with the goal of providing treatment to support a client’s personal goals. She draws from multiple therapeutic frameworks including emotion-focused therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, client-centred therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, and solution-focused therapy. She sees the importance and value in collaborative care with other members of a client’s support team to best meet the client’s needs, when warranted.
Erica received her Bachelor of Arts with Honors Specialization in Psychology and her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from the University of Western Ontario. Across her professional career, Erica has worked in numerous different settings including healthcare-, community-, and education-based treatment settings.
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Shannon Johnson, Ph.D. (she/her/hers pronouns)
Video Conference Link: https://doxy.me/shannonjohnson
Telephone Session: Shannon will call you for your session. Her number will show up as Private Number, so please answer this at your designated appointment time.
Dr. Shannon Johnson is a Registered Psychologist specializing in neuropsychological, psychoeducational, and autism spectrum diagnostic assessments, as well as intervention for teens and adults. Dr. Johnson completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology & Neuropsychology at the University of Victoria, a clinical internship at the Medical University of South Carolina and a postdoctoral fellowship at Indiana University. She is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University. Her research examines the perceptual and cognitive abilities of individuals on the autism spectrum, as well as the health benefits of spending time in nature.
At Aulakh Psychological and Counseling Services, Dr. Johnson provides individual therapy for teens and adults with difficulties such as anxiety, depression, stress, attention problems, relationship problems, and behavior problems, as well as those seeking personal growth and lifestyle changes. As a clinician-scientist with over 15 years of clinical experience, she relies on research evidence to guide her practice. Dr. Johnson integrates a variety of approaches, including cognitive-behavioural, behavioural, mindfulness-based, and acceptance-based models, and tailors therapy to the goals and preferences of each person.
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Harpreet Aulakh (Practice Leader) (she/her/hers pronouns)
Video Conference Link: https://doxy.me/harpreetaulakh
Telephone Session: Harpreet will call you for your session. Her number will show up as Private Number, so please answer this at your designated appointment time.
Harpreet received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at the University of British Columbia and then continued her studies in the Doctoral Clinical Life-Span Development program at the University of Victoria. This program, in addition to providing a solid foundation in clinical assessment and treatment, also provided her with a developmental lens of understanding people’s issues from childhood to the end of life.
Over the past 15 years, Harpreet has had extensive experience working in both private and public settings (e.g. in Halifax IWK, CDHA). She has conducted assessments for children, adolescents and adults, with particular focus on diagnostic mental health assessments, parental capacity assessments, risk assessments, and cognitive/academic assessments.
With regards to treatment, Harpreet has provided psychological therapy and counselling services for adolescents, adults, couples, seniors and veterans, in both individual and group formats. She works closely with people dealing with difficult issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, and adjustment to life transitions. In addition, Harpreet has worked in forensic settings, and as such, she has extensive experience in working with individuals who have disruptive behaviors such as anger issues, ADHD, ODD and conduct issues. She also has specialized training and experience in working the individuals who struggle with problem sexual behaviors and violent behaviors. With Harpreet’s extensive forensic expertise, she brings a deeper understanding to her work with individuals with disruptive behaviors or dealing with justice related issues. Harpreet has also worked closely with individuals from differing cultures communities, genders and sexual orientations.
In her down-to-earth style, Harpreet approaches clients in a holistic way. She looks for the unique talents and strengths that her clients possess when working on with them on their issues. She acknowledges that making change for all humans is difficult, and she is compassionate in her dealings with her clients. She practices from a theoretically integrative approach, and she draws primarily from cognitive-behavioral, narrative, solutions-focused, Rogerian (client-centred), Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), and multi-systemic therapy models. She is also a keen believer that on-going learning is important in professional practice. As such she continues to work on staying current on what is viewed to be most effective in helping her clients.
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