Dr. Maeve O’Leary-Barrett is a clinical psychologist and a member of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec. Maeve completed her PhD at McGill University, and her research focused on investigating the efficacy and mechanisms of a personality-targeted preventive program for substance misuse and mental health problems in high-school students. Maeve continues to conduct research in school-based interventions for adolescents, and works as a clinical researcher at the Sainte Justine Hospital research centre when not doing therapy.
Maeve has received extensive clinical training in a variety of settings, both hospital-based and private. These include the Adolescent Intensive Intervention Unit, Adolescent Day Program and Eating Disorders Program at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, the Youth Service at the Jewish General Hospital, the Change Cognitive-Behavioural Psychology Clinic and the Psychology department at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Maeve has worked with populations ranging from children to adults, and is especially interested in working with adolescents and young adults. Her clinical interests include working with individuals with eating disorders, body dissatisfaction, low or depressed mood, anxiety and stress, low self-esteem and relational difficulties. Maeve’s clinical training has been grounded in a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approach, and integrates process-oriented work, mindfulness-based therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing and compassion-focused therapy. Maeve believes that it is essential to tailor the approach and focus of therapy to the particular needs and preferences of the client to enable individuals to gain the full benefits of psychotherapy. She believes that building a warm and trusting relationship between client and therapist is key to promoting positive changes. She engages in a collaborative process with clients in order to orient therapy to their needs, to increase their insight regarding their present difficulties and to provide them with tools to make changes that are in line with their values.
In her free time, Maeve loves spending time outdoors, climbing, cooking, planning her next vacation, and spending time with her loved ones.
