Welcome and greetings from the CACBT-ACTCC Student Committee!

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

We are excited to share that our Student Committee is wrapping up a very successful inaugural year and we are looking forward to meeting many of you at our hybrid 14th Annual Conference in Toronto. We are especially delighted to engage with many trainees who will be showcasing their work at the poster session, network with passionate CBT practitioners, and learn from prominent Canadians in the field to refine our skills. The Student Committee cannot wait to meet you soon!

Who are we?

Our Student Committee was formed in 2023 as an initiative led by our Student Affiliate Representative, Dalainey Drakes, with unwavering support from the Board of Directors. The goal of the committee is to increase student involvement within the organization while promoting opportunities for leadership, skill development, student advocacy, and knowledge sharing in accessible formats with the communities we serve. Our committee members bring a variety of perspectives and voices based on identity factors, lived experiences, geographical location, and programs of study.

What are the some of the ways we have contributed to CACBT-ACTCC this year?

Committee members work on their respective initiatives that were selected based on preference and individual areas of strength. These initiatives include activities related to knowledge translation (e.g., weekly social media research features and creation of short informative resources on CBT-related interventions), community outreach (e.g., building our connections with mental health related programs and organizations), and fostering our internal sense of community for students (e.g., student features on social media, Student Corner in our previous newsletters, supporting conference operations). Committee members also offer diverse perspectives on matters related to student advocacy led by our Student Affiliate Representative. As a group, we collaborate on initiatives such as our highly successful virtual workshop with Dr. David Jobes on clinical suicidology. In this trainee-exclusive event, we learned evidence-based ways to assess and treat suicidality on an outpatient basis.  

Meet our Student Committee

Student Affiliate Representative

Dalainey Drakes is a PhD student in clinical psychology at the University of Ottawa. Her research and clinical interests include anxiety and mood-related disorders as well as improving the lived experience of those with chronic health and pain conditions. Dalainey brings a passion for advocacy across her leadership roles in the community by placing student interest, development, equity, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of her work.

Our Amazing Committee Members

• Brianna Boyle is a PhD student in clinical psychology at the University of New Brunswick with clinical and research interest in the areas of forensic and health psychology. As part of her role, Brianna focuses on expanding the contacts and connections we have in CACBT to make sure we are reaching as many programs as possible in Canada. Brianna believes this is an important initiative as it is crucial to incorporate the perspectives of various groups and programs in the work that we do.

• Fei Ying is a master's student in clinical psychology at Western University. Her research focuses on interpersonal processes in the context of depression, specifically observable communication patterns between romantic partners. Fei has been creating resource pages for students interested in learning more about CBT and related therapies. Fei’s goal is to provide students with accessible introductions to CBT-related therapies and trusted resources they can use to further their learning.

• Joanna Vint is a current master’s student in clinical psychology at the University of Regina. Her research interests include anxiety and mood-related disorders, and exercise-based interventions. Joanna creates our awareness day materials for our social media accounts, as they are important in advocating for important mental and physical health topics. Awareness can be a first step to fighting stigma, supporting and recognizing individuals, and striving for change.

• Gabriela de Miranda Murphy is a master’s student in clinical psychology at Western University. She is studying romantic relationships and their intersection with depression. Gaby is a strong proponent of knowledge translation and increasing the accessibility of research to broader audiences. She assists with the creation of the weekly Ready to Read posts to promote the sharing of the latest research findings relevant to CBT that may otherwise be hidden behind research jargon.

A special thank you to Danielle Penney, PhD Candidate in clinical psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal, as her time with us comes to a close. Her presence and contributions this past year were incredibly valuable. Her perspective sharing at meetings and dedication to teamwork have supported change within the organization, helping to improve the student experience; her efforts have planted seeds for future initiatives in the coming years. We wish you all the best!

Stay tuned for upcoming initiatives throughout the year and to meet our new group of student volunteers!