Clara McNamee
Resident; Clinical Psychology
Clara McNamee, M.A., is a 5th year PhD student in counselling and clinical psychology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. Clara is completing her doctoral residency at the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (OICBT), as a Resident, Clinical Psychology, where she works under the supervision of Dr. Jeffrey Perron, Dr. Kathryn Sexton, and Dr. Golnaz Ghaderi.
In her six years of clinical training, Clara has worked with individuals and groups with a variety of concerns, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, body-focused repetitive behaviours (e.g., skin-picking, hair pulling), hoarding disorder and more. As a clinician, Clara balances an individualized approach to treatment – centering her client’s own strengths, goals and aspirations – with evidence-based practices such as CBT, ACT and CPT. She strives to create a warm, collaborative and affirming environment that empowers clients to grow.
Clara provides assessment and both individual and group therapy to adults. She is available for both in-person and virtual services.
About Clara
- Doctorate (Ph.D – In Progress); Counselling and Clinical Psychology, OISE; University of Toronto. https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/aphd/programs/doctor-philosophy-counselling-clinical-psychology-clinical-counselling
- Master of Arts (M.A., 2023); Counselling and Clinical Psychology, OISE; University of Toronto. https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/aphd/programs/master-arts-counselling-clinical-psychology-clinical-counselling-psychology-field
- Honours Bachelor of Science with High Distinction (B.Sc., 2019); Majors in Neuroscience and Psychology; University of Toronto.
- Anxiety (Generalized, Panic, Agoraphobia)
- Depression
- Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders (OCD, Hair-pulling, Skin-picking, Hoarding Disorder)
- Trauma/PTSD
- Health & Lifestyle (Balance; Burn-Out; Sleep)
- Interpersonal/Relational Concerns
- Life Transitions
- 2SLGBTQ+-affirmative care
Clara draws on the following therapeutic modalities to create a tailored, evidence-informed approach to meeting her clients’ goals:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy-Informed (DBT-informed)
- Mindfulness-Based approaches
- Comprehensive Behavioural (ComB) Treatment for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours
- Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowship (2023-present) https://sshrc-crsh.canada.ca/en/funding/opportunities/doctoral-fellowships.aspx
- Canadian Psychological Association Certificate of Academic Excellence – Masters Thesis (2023) https://cpa.ca/aboutcpa/cpaawards/certificateofacademicexcellence/
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral (2022-2023) https://osap.gov.on.ca/OSAPPortal/en/A-ZListofAid/PRDR019245.html
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship – Master’s (2021-2022) https://osap.gov.on.ca/OSAPPortal/en/A-ZListofAid/PRDR019245.html
- Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s (2020-2021) https://sshrc-crsh.canada.ca/en/funding/opportunities/canada-graduate-research-scholarships/masters-program.aspx
Doctoral Training
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre – Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre https://sunnybrook.ca/departments/frederick-w-thompson-anxiety-disorders-centre/
- Sageview Health – Link
Masters Training
- OISE Psychology Clinic https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/psychology-clinic
- Supervised Therapist (2024-2025); Sageview Health. Link
- Student Clinical Supervisor (2024-2025); OISE Psychology Clinic. https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/psychology-clinic
- Graduate Research Assistant (2020-2023); Stigma & Sexual Health Interventions to Nurture Empowerment (SSHINE) Lab – Dr. Carmen Logie, University of Toronto. https://sshinelab.com/
- Course Staff and Instructional Aide (2021); OISE, University of Toronto.
- Undergraduate Research Assistant (2017-2020); Einstein Lab for Cognitive Neuroscience, Gender and Health – Dr. Gillian Einstein, University of Toronto. https://einsteinlab.ca/
- Crisis Responder (2019-2020); Crisis Text Line. https://www.crisistextline.org/
- Undergraduate Research Assistant (2016-2017); Adult Neurodevelopmental Services – Dr. Yona Lunsky, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. https://www.camh.ca/en/patients-and-families/programs-and-services/adult-neurodevelopmental-services
Peer-Reviewed Publications
- McNamee, C., Gillis, J. R., & Goldstein, A. L. (2026). From Self-Stigmatization to Self-Affirmation: Plurisexual People’s Experiences with Internalized Sexual Stigma and Positive Identity Attitudes. Journal of Bisexuality, 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2026.2633762
- Gittings, L., Malama, K., Logie, C., Lys, C., Taylor, S. B., McNamee, C., Mackay, K.I. & Admassu, Z. (2024). Peer and land-based approaches for fostering empowering and healthy relationships with Indigenous and northern young people in the Northwest Territories. Plos one, 19(4), e0298166. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298166
- Logie, C.H., Lys, C., Sokolovic, N., Malama, K., Mackay, K.I., McNamee, C., Lad, A., Kanbari, A. (2024). Examining pathways from food insecurity to safer sex efficacy among Northern and Indigenous adolescents in the Northwest Territories, Canada. International Journal of Behavioural Medicine, 31(4), 582-594. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-023-10195-w
- Malama, K., Admassu, Z., Logie, C. H., Lys, C. L., Kanbari, A., Taylor, S. B., Mackay, K.I., McNamee, C., Gittings, L. (2024). Prevalence, correlates and trends of intimate partner violence among Indigenous and northern youths in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Journal of Global Health Reports, 7, e2023081. https://doi.org/10.29392/001c.91888
- Gittings, L., Malama, K., Lys, C., Taylor, S., Inuksuk Mackay, K., Kanbari, A., Parker, S., McNamee, C., Logie, C. (2022). “Every day I grew stronger and stronger being there.”: Empowerment through land-and-art-based Peer Leader Retreats with Indigenous and Northern young people in the Northwest Territories. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 81(1), 2125489. https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2022.2125489
- Logie, C.H., Okumu, M., Berry I., Louet, M., Hakiza, R., Kibuuka, D., Musoke, S.M., Uwase, M.K., McNamee, C., & Kyambadde, P. (2022). Social contextual factors associated with lifetime HIV testing among the Tushirikiane urban refugee youth cohort in Kampala, Uganda: Cross-sectional findings. International journal of STD & AIDS, 33(4), 374-384. https://doi.org/10.1177/09564624211069236
- Logie, C. H., Berry, I., Okumu, M., Loutet, M., McNamee, C., Hakiza, R., … & Mbuagbaw, L. (2022). The prevalence and correlates of depression before and after the COVID-19 pandemic declaration among urban refugee adolescents and youth in informal settlements in Kampala, Uganda: A longitudinal cohort study. Annals of epidemiology, 66, 37-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2021.11.005
- Reuben, R., Karkaby, L., McNamee, C., Phillips, N.A, & Einstein, G. (2021). Menopause and cognitive complaints: Are ovarian hormones linked with subjective cognitive decline? Climacteric, 24(4), 321-332. https://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2021.1892627
- Logie, C., Okumu, M., Hakiza, R., Kibuuka Musoke, D., Berry, I., Mwima, S., Kyambadde, P., Kiera, U.M., Loutet, M., Neema, S., Newby, K., McNamee, C., Baral, S.D., Lester, R., Musinguzi, J. & Mbuagbaw, L. (2021). Mobile Health–Supported HIV Self-Testing Strategy Among Urban Refugee and Displaced Youth in Kampala, Uganda: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Trial (Tushirikiane, Supporting Each Other). JMIR Res Protoc, 10(2): e26192. https://doi.org/10.2196/26192
Reports
- World Health Organization. (2022). WHO guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being, 2022 revision: web annex A: global values and preferences survey report. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240052192
Peer-Reviewed Poster Presentations and Conference Abstracts
- McNamee, C., Gillis, J.R. & Goldstein, A.L. (2025, June 13). From Self-Stigmatization to Self-Affirmation: Plurisexual People’s Experiences with Internalized Sexual Stigma and Positive Identity Attitudes [Poster Presentation]. Canadian Psychological Association’s 86th Annual General Meeting and National Convention, St. John’s, NL.
- McNamee, C., Gillis, J.R. & Goldstein, A.L. (2023, June 22). Conceptualizations of Identities in Bisexual, Pansexual, and Plurisexual Communities [Poster Presentation]. 10th Critical Multicultural & Diversity Counselling and Psychotherapy Conference, Toronto, ON.
- Gravelsins, L., Ma Bon De Sousa, A., McNamee, C., Machlab, K., Duncan, K. & Einstein, G. (2018, Jul 15-18) Synthetic Estrogen and Cognition: Does Time of Oral Contraceptive Pill Ingestion Affect Working Memory? [Poster Presentation]. International Congress of Neuroendocrinology, Toronto, ON.
- Gravelsins, L., Ma Bon De Sousa, A., McNamee, C., Machlab, K., Duncan, K. & Einstein, G. (2018, Jul 4-7). Synthetic Estrogen and Cognition: Does Time of Oral Contraceptive Pill Ingestion Affect Working Memory? [Poster Presentation]. Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science, NL, Canada.