Sandra Osazuwa
MA,
VANIER SCHOLAR (2021)
Doctoral Candidate,
Clinical & Counselling
Psychology
Department of Applied Psychology
& Human Development
Ontario Institute For Studies In Education (OISE)
The University of Toronto
Canada
- sandra.osazuwa@mail.utoronto.ca
Academic Interests
Mental Health (In)Equity Factors and Outcomes
Clinical & Community-based Interventions
Diversity & Inclusion
Critical Psychology
Multicultualism
Critical Studies & Decolonialism
Global & Indigenous Psychologies
Africentric Approaches: African Healing Traditions
Psychotherapy Integration
Culturally Integrative Interventions
Program Development, Implementation & Evaluation
Community-based/ informed Research
Qualitative Methodologies
Critical Discourse Analysis
Grounded Theory (Constructivist)
Thematic Analysis
“In the world through which I travel, I am endlessly creating myself.”
- Frantz Fanon (Psychiatrist & Philosopher)
Research
Research Supervisor:
Dr. Roy Moodley
My specific research questions:
- How do we enhance the mental health of marginalized socio-cultural communities?
- How could we enhance service access, treatment engagement and wellness outcomes?
- How could we support Black communities using culturally integrated psychotherapeutic interventions?
- How could African healing traditions be used to support the mental health and well-being of Black communities in the West?
- What would the foreseeable barriers and potential benefits of this approach be?
- What can scholarship from critical race and postcolonial frameworks contribute to this work?
Capitalizing on my interest in diversity and inclusivity initiatives in psychology, my research and clinical work focus on issues related to mental health equity for marginalized ethnic communities. Operating from the belief that reflexive research has the potential to be revolutionary, I am interested in examining the intersectional circumstances that uniquely impact underserved groups to inform culturally adaptive, sensitive and/or integrative interventions that seek to optimize their outcomes and holistic well-being.
While my research focuses on the intersections of race, culture and mental health/ psychotherapy, my knowledge and experience are highly transferable to other diverse groups that experience stigma and oppression. As such, my experience has led me to research and/ or serve specialized groups (i.e., immigrants, youths, BIPOC, LGBTQ2+) and clinical populations considered complex (i.e., concurrent disorders).
Education
Bachelor of Arts
Psychology, Honours -
Co-op (with distinction)
University of Toronto – OISE
Earned: 2017
- Major:
- Psychology, Honours – Co-op with Distinction
- Minors:
- Human Resources Management
- Sexuality, Marriages & Family Studies
Masters of Arts
Clinical & Counselling Psychology
University of Toronto – OISE
Earned: 2021
- Clinical Practicum Supervisors:
- Dr. Abby Goldstein, PhD C. Psych
- Dr. Greg Hamovitch, PsyD
- Research Supervisor:
- Dr. Roy Moodley, PhD
Ongoing:
Doctor of Philosopy
Clinical & Counselling Psychology
University of Toronto – OISE
2020-Present
- Clinical Practicum Supervisors:
- Dr. Lena Quilty, PhD C. Psych
- Dr. Victoria Stead, PhD C. Psych
- Dr. Greg Hamovitch, PsyD
- Research Supervisor:
- Dr. Roy Moodley, PhD
Research Experience
Oct 2019 - Present
(Toronto, ON)
Casual Staff
Faculty:
Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
Location:
University of Toronto
REsearch Coordinator
- Executed quantitative and qualitative research projects that focused on social workers’ interactions with immigrants in Canada: ‘A Canadian Survey of Social Workers’ Attitudes Towards Immigration’ and ‘Border(ing) Practices: Systemic Racism, Immigration and Child Welfare’
- Successfully prepared ethics submissions by drafting the protocol and its related study materials
- Recruited participants through contacting national, provincial, and local organizations
- Managed the database during the data collection phase and assisted with data cleaning, coding, analysis, and interpretation
- Coordinated the project scoping review and prepared manuscript for peer-reviewed journals
Sept 2019 - Feb 2020
(Toronto, ON)
Work-Study
Department:
McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health
Location:
CAMH
Research Assistant
- Supported several ongoing clinical research initiatives investigating young people at risk for/ or experiencing depression or concurrent mental health and additions
- Attended research appointments with youth and their parents to collect data
- Performed data entry, processing and verification tasks using patient files according to policy
- Assisted with research and knowledge translation efforts
Oct 2018 - Aug 2019
(Toronto, ON)
Casual Staff
Department:
Organizational Behavioural Psychology
Location:
Rotman School of Management
Research Assistant
- Performed literature, social media, and case law reviews to support the project supervisors
- Organized and coded qualitative data to prepare it for quantitative data analysis procedures
- Brainstormed and assisted with the ongoing field experiment studies
Sept 2017 - Aug 2018
(Hamilton, ON)
Full-time:
Concurrent Disorders Capacity Building Program
Research Assistant
- Administered batteries to clients for data collection purposes; maintained several databases
- Supported the program’s educational initiatives by participating in several community group sessions with clinicians/facilitators and clients
- Analyzed and presented demographic-related statistics to help determine the program’s impact and demographics
- Developed research posters and PowerPoint presentations for conferences, and co-authored drafts for publications
- Brainstormed changes that could be made to the current method of implementation for the groups facilitated by the program
Clinical Experience
Sept 2022 - Aug 2023
(Hamilton, ON)
Placement:
Young Adult Substance Use Program (YA-SUP), Concurrent Disorders Outpatient Clinic
Supervisor:
Dr. Victoria Stead, PhD C. Psych
PSYCHOTHERAPY & ASSESSMENT PRACTICUM
- Delivered individual and co-therapy treatments for young adults with concurrent disorders.
- Co-facilitated drop-in and closed groups designed to provide psychoeducation and skill-building opportunities to patients (Orientations: CBT, DBT, Harm Reduction, MI)
- Worked with patients with BPD traits/diagnoses and mood disorders using integrative therapeutic approaches to improve their distress tolerance and emotional regulation capacity.
- Effectively managed crises and supported distressed clients (i.e., safety planning).
- Proficiently administered psychodiagnostic assessments and interpreted the results accurately for two patients with complex cases (Sources: DART 4.0v, PCL-5, BSL-25, WURS-ADHD, PAI, Medical Chart, Collateral Interview)
- Drafted integrated reports and effectively communicated the results during a debrief session.
- Prepared and presented a presentation for the monthly clinical team capacity-building series.
- Multicultural Considerations for Psychotherapy (Feb & Jun/23)
Sept 2022 - Aug 2023
(Toronto, ON)
Placement:
The OISE Clinic
Supervisor:
Dr. Greg Hamovitch, PsyD
Clinical Supervision and Consultation PRACTICUM
- Supervised and consulted with master-level students engaged in clinical practicums.
- One psychotherapy student:
- Collaborated with the student to establish clear learning objectives and goals.
- Monitored the students’ progress during weekly group supervision sessions, reviewed in-session videos and provided constructive feedback on clinical work.
- Individual supervision sessions were offered to discuss cases, review progress notes, and assist with treatment planning.
- Discussed procedures for handling crises and provided guidance when situations arose.
- Three psychoeducational assessment students:
- Reviewed in-session videos to deliver feedback on clinical skills and assessment techniques for students administering assessments.
- Provided feedback for six integrated reports by offering constructive criticism and guidance for improvement in assessment scoring, interpretation, and writing.
- Active engagement in bi-weekly seminar meetings to enhance professional development, including discussions on supervision and consultation-related topics.
Sept 2021 - Aug 2022
(Toronto, ON)
Placement:
Mental Health and Addictions Research Lab
Supervisor:
Dr. Lena Quilty, PhD C. Psych
PSYCHOTHERAPY & ASSESSMENT PRACTICUM
- Administering structured intake and follow-up psychopathology assessment interviews with complex populations (SCID-V-CR, DART 4.0V, Timeline Follow-back, C-SRSS, CNS-VS)
- Drafting integrated reports that incorporate insights from multiple assessment sources and the DSM-5
- Developing competencies with cognitive and behavioural frameworks and techniques used to treat concurrent disorders (MBRP, CBT-MET)
- Providing treatment to a caseload of patients using manual-based interventions
- Liaising effectively with interdisciplinary treatment team members in coordinating client care
- Maintaining ethical and protocol standards in research settings
Jan 2019 - Apr 2020
(Toronto, ON)
Placement:
Course-based (OISE)
Supervisor:
Dr. Julie Goldenson, C. Psych
Assessment and Diagnosis of Personality and Psychopathology Course
- Developed a foundational understanding of personality theories and used diagnostic systems, such as the DSM-5, to assess and diagnose psychological conditions.
- Proficiently administered and interpreted various assessment tools, including personality inventories, standardized diagnostic interviews, and behavioural measures.
- Drafted two integrated reports using assessment results to formulate a comprehensive and insightful clinical picture.
Sept 2019 - May 2020
(Toronto, ON)
Placement:
The OISE Clinic
Supervisor:
Dr. Greg Hamovitch, PsyD
Psychotherapy PracticUM
- Maintained a consistent caseload of six to seven clients with diverse social identities
- Adopted an eclectic approach informed by evidence-based modalities to attune to the clients during weekly psychotherapy sessions (CBT, Psychodynamic, EFT, ACT)
- Transitioned from in-person to remote therapeutic sessions during the pandemic
- Preformed outcome measures and several psychological assessments when deemed necessary (PCL-5, PIA II, SRA)
- Prepared session outlines, case formulations, and notes (i.e., intake, post-session and termination)
- Attended weekly case conferences to discuss progress with supervisor and clinical cohort to share progress and exchange insights
Sept 2018 - Jun 2019
(Toronto, ON)
Placement:
The OISE Clinic
Supervisor:
Dr. Abby Goldstein, PhD C. Psych
Assessment Practicum
- Attended lectures reviewing the functions of various psychoeducational assessments (WAIS-IV, WMS-IV, D-KEFS, CAARS, CPT-II, BRIEF, WIAT-III, WRAT5)
- Practiced the assessments with peers while under supervision
- Administered assessments with three clients over three months
- Scored and interpreted the results of the assessments and presented summaries for in-class rounds
- Prepared the psychometric reports in collaboration with the practicum supervisor
- Debriefed the clients and provided clear insights on key findings of the reports
Mar 2018 - Jan 2020
(Hamilton, ON)
Location:
Sexual Assault Centre Hamilton Area (SACHA)
SACHA Support Volunteer
- Actively participated in 13 weeks of training and completed the test call
- Supported women and men who have directly/indirectly experienced sexual assaults on the phone
- Accompanied callers to either the police station or hospital upon request
Portfolio
