She has particular expertise in terminal illness, grief and loss, and infertility and reproductive-related concerns, and has supervised/trained doctoral-level clinical psychology students as adjunct faculty at the University of Waterloo.
Her short-term, evidence-based approach draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions. Treatment is tailored to enhance coping, build resilience, and support meaningful change.
Dr. McHugh does not provide psychological assessments, couple or family therapy.
Professional training and experience
Dr. McHugh completed her PhD training in the clinical psychology program at York University. During her pre-doctoral work at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre she provided psychological treatment in a clinic specializing in anxiety disorders and treatment resistant migraines. During her career Dr. McHugh also has served as adjunct professor/clinical supervisor in the graduate psychology program at the University of Waterloo.
Private Practice
Dr. McHugh has years of experience providing both in-patient and out-patient treatment in a variety of hospital units at several hospitals. She has also been a school board psychologist for over 15 years, and she has maintained a part-time private practice since 1993. Dr. McHugh continues to update her knowledge and skills through ongoing professional training and consultation.
Dr. McHugh provides individual, short-term psychotherapy in her centrally located office in downtown Kitchener (couple/family therapy and psychological assessments are not provided). In order to ensure therapy is tailored to the individual and responsive to their specific needs, Dr. McHugh employs a number of theoretical treatment models. These evidence based approaches include cognitive behavioral, mindfulness/acceptance-based, and short-term solution-focused psychotherapy. Dr. McHugh’s therapeutic approach tends to be warm and collegial. She employs a strength-based philosophy while helping clients improve their mood, level of functioning, and balance in all areas of their life (please see the services section for information on the concerns that are frequently addressed).
It should be noted that Dr. McHugh does not provide treatment to clients who are seeking psychological assessment or treatment as the result of a motor vehicle collision or through WSIB. Also, due to her short-term therapy model she does not provide treatment for emotional/physical/sexual abuse, personality disorders or chronic depression/suicidal ideation.