Psychology

Location:

Zone B, Level 6, Room 300 (B6-300)
Children’s Hospital
800 Commissioners Road East
London, Ontario

Contact:

Telephone: 519-685-8144

Our Program

Our Psychology staff is part of the following treatment teams:

• Diabetes
• Oncology
• Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
• Neurology

All of our service providers have graduate level training in Psychology. Our Psychologists and Psychological Associates are registered members of the College of Psychologists of Ontario; they provide supervision to non-registered staff.

We offer services in the following areas:

• Assessment and Diagnosis
  
• Intervention
• Consultation

Assessment and Diagnosis

We offer Neuropsychological and Psychological assessment and diagnosis services.

Neuropsychological assessments

• For a child with known central nervous system involvement.
• Examples of assessments include language, problem solving, attention, memory, and academic skills, as well as behavioural and emotional.

We use results from the Neuropsychological assessments to monitor the effects of brain injury or medical treatment. Results also provide information on a child's strengths and weaknesses. This helps us to assist with academic, vocational and rehabilitation planning.

Psychological assessments

• For a child who is experiencing difficulties (cognitive, emotional, and behavioural symptoms) related to their medical condition and having trouble adjusting to their illness.
• Assessment of intellectual functioning may be available where functioning impacts on their medical care or if it results from a change in the medical condition.
• If a child is experiencing acute, recurrent or chronic pain, we offer pain assessments.
• For parents who are having difficulty coping with their child's illness, we provide parental assessments.

Intervention
Our team offers several intervention services:

• We provide a variety of treatments related to issues such as adjustment to illness, treatment, and stresses from medical condition.
• Pain management.
  We develop home/hospital management programs for children with behaviour problems that are related to the child's medical condition or treatment.
• We offer individual therapy for parents and siblings who are trying to cope with a child's medical condition.
  
• For children and youth coping with the death of a sibling, we provide group bereavement therapy
  • Child and Youth Bereavement Group Brochure
  • Child and Youth Bereavement Group Registration Card
• For parents coping with the death of a child, we provide group bereavement therapy
  • Parent Bereavement Group Brochure
  • Parent Bereavement Group Registration Card

Consultation
We provide the following consulting services:

• We work with hospital health care professionals regarding a child's problems that affect the child's health care regime or medical condition.
• We educate staff and students about neuropsychological, cognitive, emotional and behavioural issues that impact children with chronic illness and their families.
• We partner with schools and agencies to help address a child's needs in the community.

Our Team

Name	Title	Specialty
Dr. Danielle Cataudella	Psychologist	Inpatient Consultation Liaison, Oncology
Dr. Andrea Downie	Neuropsychologist	Oncology, ABI, Neurology, Neurosurgery
Dr. Erica Gold	Psychologist	Neurology, Gastroenterology, Outpatients
Lorraine Janzen	Psychometrist	Oncology, ABT, Neurology, Neurosurgery
Ann Klinck	Psychological Associate	School Liaison for Oncology
Dr. Cathy Maan	Psychologist	Inpatient Consultation Liaison Oncology
Dr. Susan Pigott	Neuropsychologist	Paediatric ABI Community Outreach Program
Dr. Ellen Vriezen	Neuropsychologist	ABI Neurology, Neurosurgery
Kelly McNamara	Administrative Assistant

What to Expect

Consultation is available to patients of other paediatric services by referral.

Research

Our areas of research include: psychological and neuropsychological late effects of survivors of childhood cancer; social skills development in children with cancer; quality of life in children with brain tumors at end of life; and neuropsychological sequelae in children with acquired brain injuries

Resources & Links

Canadian Psychological Association for public information and quick facts
Psychology at the London Health Sciences for information on the centre including professional and training issues.