Meet the Breakwater team
Our knowledgeable, caring and supportive team consists of psychologists, registered social workers (MSWs), a consulting psychiatrist, practicum students (both Clinical Psychology PhD and MSW students), and administrative staff.
Partners
Dr. Nicole Ethier,
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Ethier is passionate about helping individuals and services prevent operational stress from causing lasting psychological injury. She is involved with various first responder services throughout Ontario, providing consultation to peer support teams, conducting preventative mental health checks, and pre-employment psychological screening of new hires. She also provides individual assessment and therapy to first responders.
Dr. Ethier earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Waterloo.
Dr. Shannon Gifford, Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Gifford is dedicated to serving those affected by operational stress and trauma. She offers assessment and therapy services to individuals, is involved in peer support initiatives, and provides clinical training and supervision to Breakwater associates. Prior to working with Breakwater, she provided psychological services to currently serving and veteran members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP through the Operational Stress Injury Clinic in London, Ontario.
Dr. Gifford earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Waterloo and has been a clinical adjunct faculty member with UW’s Clinical Psychology PhD program since 2008.
Dr. Philip Toman,
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Toman’s area of special interest within Breakwater is the use of brain-based techniques for assessment and intervention (in particular, rTMS for depression and PTSD, quantitative EEG, neurofeedback, and biofeedback), bringing psychology and physiology together. He also provides assessment and psychotherapy to Breakwater’s clients. His research interests lie in predicting who will be resilient to the impact of operational stress, monitoring the early onset of symptoms, and developing early interventions to keep people on the job.
Dr. Toman completed his PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Waterloo
Associates
Dr. Beth Keleher,
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Beth Keleher earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Waterloo. During her graduate and residency training, she provided assessment and treatment for RCMP and Canadian Armed Forces members via rotations at the Parkwood Institute Operational Stress Injury (OSI) Clinic, the Calgary OSI Clinic, as well as for first responders at Breakwater Institute. She uses an integrative approach for treatment, drawing on a number of therapeutic techniques (e.g., cognitive-behavioural, interpersonal, and emotion-focused therapies) to address clients’ distinct needs and goals.
Dr. Kevin Capobianco, Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Kevin Capobianco has experience assessing and treating PTSD and other mental health challenges in hospitals, OSI clinics, and other outpatient clinic settings, and finds working with first responders, CAF members, and their families particularly rewarding. He integrates various psychotherapeutic techniques in his clinical work in order to tailor his approach to best fit the needs of each client. Dr. Capobianco has earned his PhD from the University of Waterloo.
Carla Kane,
MSW, RSW
Carla Kane earned her Master of Social Work (MSW) from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. She focused her graduate studies on trauma, with a particular interest in the effects of operational stress injuries on individuals and family members including spouses and children. Prior to earning her MSW, Ms. Kane was a police officer for nine years having spent time in patrol and detectives. As a former first responder, Ms. Kane has intimate knowledge of the operational stressors that can impact individuals and families. At Breakwater, she offers services to individuals, couples, and families, using a trauma-informed approach to collaboratively identify coping skills and build resiliency.
Tali Barclay,
MSW, RSW
Tali Barclay earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto. Her training included modern approaches to psychotherapy over the life course. Her area of interest at Breakwater includes examining and treating the impact of occupational stress on family structures. Ms. Barclay provides therapy services to individuals, couples and families.
Dr. Rickinder Sethi,
MD, FRCPC
Dr. Rickinder Sethi completed his residency training in the Department of Psychiatry at Western University. After residency, he completed a fellowship in Psycho-Oncology and end-of-life care at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto. Dr. Sethi also has interests in novel psychiatric treatments including rTMS, ketamine, and psilocybin. He splits his time working at University Health Network in Toronto and providing psychiatric care in under-serviced clinics within Ontario.
Dr. Vanja Vidovic
Clinical Psychologist
(Supervised Practice)
Dr. Vidovic has experience with assessment of individuals in a Specialized Mental Health Unit inpatient setting, as well as at outpatient psychology clinics. In addition to assessment, she is passionate about providing individual psychotherapy to adults with a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. Dr. Vidovic takes an integrative approach to treatment, drawing on various therapeutic modalities as she works with each client to meet their mental health needs and goals. Dr. Vidovic completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Waterloo.
Dr. Olivia Merritt,
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Merritt earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Waterloo. She has experience providing assessment and intervention to first responders at Breakwater Institute, as well as to military and RCMP members and veterans through a Veterans Affairs Canada Operational Stress Injury (OSI) clinic. She has extensive experience treating anxiety, mood, interpersonal, and trauma-related difficulties, and brings a collaborative, evidence-based, goal-focused approach to treatment.
Dr. Ami Rints,
Clinical Psychologist
(Supervised Practice)
Dr. Ami Rints completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Waterloo. Across her training and workplace experiences, she has worked with a variety of individuals in the assessment and treatment of anxiety, mood, interpersonal, and trauma-related difficulties. Dr. Rints works collaboratively with clients to understand their unique experiences and needs, and offers integrative and evidence-based therapeutic supports to aid clients in achieving their personally-meaningful goals.
Dr. Katie Finch,
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Finch completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Waterloo. She has worked in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings, and has experience assessing and treating PTSD as well as anxiety, mood, and interpersonal concerns. Ms. Finch has experience in numerous therapeutic orientations (e.g., cognitive-behavioural, emotion-focused, and compassion-focused therapy) and works collaboratively with clients, drawing from different therapies based on their needs.
Kendra Wasson,
M.A
Kendra earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Waterloo and is currently completing her Ph.D. She has a strong background in assessing and treating a wide range of concerns, such as anxiety, mood difficulties, interpersonal challenges, and emotion regulation issues, and in supporting clients in fostering wellbeing when physical and mental health needs intersect, including during experiences such as insomnia or recovery following injury or illness. Kendra works collaboratively with clients to understand their experiences and goals, offering integrative, evidence-based care to help them achieve meaningful and lasting change. Her approach draws from a variety of therapeutic modalities, including cognitive-behavioural, acceptance and commitment, dialectical behaviour, emotion-focused, self-compassion, and mindfulness-based interventions.
Alex Milovanov,
M.A.
Alex Milovanov is experienced in assessing and treating individuals with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and interpersonal issues. His approach prioritizes the needs of his clients while paying careful attention to the unique challenges faced by first responders and CAF members. He works with clients to develop individualized treatment plans and uses a range of therapeutic techniques (e.g., cognitive-behavioral, emotion-focused) to help them move towards their desired goals. Mr. Milovanov is nearing the completion of his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Waterloo.
Chris Linford,
MA, CD
Chris is a retired veteran of the Canadian Forces, having served 33 years in the Health Services Branch as a Registered Nursing Officer and Health Services Operations Officer. He retired from the CAF in 2014 and worked as a lived experience person on several group trauma programs for both the Veterans Transition Network and Wounded Warriors Canada. A few years ago, he decided to return to school to complete a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology to continue working with injured veterans and first responders. Chris’ many years and experiences as a military nurse and soldier help him relate well with members of the veteran and first responder community. He is licensed for clinical practice in British Columbia and Alberta, and works nationwide with Breakwater and Wounded Warriors Canada facilitating peer support training programs.
Terri Geehan,
BSW, RSW
Terri received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Social Work from the University of Waterloo. She is Breakwater’s Neuro Clinic Manager and is committed to providing accessible, evidence-based mental health treatments. Terri has established herself as a leader in delivering advanced care through Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and neurofeedback therapy for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and OCD, specifically tailored to the first responder community.
Terri’s clinical focus is complemented by her specialized training in intake interviews, program development and evidence-based interventions for trauma, anxiety, depression, and nightmares. Terri conducts personalized one-on-one sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) and Mindfulness programs striving to enhance clients’ sleep and life quality, empowering them to thrive in all facets of their lives.
Kayla Harris,
MSW RSW
Kayla Harris earned her Master of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. With extensive experience across various settings, including community, inpatient, and outpatient environments, she has effectively treated and supported clients facing a wide range of challenges. Her expertise encompasses treating mood disorders, interpersonal difficulties, and trauma-related issues, all while employing a collaborative, evidence-based approach to therapy. As a Certified Clinician with the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Linehan Board of Certification (DBT-LBC), Kayla brings a deep understanding and extensive experience in treating emotion dysregulation, behavioural impulsivity, rapidly shifting emotions, and relationship complexities. This expertise further enhances her ability to provide comprehensive care to her clients.
Christina Gelinas,
Somatic Coach
Christina brings a compassionate, body-centered approach to personal transformation and helps people reconnect with their bodies through gentle movement, breathwork, and mindfulness techniques. As a somatic coach she has created a safe and comfortable space where clients can explore emotions, release tension, and build resilience using their body’s natural wisdom.
Christina also works closely with the Breakwater peer support training team. With nearly a decade of support group programming and facilitation experience, she assists Breakwater clinicians in coordinating first responder peer support teams and helps deliver the training programs specifically designed for these teams..
Anita Pearce
Registered Psychotherapist
Anita Pearce is a dedicated and compassionate Registered Psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience in social services, emergency response, and healthcare settings. She brings expertise to a variety of areas including conflict resolution, occupational stress, and compassion fatigue. Her work with Breakwater Institute engages her in training and consultation with first responder services and peer support teams. In her Kingston-based private practice, she is particularly focused on providing therapy tailored for first responders and their intimate partners, recognizing the unique challenges faced by frontline couples.
Jenessa Shaw,
M.A
Jenessa Shaw earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Waterloo, and she is currently in the process of completing her Ph.D. She has a strong background in assessing and treating a range of concerns including trauma, anxiety, mood, and eating disorders as well as addressing interpersonal difficulties, emotion regulation concerns, and improving one’s relationship with oneself.
Jenessa takes a
collaborative approach to treatment, integrating a variety of evidence-based approaches (e.g., dialectical-behavioural, cognitive-behavioural, compassion-focused, mindfulness-
based) to meet the individual needs of clients.
Van Bui,
M.A
Van Bui earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Waterloo and is currently in the process of completing her Ph.D. She has experience completing comprehensive assessments and treating a range of concerns, including anxiety, mood, trauma-related, and neurodevelopmental conditions, as well as addressing emotional avoidance, interpersonal difficulties, and attachment-related wounds. Van takes a collaborative and integrative approach to treatment, incorporating a variety of evidence-based orientations (e.g., cognitive-behavioural, emotion-focused, acceptance and commitment, compassion-focused) to support her clients in working toward meaningful and values-consistent change.
Lucy Kus
Lucy is completing her graduate-level training in psychotherapy at Ontario Psychotherapy and Counselling College while maintaining her career as a paramedic, with 10 years of experience. Her first-responder experiences have shaped her understanding of trauma, resilience, and the impact of this work on individuals and their families. Lucy is also involved in her workplace peer support team, assisting colleagues in accessing resources.
Brian Morrison
Brian Morrison has worked in law enforcement and emergency response for over 40 years. He has specialized training and vast experience in the field of peer support, having worked with various ministries and agencies across Ontario, assisting with team development, instruction and providing one on one and group-based peer support.
Dan Keaney
Dan is a graduate of the Master of Social Work program at Wilfrid Laurier University and Bachelor of Social Work from Laurentian University. Dan has worked in the field of mental health in private practice for more than 45 years providing services to individuals, couples, and families treating various mental health and relationship issues.
During the past two decades Dan has focused his clinical work around post-traumatic stress, critical incident stress, operational stress, grief and loss. Dan has extensive training and clinical experience working with first responders and their families.
At Breakwater, he provides consultation and training in the area of peer support.
Admin Support
Sandy Toman
Sandy’s kind voice is generally the first you’ll hear when you call into Breakwater. She knows how stressful it can be to reach out for assistance and will ensure your questions are answered and your next steps are made clear. Her many years of customer service experience, calm style, and commitment to helping clientele in any way she can make her an invaluable member of the Breakwater Team.
Lauren Fisher-Beatty
Lauren has joined Breakwater as a member of the administrative team where she primarily handles billing and insurance correspondence, but also staffs the reception office and phone when Sandy is away. Lauren brings with her a friendly, helpful, and considerate attitude, as well as years of previous customer service and support experience. Lauren is happy to answer any questions clientele may have and ensures thorough answers are provided in a thoughtful and timely manner.