Past Graduate Students

Past Graduate Students

Graham Haber (M.Ed. student, Counselling Psychology)

Graduation: November 2021

Graham graduated with his M.Ed. in the UBC Counselling Psychology program in Nov., 2021. Prior to his Master’s degree, Graham completed his B.A. in Linguistics with a minor in Scandinavian Studies at UBC in 2013, during which time he worked as a research assistant in Dr. Molly Babel’s Speech in Context Lab, and subsequently with Dr. Eric Vatikiotis-Bateson. Upon graduation, Graham worked as the program coordinator and undergraduate advisor for the UBC Cognitive Systems program. From 2015 to 2018, Graham worked as a residential support worker for high-risk youth at specialized and emergency group homes in Vancouver, and volunteered as a 1-to-1 youth mentor with Climb and Conquer. From 2017 to 2018, he worked as a research assistant at UBC in Dr. Robinder Bedi’s Counselling/Psychotherapy Research, Teaching, and Service Lab. Graham is an avid climber, skier, and outdoor enthusiast.

Karla Glazewski (M.A. student, Counselling Psychology)

Master’s Thesis: Exploring the validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for use with individuals with traumatic brain injuries

Graduation: May 2021

Karla completed her B.Sc. in Biology in 2013 and then obtained her B.A. in Psychology in 2014, both from the University of Windsor. She then moved to Vancouver and volunteered at the Vancouver Crisis Centre and the Adler Centre Counselling Clinic for two years. Karla graduated with an M.A. in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia in 2021, under the supervision of Dr. Hubley. Throughout her degree, she worked as a research assistant for Dr. Schütz’s Behavioral Reward Affect & Impulsivity Neuroscience Lab. Throughout 2021, she worked as a research assistant for Dr. Hubley on a project involving how individuals process self-esteem questionnaire items. In addition, Karla has been working on publishing her Master’s thesis with the assistance of funding provided by two Paragon Research Awards. Karla also started working in private practice in the fall, 2021. Her ultimate career aspiration is to provide counselling support to individuals who are suffering from mental health challenges after sustaining a traumatic brain injury. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, playing cornhole, and spending time with her friends, family, and dog, Eevee!

Michelle (Wen Qian) Zhang (M.A. student, Counselling Psychology)

Master’s Thesis: Convergent and discriminant validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) as a depression screening tool in Canadian university students

Graduation: November 2020

Michelle graduated with her M.A.  in Counselling Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Hubley in fall, 2020. Ultimately, Michelle’s goal is provide counselling and support to individuals in an integrated healthcare setting. Prior to her Master’s degree, Michelle completed her B.Sc. in General Science with a minor in Psychology at UBC in 2015. In her last two years of study, she volunteered at AMS Speakeasy as a peer supporter. After graduation, she worked as a research assistant in Dr. Rebecca Todd’s Motivated Cognition lab, where she worked on studies that examined the influence of stress and gene variations on emotional learning. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the gym, making coffee, and trying out new food with friends!

Robbie Ruddell (M.A. student, Counselling Psychology)

Master’s Thesis: Convergent and discriminant validity evidence for inferences from the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale 

Graduation: November 2020

Robbie completed his Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology in the Fall of 2020, under the supervision of Dr. Hubley. His Master’s thesis explored validity and reliability evidence for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale with adults in Canada and the United States for which he was awarded ‘Honours with Distinction’. During his Master’s program, Robbie worked as a Career Advisor with the Centre for Student Involvement and Careers and as a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Psychology at UBC. Previous to UBC, Robbie completed a joint Honours degree in Psychology and Italian at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland in 2012. Following that, he started his Counsellor education at the University of Cambridge, UK, where he attended specialized training in working therapeutically through the use of story and metaphor, creative arts, and attachment-based play. Robbie is currently working at Vancouver Community College as well as in private practice as a Registered Clinical Counsellor. Robbie’s clinical work is trauma-informed and deeply rooted in the field of interpersonal neurobiology. To find out what he’s currently up to, visit his website at www.mycasacura.com.

Candice Yu (M.Ed. student, Counselling Psychology)

Graduation: May 2020

Candice completed her Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology in the summer of 2020. She currently works as a Registered Clinical Counsellor with children, youth, adults, and families on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen peoples. She has interests in supporting the mental health needs of the BIPOC community, and those experiencing difficulties with eating and self-image. Previously, Candic received her teaching degree from the University of Alberta and worked in a multitude of careers in non-profit, public school system, and post-secondary areas. While completing her Master’s degree part-time, she worked as the Administrative Manager for the UBC Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies. Outside of the helping profession, she enjoys travelling, trying new foods, and spending quality time with her husband and son.

Sean Maxey (M.A. student, Counselling Psychology)

Master’s Thesis: Predictors of self-esteem in adults who are homeless or unstably housed

Graduation: May 2019

Sean is a Registered Clinical Counsellor who received his Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia in May 2019 and has worked in different helping roles for over 10 years. With an affinity for nondominant identities, Sean has supported folks with queer and gender struggles, in addition to helping with substance use, trauma, and post-concussion. Sean’s practice includes clinical hypnosis, dream analysis, spirituality, CBT, feminist and art therapy. For a free consultation, please email seanmaxeycounselling@gmail.com.

Zachary Cornfield (M.A. student, Counselling Psychology)

Master’s Thesis: Attitudes of counsellors towards working with clients with substance use disorders

Graduation: November 2018

Zach completed his B.A. in psychology at UBC in 2008, spending his final year as an R.A. in Dr. Stan Floresco’s behavioural neuroscience lab, where he assisted with research on the biological basis of effort and reward based decision making. The following year, Zach was hired as a community mental health worker at Coast Mental Health, where he continues to assist with the recovery of clients suffering from serious mental health issues and addictions. To further his career in the mental health field, Zach began his M.A. in counselling psychology in 2013 and is currently working on his thesis under the supervision of Dr. Hubley. In April 2015, Zach began a practicum placement as a clinical counsellor at Surrey Substance Use Services. When not involved in his academic and vocational endeavours, Zach enjoys singing and playing guitar in his Vancouver-based band Kernel Reggae, travelling, skiing, cooking, and playing tennis.

William Lee (M.A. student, Counselling Psychology)

Master’s Thesis: Predictors of antiretroviral adherence self-efficacy among people living with HIV/AIDS who use illicit drugs

Graduation: May 2018

William started as a student at UBC in 2006 and graduated with a B.A in Psychology. He defended his Master’s thesis in CNPS in Dec., 2017. Will has worked extensively in the health and psychology field, where he started in a psychobiological determinants of health lab looking at vicarious parental stress and its effects on the health of children. Since 2013, he has dedicated his time as a research associate working with people living with HIV/AIDS who use illicit drugs in the Downtown Eastside, under the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. As a result, Will has published several articles on the deleterious effects of childhood trauma, syringe sharing, and HIV medication adherence. His current focus bridges the gap between public health and counselling psychology, where he is looking at predictors of medication adherence self-efficacy among the same high-risk population. Most recently, Will is working simultaneously at Surrey Pretrial conducting mental health assessments for inmates in the Fraser Valley. During his free time, Will enjoys watching documentaries, playing ultimate frisbee and doing Muay Thai kickboxing.

Mihaela Launeanu (Doctoral student, Measurement, Evaluation, & Research Methodology)

Doctoral Dissertation: Response processes as a source of validity evidence in self-report measures: Theoretical and methodological implications

Graduation: May 2016

Master’s Thesis: The relationship between subjective age identity and personality variables across the adult lifespan

Graduation: 2008

Mihaela received her B.A. in Psychology in 1998 and her M.A. in Psychological Assessment and Psychotherapy in 1999 from the University of Bucharest, Romania. Between 1998 and 2003, she worked in Romania, Belgium and Switzerland as a psychologist on various research and clinical projects. Mihaela came to Canada in December 2003 and started her M.A. in Counselling Psychology at UBC in 2005. She completed both her M.A. thesis and her doctoral dissertation under Dr. Hubley’s supervision. Her M.A. thesis was funded by a 2007 Faculty of Education Graduate Student Research Grant. During her graduate studies, Mihaela has been funded by SSHRC and other graduate funding. In the fall of 2013, while still working on her dissertation, Mihaela became an Assistant Professor in Counselling Psychology at Trinity Western University. Her research interests include existential issues in forensic psychology, process of change in psychotherapy, spirituality, process based validity in psychological assessment, and translational research methodologies. Mihaela also works as a clinical counsellor and psychotherapist.

Mauricio Coronel Villalobos (M.A., Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology)

Master’s Thesis: Synthesis of reliability and validation practices used with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

Graduation: November 2015

Mauricio published his first study in 2008, which assessed physical health, stress, violence, risky sexual behaviour, and addiction. He received his B.A. in Psychology in 2011 from the Universidad Intercontinental in Mexico City, Mexico and moved to Vancouver in 2013 to study his M.A. in Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology (MERM). Mauricio also worked with Dr. Hubley on a study on subjective age and personality, and is currently working with Dr. Marshall researching governance transfer, documenting the use of tablets for survey data, and handling imputations for missing data. Mauricio started the MERM PhD program in 2015 under the supervision of Dr. Bruno Zumbo. He examined how Structural Equation Modeling and Item Response Theory can support each other in the description of psychometric properties of the Modified Depression Scale. Mauricio is interested in reliability and validity evidence, the use of item formats, and scaling. He is part of the Quantitative Methods Society at UBC.

Lara Russell (Ph.D., M.A., Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology)

Doctoral Dissertation: Content validation of the Quality of Life for Homeless and Hard-to-House Individuals (QoLHHI) Health and Living Conditions Impact sections: Implications for instrument use and content validation methodology

Graduation: November 2013

Master’s Thesis: Is it worth the weight? A comparison of weighted and unweighted scores in a quality of life measure

Graduation: May 2004

Lara has a B.A. in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from McGill University and a B.S.W. from UBC. Lara has worked as a support worker for adults with developmental challenges, street-involved youth, and school-age children; a Research Coordinator at UBC; and a consultant assisting researchers with survey development (particularly online surveys). Currently, she indulges her love of tricky methodological issues in data analysis as her job as a research associate in Vancouver. Lara is also one of the authors of the Quality of Life for Homeless and Hard-to-House Individuals (QoLHHI) instrument. During her PhD, Lara received funding from the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada, The University of British Columbia, and the UBC Faculty of Education.

Mary Chinni (M.A., Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology)

Master’s Thesis: A research synthesis of validation practices used to evaluate the Satisfaction with Life Scale.

Graduation: November 2013

Mary has had a long career as a freelance, professional writer and came to MERM hoping to expand her skill set. She worked as a research assistant on the Memory, Age, and Wellbeing study with older adults and later on the Health and Housing in Transition (HHiT) study doing data auditing and working with the various sites on the data entry, auditing, and cleaning. During her degree, Mary received some support from UBC Graduate Support Initiative funds. Her thesis work was published as a book chapter. She is currently the Program Coordinator for Practice Ready Assessment – British Columbia (PRA-BC), which provides qualified internationally educated family physicians with an alternative pathway to licensure in BC.

Shayna Rusticus (Ph.D., M.A., Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology)

Doctoral Dissertation: Going beyond muscularity: Developing a multidimensional measure of male body concerns

Graduation: May 2010

Master’s Thesis: Measurement invariance of body image across the adult life span: Can we compare across age and gender with body image measures?

Graduation: November 2005

Currently, Shayna is a full-time instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in the Psychology department. She primarily teaches courses related to research methodology and statistics. She also runs a research lab called the Group Dynamics and Psychometrics Lab (www.gdplab.ca). There are two main streams of research occurring in the lab. The group dynamics stream focuses on aspects of individuals working, studying, or socializing in groups, particularly as they relate to teamwork and relationship development between peers and between students and faculty. The second stream focuses on psychometrics and scale development, and has involved the development of measures related to the learning environment and teamwork attitudes. Shayna did her undergraduate degree in Applied Psychology at Kwantlen University College and her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology at UBC under Dr. Hubley’s supervision where her general research interests were in the areas of body image (assessment, gender/age differences, media influences) and self-esteem. During her studies at UBC, Shayna was a recipient of a University of BC Graduate Fellowship, the Catalyst Paper Corporation Fellowship, the Canada Graduate Scholarships Doctoral Scholarship, Norske Skog Canada Limited Fellowship and SSHRC PG Masters Scholarship. She then completed a two-year post-doctorate with the Centre for Health Education Scholarship (CHES) at UBC followed by two years with the Department of Physical Therapy on an evaluation project related to evidence-informed health care. Shayna currently lives in New Westminster with her partner and three children: Evan, Kaylee, and Amy. In her free time, she likes to walk, read and binge watch Netflix.

Sherrie Myers (M.A., Counselling Psychology)

Master’s Thesis: Criterion, convergent, and discriminant validation of the Hubley Depression Scale for Older Adults (HDS-OA)

Graduation: November 2009

During her studies, Sherrie worked as a research assistant in the Adult Development & Psychometrics Lab, and focused her thesis research on the validation of the HDS-OA, a measure used to screen for depression in older adults. Her research was funded by a British Columbia Network for Aging Research (BCNAR) Student Data Collection Award, STAR Workshop Training, and UBC Faculty of Education Graduate Student Research Grant. Sherrie is currently working at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Janice Springford (M.A., School Psychology)

Master’s Thesis: Visuospatial perception in signers and nonsigners

Graduation: November 2006

Janice Springford completed her M.A. in School Psychology in 2006. During her Master’s degree, she received the prestigious Cordula and Gunter Paetzold Fellowship. Her thesis focused on an examination of visuospatial skills in adult signers and non-signers. Currently, Janice is the Executive Director of the Deaf Children’s Society of B.C. (www.deafchildren.bc.ca). The Deaf Children’s Society is a not-for-profit agency that provides support and services for deaf and hard of hearing children from birth to age 5, and their families.

Gail Low (M.A., Counselling Psychology)

Master’s Thesis: Detecting depression after acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina using the Beck Depression Inventory II and Geriatric Depression Scale

Graduation: May 2005

Gail Low completed her M.A. in Counselling Psychology in April of 2005 and became a registered clinical counsellor. She published her thesis in the journal Social Indicators Research in 2007. After graduation, Gail worked as an intake counsellor with Interlock Employee and Family Assistance Corporation in Burnaby. She then spent more than 2 years working as a group counsellor in addictions for Family Services of Greater Vancouver. During this latter period of time, Gail also had a busy private practice in West Vancouver under the name of Gail Low Counselling Services. She specialized in counselling adults, families, and adolescents on issues relating to depression, stress, separation, loss, abuse, and addiction. From 2008-2014, Gail worked exclusively as an addictions counsellor for Vancouver Coastal Health and with the Drug Court Treatment & Resource Centre in Vancouver.

Danielle Conrad (M.A., Counselling Psychology)

Thesis: The meaning of weight loss for women.

Graduation: November 2004

Danielle’s Master’s thesis was supported by a Faculty of Education Graduate Student Research Grant.

Cecilia Sierra Heredia (M.A., Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology)

Master’s Thesis: A study of the Spanish version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II

Graduation: May 2004

During her studies at UBC, Cecilia received a National Board of Science and Technology Graduate Studies Overseas Scholarship and a Faculty of Education Graduate Student Research Grant. After completing her M.A., Cecilia returned to Mexico where she continued her research on respiratory health issues. For almost nine years, she also taught undergraduate and graduate courses on research methodology and health psychology at La Salle University. Currently she is in her second year in a doctoral program at Simon Fraser University in the Faculty of Health Sciences. She lives in Burnaby along with her husband and two children.

Marla Simlett (M.A., Counselling Psychology)

Master’s Thesis: The relationship between feeling fat and inhibited emotional expression in women

Graduation: May 2004

Marla’s Master’s thesis research was supported by a Faculty of Education Graduate Student Research Grant. She completed her M.A. in Counselling Psychology in 2004. After graduation, Marla worked as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counsellor in Vancouver and then as the Regional Manager of Canada Revenue Agency’s Employee Assistance Program. She is currently a Senior Labour Relations Advisor for the Canada Revenue Agency, working in Labour Relations Policy on disability management programs and policies in Ottawa.

Revital Hayoun (M.A., Counselling Psychology)

Master’s Thesis: What facilitates and hinders recovery from traumatic brain injury: A critical incident study

Graduation: May 2003

Revital Hayoun arrived in Vancouver, Canada in 1999 from Haifa, Israel. She started her MA studies in Counselling Psychology at the University of British Columbia and graduated in 2003. Her Master’s thesis, supervised by Dr. Hubley, examined recovery from traumatic brain injury, specifically “What facilitates and hinders recovery from traumatic brain injury?” During her Master’s degree, Revital worked as a research assistant for Dr. Richard Young. This research focused on analyzing conversations between parents and their adolescent children regarding present-future opportunities for the adolescent. Following graduation, Revital received training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) and worked for Touchstone Family Association (Richmond) for 3 years. Currently, Revital is a registered clinical counselor with a small private practice and mainly she is a mother to 3 young children.

Pre-UBC students

Graduation: 2000

• Loriann Sydora (Psychology B. Sc. Hons.). Body image and subjective age in young and middle-aged men and women
• Anne Norman (Counselling M.Ed. with thesis). The role of personality type in college adjustment
• Irene Huse (Psychology Indep. Study). A study of the age at which older adults were happiest and why

Graduation: 1999

• Kim Scoffield (Psychology B.Sc. Hons.). The role of appearance in the age you look
• Melanie Domning (Psychology B.Sc. Hons.). Feelings and knowledge of aging in younger, middle-aged, and older adults
• Keri Amundsen (Psychology B.Sc. Hons.). Relationships among body attitudes, subjective age, self esteem, and perceived physical fitness in young women

Graduation: 1998

• Dawn Hemingway (Psychology M.Sc.). Performance on the Geriatric Learning and Memory Battery by persons with mild and moderate stage Alzheimer’s Disease (Supported by an Alzheimer’s Society of B.C. Training Award)
• Diane Tremblay (Psychology B.Sc. Hons.). Three studies comparing the Rey-Osterrieth and Modified Taylor complex figures