Board of Directors
President, Clinical and Educational Director
Augustine Meier, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Professor Emeritus, Saint Paul University
Dr. Augustine Meier is a Registered Clinical Psychologist with the Ontario College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO) and Professor Emeritus at Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Ontario. He is a member of the Canadian Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, The Society for Psychotherapy Research, The Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration and the American Association for the Study of Mental Imagery. Dr. Meier is the founder of the Instittute for Self-in-Relationship Psychotherapy formerly called the Ottawa Institute for Object Relations Therapy.
As a university professor, Dr. Meier taught graduate courses on Theories of Psychotherapy and Psychopathology and trained and supervised graduate students in counselling and research. He has and continues to supervise clinical psychologists under “supervised practice” for the College of Psychologists of Ontario. He has given numerous workshops on psychotherapeutic techniques such as imagery, Gestalt Two-Chair and focusing. Dr. Meier presented more than 40 scientific papers on psychotherapy at International Conferences and has numerous publications on psychotherapy.
Dr. Meier is the editor of five books including The Challenge of Forgiveness, In Search of Healing, Through Conflict to Reconciliation and The Helping Relationship: Healing and Change in Community Context. With his wife Micheline Boivin, he is co-author of the book, Counselling and Therapy Techniques: Theory and Practice. His recent publication is Theme-Analysis: Procedures and Applications for Psychotherapy Research.
Dr. Meier specializes in psychotherapy research, post-traumatic stress disorder, abuse and trauma, and personality disorders. He is recognized by the court as an expert witness on trauma/sexual abuse and on psychological testing.
Dr. Meier has an active private practice where he works with individuals, couples and families. He is keenly interested in working with teenagers and adults who are struggling with a broad spectrum of concerns including relational conflicts, issues of self, anxiety, depression and recovery from trauma and abuse. He works from a developmental, relational, self and experiential perspective and uses theoretical and practice grounded techniques.
Vice-President
Shelley Briscoe-Dimock, Ph.D., R.P., R.M.F.T., R.S.W.
Psychotherapist
Marriage & Family Therapist
Clinical Professor and Clinical Supervisor
Dr. Shelley Briscoe-Dimock is a founding member of the Institute for Self-in-Relationship Pschotherapy. Sheis a clinical professor and clinical supervisor in the School of Counselling, Psychotherapy and Spirituality at Saint Paul University. She is a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), Registered Social Worker (RSW), Registered Marriage and Family Therapist (RMFT), AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and a Certified Self-in-Relationship Psychotherapist. She is a former member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association Ethics Committee and currently an Elected Professional Member of Council for the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).
In her work as a clinical professor, she trains master's level students in the Couple and Family Therapy Program at Saint Paul University. As a clinical supervisor, she oversees the clinical work of doctoral level interns, and clinicial supervisors in training at the Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre. She provides training to mental health professionals on Couple and Family Clinical Supervision and the Safe and Effective Use of Self. In her role as Professional Council Member with CRPO, she sits on the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC); the Client Relations Committee; and the Discipline Committee.
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In her private practice she works with individuals, couples and families and supervises Registered Psychotherapists (Qualifying), Registered Marriage and Family Therapist (Candidates), and AAMFT Approved Supervisors (Candidates).
Stemming from her doctoral research and clinical practice, Dr. Briscoe-Dimock's psychotherapy research interests are in the area of couple therapy and specifically in the dynamics underlying maladaptive patterns in difficult couples including personality disordered couples. She has presented her research at psychotherapy conferences and is currently co-developing a couple and family approach based on Self-in-Relationship Psychotherapy.
Treasurer
George Zimmerman, CD, M.A., MDiv.
Chaplain, Counsellor
Captain George Zimmerman, (RCN retired), served as a Naval Officer and Chaplain with Canadian Military for 38 years. He completed a B.Sc. (Mathematics McMaster University), a M.Div. (University of Toronto), and a M.A. in Pastoral Counselling at St. Paul University (1997). He was part of the team that developed the Operational Traumatic Stress and Support Centres of the Canadian Forces (1997).
Chaplain Zimmerman implemented the Care for (Chaplain) Caregiver program which was designed to support chaplains after a tour of operational duty. He was a Commandant of the Chaplain School, CFB Borden, and served in the Office of the Chaplain General. Captain Zimmerman oversaw Naval Chaplain operations, Chaplain operational deployment, chaplain well-being, and the business administration of the Chaplain General Headquarters. As an active and experienced Pastoral Counsellor, he was instrumental in establishing the chaplain counselling services that focused on spirituality, the assessment, treatment, education, and research of posttraumatic stress disorder.
He worked closely with Dr. Meier in the development of the Chaplain School Pastoral Counselling Course and was an original member in founding the Ottawa Institute for Object Relations Therapy. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church in Canada (1978), he has been the minister of St. David and St. Martin Presbyterian Church since 2010.
Secretary
Sogol Kafi M.A., CCC
Counsellor and Instructor, Algonquin college
Sogol Kafi is a Certified Canadian Counsellor with Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association with a Master’s degree in Counselling and Spirituality.
Ms. Kafi has been working in the mental health field for many years, in the areas of counselling, research and education. In addition, she has received extensive training and supervision in Self-in-Relationship psychotherapy and mainly applies such orientation in her private practice in dealing with various mental health issues.
Prior to beginning her private practice she saw clients at Saint Paul University and the Centre for Couples, Individuals and Families.
She is a published author in academic journals with a focus on relationship and attachment theory and an occasional producer of a Mental Health Awareness on CHIN Radio, Ottawa.
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Ms. Kafi is a part-time professor at Algonquin College where she taught courses on Introduction to Psychology, Crisis Management, and Interviewing in Counselling Skills.
Director
Micheline Boivin, M.A., C. Psych.
Clinical Psychologist, Psychotherapist (English, French)
Micheline Boivin is a founding member of the Institute for Self-in-Relationship Psychotherapy. She is a Registered Clinical Psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO), a Certified Self-in-Relationship Psychotherapist, and a member of the College of Psychologists of Québec (outside of Québec). She is a member of the Canadian Psychological Association.
For over thirty years, Ms. Boivin worked with troubled and traumatized children and their parents at the Psychological Services of the Children, Youth and Family’s Program at the Health and Social Center of Gatineau, Québec (translation from French).
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She has opened a private practice where she continues to work with children, their parents and families dealing with a broad spectrum of concerns including child-parent conflicts, anxiety, depression and survivors of trauma and abuse. She works from a developmental, self, experiential and relational perspectives and uses a combination of talk and play therapy techniques with children.
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She has presented workshops on child sexual abuse and play therapy and has co-presented at workshops on psychotherapy techniques such as Experiential Focusing, Task-Directed Imagery and Gestalt Two-Chair technique. With her husband, Augustine Meier, she has co-authored a book, Counselling and Therapy Techniques: Theory and Practice, and research articles on the psychotherapy process.
Director
Molisa Meier, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. ​Molisa ​Meier received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Ottawa in 2015. She is licensed as a psychologist within the province of Ontario. She is a founding member of the Institute for Self-in-Relationship Psychotherapy.
Dr. ​​Meier is involved in research focusing on the parent-child relationship (attachment), and has published and presented her research in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences. Dr. ​​Meier currently works in private practice at Queensview Professional Services (QPS). She provides therapy and assessment services to children, adolescents and adults.