Shalaka Shah, M.A.

Shalaka Shah, M.A. is a Ph.D. candidate at the School/Applied Child Psychology program at McGill University. She is a registered with the Ordre des psychologues du Québec as a student member, under the supervision of Dr. Tamara Soles. Her research, conducted through the Jewish General Hospital, involves the study of how child biology, maternal stress experienced by the mother during pregnancy,, and parenting contribute to the formation of attachment styles in children. She is the recipient of a Master’s level award from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and a doctoral level award from the Fonds de recherche en santé du Québec.

 

Shalaka works children, teenagers and parents/caregivers in English and French to help them navigate a wide variety of challenges or circumstances including anxiety and mood disorders, peer relationships, self-harming or suicidal behaviours, neurodevelopmental diagnoses, and school-related challenges. Her training is in evidence-based therapy modalities, including cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT). Her clinical experiences include the inpatient psychiatry unit of the Montreal Children’s Hospital and conducting psychoeducational assessments and therapy in private practice. Her clinical residency was completed at the Child and Youth Mental Health Services in Victoria, B.C. She has an especial interest in contextualizing challenges within the social and cultural environments of her clients, to ensure that those coming from marginalized backgrounds are receiving the best possible care. She strongly believes in centering her client’s experiences, working collaboratively to help them achieve their goals, and actively dismantling the harmful systems or structures which prevent her clients from thriving.