Her Background
In her adolescence, Dr. Vandette has been involved with children, adolescents, and families in Eastern Ontario by volunteering in a community organization whose mission is to serve the most vulnerable. Through her various work experiences in school and community settings, she has appreciated the opportunity to share the experiences of every family and to listen to what mattered most to them. In addition, she realized that her presence brought positive experiences to these children and families and that it could help mitigate some of the negative repercussions of certain life events. Her deep interest in her undergraduate psychology courses and her dedication to research during the completion of her honour’s thesis led her to pursue a career in clinical psychology. Her doctoral training has enabled her to pursue research work in the fields of family and diversity, while focusing on her doctoral thesis project on clinical supervision and the development of skills of psychologists in training.
Dr. Vandette completed her practicums at the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, the Child, Adolescents and Family Centre of Ottawa (CAFCO), the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), the pediatric clinic at Hôpital Montfort and at the Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). She then completed her internship at the Centre for Psychological Services and Research (CPSR) at the University of Ottawa with an external rotation at the Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services (CRECS) and at the day treatment program Step to Success at CHEO. During her bilingual clinical training, she focused on psychoeducational assessment (e.g., attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and learning disabilities), psychodiagnostic assessment (e.g., anxiety and mood disorders), and interventions (e.g., anxiety, depression and self-esteem and parenting techniques).
Dr. Vandette completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Psychological Services and Research at the University of Ottawa in August 2020, where she managed various clinical research projects and supervised trainees. Dr. Vandette has also served as co-chair of the University of Ottawa School of Psychology’s Implementation Committee and Working Group for Mental Health.
Her Approach and Philosophy
Dr. Vandette’s approach is integrative, most often based on cognitive-behavioural therapy. Dr. Vandette has also received training in dialectical-behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and emotion-focused family therapy. A systemic framework, collaborative problem solving, an attachment-based approach, and emotion regulation training are also applied according to the needs of everyone.
The interdisciplinary nature of her external practicums has allowed her to learn more about other professions involved in a person’s circle of care (i.e., neuropsychologists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, social workers, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, teachers, etc.). These experiences have also enabled her to see the importance of collaborative work in providing optimal assessment and intervention services to children, adolescents and families since these different disciplines complement and reinforce each other. It is important for Dr. Vandette to work as a team.
Current Situation
Dr. Vandette divides her time as a clinical psychologist, clinical supervisor, and professor at the University of Ottawa. She teaches, in French, the following courses: Psychology of Adolescence, Psychology of the Family, Evidence-Based Psychological Services for Children, Adolescents, and Families as well as a workshop in Clinical Supervision.