Olivia Kuzyk, PhD

Approximately 65% of my clinical caseload consists of individuals experiencing OCD and related disorders. I have received training in the assessment and treatment of OCD across pediatric and adult populations throughout my Master’s, PhD, and residency training, including training with clinicians specializing in OCD. I have continued to develop my clinical expertise through ongoing continuing education, specialized trainings, conferences, and seminars focused on OCD and evidence-based treatment approaches, including ERP and ACT.

I use an evidence-based, individualized approach that integrates Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Treatment is tailored to each client’s presenting concerns, co-occurring conditions, treatment goals, and readiness. When appropriate, ERP is integrated with ACT strategies to support engagement with exposure, reduce avoidance and compulsive behaviours, and promote values-based functioning.

I have over six years of clinical experience assessing and treating OCD and related disorders across pediatric, adolescent, and adult populations. My training has included specialized clinical training and supervision in OCD treatment throughout my Master’s, PhD, and residency training, including training with clinicians in the Pediatric OCD and Psychiatry Program at BC Children’s Hospital. I have also completed specialized OCD and ERP training through the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and continue to refine my clinical practice through ongoing continuing education, conferences, workshops, and seminars focused on evidence-based OCD treatment.

I have extensive experience working with culturally diverse populations across Quebec and British Columbia, including substantial clinical experience with First Nations communities in the Montreal and Vancouver regions. My clinical training has emphasized culturally responsive care and the importance of adapting evidence-based, gold-standard interventions to clients’ cultural contexts, values, and lived experiences. I have completed specialized seminars and continuing education focused on culturally responsive clinical practice and the adaptation of evidence-based interventions across diverse populations. My approach emphasizes collaboration, cultural humility, and individualized treatment while maintaining fidelity to evidence-based principles.

I received specialized doctoral-level training examining the intersection of culture, development, and clinical presentations. My PhD research examined how cultural context, including collectivistic and individualistic cultural orientations, relates to anxiety and relational processes in school-age children. This training has strengthened my understanding of how cultural values, social environments, and developmental experiences can influence the presentation and experience of psychological concerns. I integrate this perspective into clinical practice by considering each client’s cultural context, values, family and community experiences, and broader social environment when developing individualized, evidence-based treatment plans.