Dr. Dana Gorelik, PhD, C.Psych. (Supervised Practice)
Dr. Dana Gorelik earned her PhD in Adult Clinical Psychology at York University. She recently completed her residency at the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care and has prior clinical training across university and hospital settings. These include the York University Psychology Clinic, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and North York General Hospital. She also has been providing therapy at Toronto Psychology Centre since 2022.
Dr. Gorelik has a gentle, approachable, and compassionate therapeutic style. She is empathic, patient, and brings a non-judgemental stance to her therapy. She works collaboratively with her clients to identify and address meaningful goals, while recognizing and building on each person’s unique strengths.
Dr. Gorelik works with adults who experience a range of clinical issues such as Depressive Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder), and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and other forms of trauma. Dr. Gorelik also has experience providing treatment for other areas of concern including self-criticism, low self-esteem, perfectionism, insomnia, transitions and loss, chronic pain, emotion regulation difficulties, and family of origin issues.
Dr. Gorelik has trained in a range of therapeutic modalities and tailors her approach to best support each client’s unique needs and goals. While she may draw more heavily on one approach depending on the issue, she often integrates elements from several frameworks to provide a personalized and effective therapy experience. Dana has extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), including exposure-based approaches such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for trauma, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), a structured and evidence-based treatment for chronic sleep difficulties. Her work is also heavily informed by her training in Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapy (STDP), and mindfulness-based approaches, which emphasize experiential, emotional, and relational processes as central to therapeutic change. Incorporating interventions from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and self-compassion, she supports clients in developing emotional awareness, flexibility, and resilience.
Dr. Gorelik brings a wealth of comprehensive training and experience, gained through her residency and multiple clinical practica. During her residency at the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, she completed a rotation with the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) Program, where she delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to individuals experiencing posttraumatic stress and depression, and conducted psychological assessments for diagnostic clarification and treatment eligibility. She also contributed to the Outpatient Assessment and Treatment Service (OATS), offering Short-Term Dynamic Therapy (STDP) to individuals facing moderate to severe mental health challenges, such as treatment-resistant anxiety (e.g., severe Generalized Anxiety Disorder), depression, and posttraumatic stress. Concurrently, she served in the Sans Souci Program for Transition and Recovery, providing assessments and CBT-based treatment for individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses, including psychosis spectrum disorders (e.g., Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder), substance use disorders, depression, and anxiety.
Her earlier clinical training includes a practicum at Sunnybrook’s Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre, where she treated individuals with severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in an intensive outpatient setting. In this role, she co-facilitated therapy groups utilizing CBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Dr. Gorelik also trained at North York General Hospital’s (NYGH) Assessment and Wellness Centre, providing therapy to adults with workplace-related musculoskeletal injuries, complicated by chronic pain, depression, anxiety, grief, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She further expanded her expertise at NYGH’s Adult Eating Disorder Program, where she conducted psychological assessments and individual therapy for Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Binge Eating Disorder (BED), as well as co-facilitated group therapy for BED.
Earlier in her training, Dr. Gorelik delivered individual and family therapy at the York University Psychology Clinic (YUPC) and conducted comprehensive psychoeducational assessments for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, and intellectual disabilities.
Dr. Gorelik’s doctoral research focused on developing a deeper understanding of the propensity to become bored, as well as building a strong measurement tool to identify individuals struggling with chronic boredom. She is currently working on publishing her results.
Outside of her professional roles, Dr. Gorelik enjoys practicing yoga, travelling, spending time with family and friends, and playing the piano. She is a member of the Canadian Psychological Association.