Dr. Maisha Syeda, PhD, C.Psych. Psychologist
Dr. Maisha Syeda is a registered clinical, counselling, and school psychologist. In addition to her clinical work at Toronto Psychology Centre, Dr. Syeda holds clinical appointments as a staff psychologist in the Division of Adolescent Medicine in the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and in the Intensive Services for Youth in the SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health.
At Toronto Psychology Centre, Dr. Syeda provides individual psychotherapy with children and adolescents struggling with complex mental health challenges and disorders, such as Anxiety and Depressive Disorders, disordered eating behaviours, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and aggression. Dr. Syeda offers support to parents through our parent coaching services.
Dr. Syeda also conducts psychological assessments to identify a wide range of psychological and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), specific learning disorders, and intellectual disability.
Dr. Syeda has worked in different healthcare and educational settings, including community mental health agencies, university training clinics, and specialized schools. She is warm, thoughtful, and engaging in her work with clients. Her primary theoretical orientation is rooted in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), specifically third wave CBT approaches such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). These third wave CBT interventions emphasize fostering self-compassion and strength-focused individual skill development to reduce psychological distress. Dr. Syeda also incorporates emotion focused therapeutic approaches to help children and adolescents gain awareness of and transform their distressing emotional experiences.
As a scientist-practitioner, Dr. Syeda uses data-informed and culturally sensitive approaches to first comprehensively assess the developmental, interpersonal, and systematic causes of the presenting psychological challenges and implement therapeutic approaches accordingly. Dr. Syeda prioritizes interventions that honour the lived experience and realities of her clients and their environment to ensure that they experience agency and safety in the therapeutic relationship. Therapeutic work with children and adolescents often invites collaboration from family and school systems and systematic advocacy. Specific environmental changes and modifications are often necessary to help children and adolescents develop resilience and improve their overall functioning.
Dr. Syeda obtained her Ph.D. in school and applied child psychology from the University of Calgary. She completed her pre-doctoral residency in Washington, District of Columbia, where she received extensive training in trauma-focused psychotherapy and community-based mental health programming with child, adolescent, and family populations experiencing systematic violence and intergenerational oppression. As a researcher, she studies the development, adaptation, and evaluation of community-based mental health interventions aimed at incorporating strength-based and anti-oppressive techniques to strengthen the mental health of marginalized children, adolescents, and families. Dr. Syeda has been awarded international research fellowships for her scholarship in child and youth mental health interventions.
Finally, alongside her regular assessment and therapy practice, Dr. Syeda consults with caregivers of newcomer and LGBTQ2+ youth to support them in nurturing their child’s strengths and protective factors and ease their transition and experience in school and community programming.
Dr. Syeda belongs to the following professional organizations:
- Canadian Psychological Association
- Ontario Psychological Association
- Association for Contextual Behavioral Science-Ontario Chapter
- International Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professionals
Online therapy available