Dr. Sandra Lecce, PhD, C.Psych. Psychologist, Consultant
Dr. Sandra Lecce is a registered clinical and counselling psychologist. She currently acts as a consultant for TPC and is not currently accepting new clients. She is experienced in assessment and treatment for adults experiencing Depressive Disorders (e.g., Major Depressive Disorder), Anxiety Disorders (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Insomnia Disorder using evidence-based treatment approaches including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), often integrating Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) interventions when appropriate.
Dr. Lecce also addresses other areas of concern including interpersonally related difficulties, assertiveness skills, distress intolerance, perfectionism, life transitions, and grief.
Dr. Lecce’s approach to therapy is warm and collaborative. She tailors her therapeutic interventions in a manner responsive to her clients’ specific needs.
Attention is placed on exploring, identifying, processing emotions linked to thoughts/behaviors and modifying intrapersonal and interpersonal patterns with the aim of developing new understanding, mindful self-compassion, greater resilience and overall well-being.
Dr. Lecce has a special interest in attachment theory, which stems from her years of study in this area. More specifically, her attachment knowledge informs her practice in helping clients understand their emotional processing tendencies, a sequela of early childhood attachment experiences, and how to develop more adaptive emotional processing both intrapersonally and interpersonally.
Dr. Lecce’s approach is guided and supported by a foundation of empirical research, and a wealth of formal training, and clinical experience with a wide range of individuals and problem areas. Dr. Lecce earned her PhD from the University of Toronto. She has had training in CBT, IPT and EFT. Much of Dr. Lecce’s clinical training took place at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
Early on, she received training in CBT as a research psychotherapist at CAMH as well as training in humanistic, interpersonal, and cognitive behavioral therapy modalities at university counselling centres. Dr. Lecce completed her predoctoral internship at CAMH, where she provided evidence-based assessment and treatment in the Interpersonal Therapy Clinic and at Markham Stouffville Family Life Centre, where she provided CBT and EFT for individuals and couples as well as family therapy.
During her postdoctoral year, Dr. Lecce again worked at CAMH where she provided CBT and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) to clients in a large treatment research study, supervised psychology interns in the provision of these therapies, and coordinated the study, which examined factors related to personality, attachment, and treatment outcome for individuals with Major Depressive Disorder. Dr. Lecce has worked in private practice for several years, where she developed and taught a workshop on Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), provided guest lectures on Attachment and Affect Regulation and has also enjoyed supervising psychologists for licensure.
Dr. Lecce has developed a solid foundation in research and therapy over many years of formal training and practice. Her therapeutic perspective is grounded in attachment theory and research. Early in her career, she was employed in the Psychiatry Research Unit at the Hospital for Sick Children where she was involved in research studies related to attachment, maternal behavior, and emotion. Later, her master’s and doctoral research examined the relationships between attachment, individuals’ reflective capacity, emotional processing, and well-being. She has presented her research at international conferences and has also published research on perfectionism and on dimensions of neediness and connectedness in relation to depressive symptoms and personality traits.
Dr. Lecce is a member of:
Online therapy available