Dr. Sonya Dhillon, PhD, C.Psych.
Psychologist
Dr. Sonya Dhillon has expertise in the assessment and treatment of mental health and neurological conditions and symptoms in adults and older adults (i.e., seniors).
Throughout her experience, Dr. Dhillon has worked in academic hospital settings, developing a solid understanding of evidence-informed practices and has maintained a prestigious program of research. Dr. Dhillon completed her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Toronto.
Her masters and early doctoral clinical training was completed at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, as well as in private practice. More recently, she completed her Canadian Psychological Association accredited residency at Baycrest Health Sciences Centre
Dr. Dhillon approaches therapy with a spirit of collaboration and a foundation of respect and empathy. She seeks to engage in important aspects of your life, such as your cultural frame of reference, experiences, and with a deep appreciation for your values. Her broad clinical goals for clients are for them to feel valued, heard, and experience a safe space to express their concerns while working toward collaborative and meaningful goals. Her presence, warmth, and acceptance help clients to focus in on what is important and take the emotional risks necessary to embrace change.
For mental health concerns, Dr. Dhillon has expertise in the assessment and treatment of mood disorders, anxiety and related disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, insomnia, as well as personality disorders in both adults and older adults (e.g., seniors). She also addresses issues such as perfectionism, self-worth, relational issues, transitions, loss and and trauma. Dr. Dhillon’s approach to assessment and treatment emphasizes collaboration with her clients and utilizing the best available research and methods while applying this to the client’s unique cultural makeup and context. Dr. Dhillon flexibly utilizes CBT, self-compassion, emotion-focused (EFT), and mindfulness-based therapeutic approaches which are applied holistically to match the goals and needs of her clients.
For neuropsychological and cognitive concerns, Dr. Dhillon has a wealth of experience in the identification, evaluation, and diagnosis of a wide range of concerns including but not limited to acquired brain injuries (e.g., concussion, stroke, brain tumours), progressive neurological disorders (e.g., movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.), ADHD, as well as cognitive changes related to normal aging. Moreover, Dr. Dhillon has specialization in interventions for memory, attention, and executive dysfunction related to both psychological and neurological conditions. Dr. Dhillon also provides assessments for psychoeducational purposes.
Dr. Dhillon’s program of research has evaluated and developed reliable and valid tools to measure and accurately predict functioning following mental health concerns that co-occur with cognitive (e.g., memory, attention) symptoms and impairments. She currently holds a lecturer position in the graduate department at the University of Toronto. Dr. Dhillon also regularly engages in ongoing professional development, including workshops in EFT, DBT, CBT, and CBT-I. She has interests and passions dedicated to health equity and advocacy within healthcare for underserved and unrepresented populations.