A Support Team Here to Help You
Our team of psychotherapists and perinatal psychiatrists has over 30 years of experience focused on helping women with depression, anxiety, and other problems during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Erika Haber-Evans, MSc, RP
Erika has 15 years of experience providing specialized care to women with anxiety and depression in and outside of pregnancy and the postpartum period. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McMaster University with prominent leadership roles in their Master’s of Psychotherapy Program and the Anxiety Treatment and Research Centre at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
Erika is versed in a range of psychotherapeutic approaches to anxiety and depression including cognitive behavioural therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and mindfulness-based therapies, among others. She and Dr. Van Lieshout have developed an effective group CBT intervention for perinatal depression that is used in clinical settings around the world and that improves outcomes for mothers and mother-infant dyads. She lives in Halton and is mother to two young sons.
Christelle Tshilenge, BSW, RSW
Christelle is passionate about maternal mental health, she has provided psychotherapy to women with depression and anxiety during pregnancy and the postpartum period in both individual and group settings for more than five years. She has ten years of extensive clinical experience in both hospital inpatient and outpatient settings, which has enabled her to become an expert at a range of psychotherapies for depression and anxiety. Christelle lives in the region and has two young children.
Janna Todd, RN
Janna has spent nearly 20 years working in a range of clinical, and leadership positions in hospitals and in the community across Ontario. She has been involved in the clinical teaching of nurses both at the University of Ottawa and McMaster University. She lives locally and has a young daughter.
Dr. Ryan Van Lieshout, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Ryan is a perinatal psychiatrist with more than 10 years of experience treating women with psychotherapy and/or medications during pregnancy and the postpartum period. He wrote the Canada’s national clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of perinatal depression and co-authored Public Health Ontario’s Perinatal Mental Health Toolkit. He has published more than 170 papers on maternal perinatal health and offspring neurodevelopment in scientific journals and is the Canada Research Chair in the Perinatal Programming of Mental Disorders at McMaster University. He has a 4-year-old daughter and lives just outside of Hamilton.
Katherine Mendoza, MSW, RSW
Katherine is dedicated to providing non-judgmental and empathic care to women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. With more than five years of clinical experience in hospital and community settings, she specializes in providing individual and group therapy for anxiety and depression using various psychotherapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness-based therapies. She lives locally and is most often found hiking along the escarpment with her pup.
Deanna Brock, MSW, RSW
As a social worker and psychotherapist, Deanna has worked with those struggling with anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. She has 10+ years of experience helping women, youth and families develop the tools to manage and cope with personal, social, and family stress. She specializes in working with women and their families who are being impacted by divorce/separation, caregiver conflict, and family discord. Deanna offers her therapeutic expertise through a trauma-informed lens, drawing on a variety of therapeutic modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, as well as Motivational Interviewing. As a mother herself, Deanna shares her passion for helping other women and their families thrive.
Corina Campbell, BSW, MSW, RSW
Corina has worked in healthcare for more than five years, with a focus on women experiencing mood and anxiety concerns during the pregnancy and postpartum period. She also has a passion for supporting women following early pregnancy loss and lead the project developing Hamilton's Early Pregnancy Loss Care Pathway for Access to Mental Health Supports. Corina is skilled in many different therapeutic techniques including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Brief Solution Focused Therapy. She is skilled in tailoring her therapeutic style to meet the unique needs and goals of individual clients. She has lived in the Hamilton area for 5 years and more recently can be found spending time exploring hiking trails out west with her family and her puppy, Maya.
Savanah Smith, MSc, RP(Q)
Savanah is a Registered Psychotherapist, who has a keen interest in women’s health. She is passionate about supporting women experiencing perinatal mental health challenges. Her clinical work has centered exclusively around women’s health concerns, including perinatal depression, anxiety and interpersonal conflict. Prior to completing her psychotherapy training, she worked in a mental health research setting. She draws from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, and Solution Focused approaches in her work with clients. She lives in the Hamilton area and has one young daughter.
Jennifer Veenendaal, BSW, MSW, RSW
Jennifer is a registered social worker with over 20 years of experience working with children and families. For the past 12 years, Jennifer has specialized in the field of health care with a focus on supporting those experiencing mental health challenges. With clinical experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings, Jennifer has developed a passion for maternal mental health, both during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. She is skilled in a range of psychotherapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Brief Solution Focused Therapy. She offers a person-centered approach to her therapeutic interventions to support the needs and goals of each client. Jennifer lives in Hamilton and has two children.