Hi, I’m Marissa Williams
Provisionally Registered Psychologist
Provisionally Registered Psychologists are not students! Please feel free to ask me more about what Provisional Registration means and I’ll be happy to tell you more!
My Specialties
My areas of specialty include OCD and anxiety disorders such as social anxiety, GAD, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. I especially enjoy working with clients who have OCD, and my counselling Master’s thesis was focused on postpartum OCD and mothers’ lived experiences of recovery following effective counselling.
I have extensive experience utilizing cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure with response prevention (ERP), mindfulness, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) gained through clinical work with expert mentors. I also attend the annual IOCDF conference for continuing education and to connect with other OCD treatment providers, and have enjoyed learning from online consultation with OCD specialists from all over North America.
Other Areas I work in
I also work with a wide array of concerns including, but not limited to the following clinical concerns: Perfectionism, Emetophobia, Hoarding Disorder, Illness Anxiety Disorder, Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder), Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder, Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), Executive dysfunction/Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),
I also love to work with people who have goals around their self-esteem/self-concept, goal setting and creating a life that fits one’s values/meaning making, emotion regulation, relationship and communication issues, and assertiveness and decision making.
If you don’t see your issue listed here and wonder if I could be of help, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I happily offer free 15-minute phone consultations to prospective clients to see if we are a good fit for one another.
Who I Work With
I’m an East Coaster at heart so I am a warm and genuine person. I will listen to you and do my best to compassionately understand you and your story while also being direct. I am enthusiastic and I often use humour in my work, as OCD and anxiety disorders are serious enough!
I work well with clients who are engaged in session, take an active approach to their learning, and who are eager to put in the hard work necessary to get freedom from OCD and find peace again. My therapeutic approach is collaborative, strengths-based, and primarily informed by CBT, ERP, and ACT. It is important to me to create a safe environment for therapeutic change and to provide evidence-based treatment.
I offer online sessions to clients across Alberta. Sessions with me cost 220.00 per 50 minute hour.
My University Education
(My degrees and University Training)
I received my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario and subsequently obtained my Master of Science degree with specialization in Clinical and Health Neuroscience from McMaster University. Most recently, I earned my Master of Counselling degree with specialization in Counselling Psychology from Athabasca University. My counselling Master’s thesis was focused on postpartum OCD and mothers’ lived experiences of recovery following effective counselling. I completed my clinical internship at Turning Point Psychological Services, an Anxiety and OCD clinic in Toronto, ON.
Advanced Clinical Training
(The learning that happens after University)
Exposure and Ritual Prevention (Cognitive Behavior Institute)
Working with shame in OCD (IOCDF)
The Critical Ingredient of OCD Therapy Success: Treatment Preparation & ERP+UA (IOCDF).
ACT for depression and anxiety disorders (psychwire)
Integrated CBT treatment for anxiety in clinical practice (CPA)
Cognitive Conceptualization Toolkit Course, The cognitve model and Cognitive Conceptualization Diagram (Beck institute)
Managing Hoarding in the Community workshops II and III (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre)
ACT for self harming and Suicidality (psychwire)
Things I don’t do
(No good therapist will claim to do everything well! )
I do not treat PTSD, psychosis, chronic pain, substance use, or disordered eating.
I do not work with diagnosed or suspected personality disorders other than Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD).
While I do work with folks with Autism Spectrum Diagnoses who are seeking treatment in my areas of expertise, I do not provide therapy specifically focused on ASD.
I do not work with children or do couples or family therapy.