Current Teaching Areas

Graduate courses:

Treatment of Sexual Problems in Clinical Practice

This course is offered as a clinical seminar every 3-4 years and uses a problem-based learning approach to examine sexuality issues that arise in a general clinical practice. In the course, we focus on assessment of sexual functioning to inform development of an effective treatment plan. Although not a focus of the course, we also consider treatment implications and strategies Research in human sexuality serves as the basis for decision-making. We discuss clinical practice procedures  in light of available research data or lack there of. I also assign experiential exercises to increase students' comfort in talking about sex. I last taught this course in the Fall of 2008.

Ethics for Psychologists

This is a required course for all first year graduate students.  In the course, we examine the ethical standards for psychologists involved in research, teaching, applied, and clinical work based on the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists, Third Edition.  The course uses a problem based approach in which students discuss and attempt to resolve ethical dilemmas.  I last taught this course in the Fall of 2007.

Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology

This course examines  a number of important  professional concerns and practice issues of clinical psychologists.  Topics vary from year to year but may including working with cultural minorities, working in rural settings, M.A. vs Ph.D. licensing, prescription privileges for psychologists, and sexual abuse by professional, among others. I last taught this course in the Fall of 2007.

Therapy Skills with Adults

This skills course is designed to equip students with the basic interviewing and psychotherapy skills necessary to practice as a clinical psychologist. The first half of the course is aimed at the acquisition and practice of basic interviewing skills using a micro-counseling approach involving instruction, modeling, and role-playing with feedback. The interviewing skills are prerequisite to therapy skills, obtaining client cooperation, developing rapport, good staff relations, etc. The second half of the course is aimed at facilitating the use of basic interviewing and therapy skills with student client volunteers who are discussing a personal problem.

I  last taught this course in the Fall of 2009

Undergraduate courses:

Human Sexuality

This course provides a broad introduction to the psychology of human sexuality, including examination of such specific topics as sexual anatomy, sexual behaviour throughout the lifespan, sexual response, sexual dysfunction and sex therapy, sexual coercion, and pregnancy and childbirth. The emphasis is on placing empirical findings within physiological, individual, interpersonal, and social frameworks. A popular component of the course is participation in a series of small
group interactive tutorials that are facilitated by graduate students in
psychology. I developed the tutorials in conjunction with a number of my graduate students. We designed and redesigned the tutorials to provide students with a forum to: discuss sexual issues; clarify their own opinions and values; acquire personally relevant information; become more aware of the complexity of many sexual issues; become more aware of other students' values and opinions; become more accepting of diversity; prepare for sexual decision-making; increase their comfort in talking about sex; and, develop skills.

I typically teach this course every year.

Student Supervison

I regularly supervise undergraduate students completing Basic Research requirements or their Honours thesis. I also typically have a number of doctoral students working under my supervision. Most of my graduate students have been in the Clinical Psychology program, although I also am willing to accept students into the Experimental and Applied Program.  Normally, I accept one new doctoral student and one Honours student each year. My students and I meet regularly as the Human Sexuality Research Group. Students in other areas and colleagues in other Departments or in the community with a background in human sexuality are welcome to attend our meetings—and regularly do so.

Click here for more information about members of the Human Sexuality Research Group.