Maria Pavlova
College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, Psychology
About
Emotional and physical pain is common in childhood, as are the distressing life events that bring about pain (e.g., adverse childhood experiences, including child maltreatment). Knowing how to face and to make sense of pain and distress is critical for children and their families. My research program examines the intersection of pain and trauma, with a focus on child maltreatment, and ways to support parent-child dyads in processing these distressing experiences to prevent the development of traumatic stress. My overarching goal is to create, examine, and disseminate efficacious and equitable family-centered interventions to prevent pediatric pain and child maltreatment from becoming distressing, chronic experiences and to empower youth in their health journeys.
I am a member in good standing of the College of Psychologists of Ontario. My clinical approach is rooted in evidence-based therapeutic modalities (e.g., CBT, DBT, ACT), guided by developmental and attachment-based frameworks, and flexibly adapts to the unique needs of my clients and their families.
Education
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship – University of Ottawa
Predoctoral Residency in Pediatric and Child Clinical Psychology – Alberta Children’s Hospital
PhD in Clinical Psychology – University of Calgary