About Dr. Goodman
Dr. Ilana Goodman, C.Psych.
Registered Clinical Psychologist
Ilana has over a decade of experience supporting children, youth and caregivers with mental health concerns. Clients feel quickly at ease by her genuine nature and collaborative approach to therapy. Ilana has a passion for supporting families to identify and use their strengths to cope with life's stressors.
Ilana received her doctoral training in the School and Clinical Child Psychology Program at the Ontario Institue for Students in Education/University of Toronto (OISE/UT). She has held positions in community, school and private settings and has worked with children and youth presenting with a range of emotional, relational and behavioural concerns.
Ilana draws from a variety of evidence- based therapeutic techniques to meet the needs of her clients. When working with children, Ilana uses a playful and creative approach, integrating experiential activities, to help young clients feel comfortable and enjoy their experience in therapy.
Ilana has an expertise in supporting adolescents and young adults as they transition into adulthood. Ilana’s research on the challenges youth face during the transition to adulthood has been presented at numerous national and international conferences, as well as published in peer reviewed academic journals.
Therapeutic Approach
Ilana integrates a number of evidence-based therapeutic approaches to meet the unique needs of each of her clients. These include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as well as attachment, emotion focused and motivation enhancing modalities. Ilana begins from a place of curiosity and encourages clients to identify what matters the most to them. From there, she supports clients to develop the skills they need to live life in a way that is personally meaningful and authentic. This approach resonates particularly well with adolescents, young adults and parents who often arrive at therapy feeling disconnected from their values.
When working with children and adolescents, Ilana considers how family and community systems (i.e., peer group, school) impacts individual wellbeing. Ilana encourages parents to become actively involved in therapy and regularly integrates additional parent consultation into her treatment approach. She works with parents to improve communication, attune to the emotional experience of their children, and gain confidence acting as pillars of support.
While in session with Ilana, clients of all ages are encouraged to become more aware of their inner experience and taught skills to cope with challenging emotions. Clients of all ages find therapy with Ilana fun and engaging and are eager to return.