Officially cutting the ribbon at the new clinic were, l to r: Associate Director of Clinical Training (Dr. Jeremy Stewart), Clinic Director, Dr. Sheelagh Jamieson, FAS Interim Dean Bob Lemieux, Psychology Department Head Dr. Kate Harkness, and Director of Clinical Training Dr. Tim Salomons.
Dr. Sheelagh Jamieson speaks at the event.
Dr. Kate Harkness speaks at the event.
One of the new rooms at the Psychology Clinic.
Opening new doors to the community
The Faculty of Arts and Science Department of Psychology recently celebrated the opening of their new Psychology Clinic, located at 797 Princess St. This space, located near Bath Road, will provide accessible, science-based clinical services to the Kingston community at a low cost, and is an ideal learning environment for psychological assessment, treatment, consultation, and research.
鈥淥ur new clinic is fully embedded in the Kingston community and is conveniently located close to other medical, pharmacy and mental health sites that our clients may already be accessing,鈥 says Department of Psychology Head, Dr. Kate Harkness. 鈥淢ost importantly, with the larger, better layout of space we will be able to expand our services, thereby serving a larger and broader range of clients and mental health needs.鈥
Alongside adding value to the community, Harkness says the primary mission of the clinic is world-class training of the next generation of clinical psychologist through experiential learning. The space replaces the department鈥檚 original community clinic on Barrie Street, which first opened in 2005 and was designed to provide high quality training experiences for students in the Clinical Psychology Graduate program as well as to help meet community needs for psychological services.
The program eventually outgrew that space and its accessibility and layout limitations. In 2022, a team from the clinical program, including Drs. Caroline Pukall, Chris Bowie, Tim Salomons, St茅phanie Boyer, and Clinic Director, Dr. Sheelagh Jamieson, pulled together a plan of what was needed in a new clinic environment. They found what they were looking for at 797 Princess and signed a lease last fall. The space was renovated to accommodate optimal student training configuration, including therapy and assessment rooms and group learning spaces, as well as state-of-the-art supervision technology,
Interim Dean Bob Lemieux attended the opening and offered his thoughts on the new space and the opportunities it offers.
鈥淚 can tell you from my experience that this type of project does not happen without a strong, visionary leader and you are blessed to have Kate,鈥 Interim Dean Lemieux said, acknowledging the department鈥檚 Head. 鈥淭his clinic is addressing one of the imperatives we have as a university and that is not just to teach, not just to do research but to engage the community. As you all know, the post-secondary sector is challenged right now and one of the challenges we have is that society as a whole does not recognize the value proposition that universities have as much as they used to. So, what you do in this clinic is absolutely critical and now you can do it in a place that鈥檚 state of the art.鈥
Clinic Director Dr. Jamieson also offered her thoughts and congratulations at the opening event. 鈥淲e know as members of the psychology community that environment shapes behaviour, and behaviour shapes the person as well as the experience. We are united in our mission to improve mental health, and we want to improve mental health for all through providing world-class training to the next generation of psychologists.鈥
The clinic is funded by the Department of Psychology, but also generates revenue through partnerships with community agencies, low-cost services to the community, and extended psychological service programs. There are also generous contributions from private donations to the Psychology Clinic Bursary Program, the Psychology Clinic Trust Fund, and the Dr. Kevin Parker Memorial Fund.
The clinic has free parking available and is close to public transit options.
Learn more about鈥痶he Queen鈥檚 Psychology Clinic鈥痑苍诲 鈥痠n improving access to quality mental health services and fostering a new generation of skilled practitioners equipped to meet the evolving needs of society.