Board of Directors

(CACBT Certified)

President
Term: 2025-2028

Dr. Taube-Schiff completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec in 2005. She then completed her residency at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton, Ontario and her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Ontario. Dr. Taube-Schiff then held positions in various academic teaching hospitals in Ontario, working with a wide variety of individuals in both outpatient and inpatient hospital settings. 

Dr. Taube-Schiff has been a Registered Psychologist for almost 20 years and works with adolescents and adults. Her current clinical work mainly focuses on the delivery of scientifically-supported treatments for individuals with obsessive compulsive disorders, anxiety disorders, depression and trauma. 

Dr. Taube-Schiff is the Director and Founder of Forward Thinking Psychological Services, a multidisciplinary practice that delivers services throughout Ontario and British Columbia. Her team mostly works with individuals presenting with issues related to OCD and OCD related disorders. At her practice, she is also actively engaged in supervision, teaching, and consultation.

Dr. Taube-Schiff is also one of the founding professionals of the Sunnybrook Intensive Services Program for OCD. This is the first residential treatment program in Canada for individuals with OCD.  

Dr. Taube-Schiff is the Past President of the Ontario Psychological Association and was the Certification Chair (Interim) for CACBT from 2024-2025. She also was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for Anxiety Canada from 2019 to 2025.

Dr. Taube-Schiff is actively involved in advocacy work for the profession of psychology and the dissemination of evidence-based treatment for OCD and anxiety.

President-Elect
Term: 2026-2029

Dr. Janani Sankar (she/her) is a registered clinical psychologist in the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario. She received her M.Sc. and Ph.D. (2015) in clinical psychology from the University of Western Ontario and completed her pre-doctoral residency in clinical health psychology at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, NS. Dr. Sankar completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Centre of Vancouver where she received rigorous and intensive training in DBT, a theoretical framework that she continues to integrate regularly into her clinical practice along with CBT. Dr. Sankar has also held the appointment of program psychologist for the complex pain clinic at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, BC. Across her training experiences and independent practice, Dr. Sankar has worked in a number of health care settings in both the public and private sectors. She is passionate about working with adults with psychological challenges related to medical concerns and has been involved in training psychology and medical residents in this area and has helped in the development and implementation of self-management and behaviour change programs for chronic illness, including chronic pain and diabetes, at multiple sites across the country. Dr. Sankar currently has a thriving clinical practice with the Vancouver CBT Centre, a private clinic that specializes in the provision of CBT and other relevant empirically-supported therapies. She is proud to be a psychologist of minority background and is always interested in finding new ways to advocate for evidence-based psychotherapy and its benefits in the community.

(CACBT Certified)

Past-President
Term: 2024-2027

With a career that spans four countries, I have reached the highest standard for clinical psychology qualifications in Sydney (Australia), Oxford (United Kingdom), Iceland, and British Columbia (Canada). In 2009, the Australian Association of Cognitive Behavior Therapy awarded me the Tracey Goodall Early Career Award. This prestigious award recognizes research or clinical innovation that has made an outstanding contribution to the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) field in Australia. I won this award based on my Ph.D., where I designed and programmed a cognitive behavior therapy program that functioned as a fully automated therapist. My work was the basis for several successful grants at the University of Sydney, and I have continued to be involved with that research.

I run AI-Therapy, an online therapy and research company, where I collaborate and teach at universities worldwide. I am currently collaborating on randomized controlled trials at the University of Sydney and the University of Reykjavik. In the past, I conducted a randomized controlled trial in collaboration with researchers at the University of British Columbia.

The zenith of my academic journey was undoubtedly my time at the University of Oxford, where I embarked on a groundbreaking research project in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. My research focused on using modern technology to disseminate evidence-based psychological treatments.  Most people do not receive such treatments; technology is one key to solving this problem. The project I was involved in was designing and building web-based therapist training programs in the fields of eating disorders and depression.  This work was funded through a Wellcome Strategic Award.

I have run my own practice in Australia, Iceland, and Canada, and currently, I see patients with a range of complex psychological conditions, including OCD, social and generalized anxiety, depression, health anxiety and panic disorder, fear of flying and more in British Columbia where I am a registered psychologist.

I have been involved in numerous professional organizations over the years. As I look to the future, I am excited to continue contributing to cognitive behavior therapy, leveraging my international experience to impact an increasingly interconnected world positively.

Membership Chair
Term: 2025-2028

Dr. Leanne Kane is a clinical and health psychologist at Gilmour Psychological Services, a private practice in Ottawa, Ontario. She provides psychotherapy services in English and in French to adults coping with a wide range of concerns, including special interests in anxiety, chronic or acute health issues, and sexual health difficulties. She also provides short-term therapy services for patients coping with cancer and their caregivers for Wellspring Cancer Support. Dr. Kane tailors her approach to her client’s needs by integrating techniques from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and other evidence-based therapies, while being considerate of the many individual differences that can be a part of clients’ backgrounds and identities. Dr. Kane obtained her MA-PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa. She completed her internship at the University of Ottawa Centre for Psychological Services and Research (CPSR) with an external rotation at the Ottawa Hospital. She is also a published author in the areas of anxiety and sexual health. She was awarded several scholarships and awards during her studies, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) graduate scholarships. She first became involved with CACBT as a student volunteer on the Communications and Advocacy Committee in 2015. She was also a student volunteer for the 2017 Ottawa conference, the Student Affiliate Representative from 2019-2022, and the Interim Membership Chair December 2024-May 2025.

(CACBT Certified)

Certification Chair
Term: 2025-2028

Dr. Michael Best is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Graduate Department of Psychological Clinical Science at the University of Toronto. He is director of both the Therapeutic Interventions for Psychosis Lab and the Clinical Research and Evaluation Center at the University of Toronto. He also holds appointments as an affiliate scientist at Ontario Shores Center for Mental Health Sciences and as a collaborator scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Dr. Best’s research focuses on cognitive mechanisms underlying experiences of psychosis and innovating cognitive treatments for psychosis. He has co-developed a novel cognitive treatment for internalized stigma, called BOOST, that focuses on helping people with a first-episode of psychosis overcome internalized stigma. He has also developed novel methods for measuring schemas in psychosis to inform cognitive conceptualization. Dr. Best has been awarded over $4 million in research funding to improve psychosocial treatments for psychosis and has published over 50 peer reviewed research articles and book chapters on psychotic disorders. Currently, Dr. Best is conducting clinical trials examining remotely delivered individual CBTp, mechanisms of change during CBTp, and effective CBTp training methods.

In addition to his academic work, Dr. Best is the founder and director of the Canadian Centre for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which provides cognitive behavioural therapy for wide range of conditions including psychosis, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depressive disorders. Dr. Best has trained over 500 clinicians across 7 countries in cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis. Dr. Best is also a steering committee member for the North American CBTp Network.

Secretary-Treasurer
Term: 2026-2029

Dr. Ryan J. Ferguson (he/him) is a Clinical Psychologist in the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) Program, East Region at The Royal in Ottawa, ON. In this role, he engages in several activities including direct services to individuals and groups experiencing symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, anxiety and anxiety-related disorders, LGBTQ+ related stress, and post traumatic stress.

He is also engaged in clinical supervision to students and residents, consultation to allied health professionals, research, teaching, and program evaluation. He also serves as Assistant Director of Training for The Royal Predoctoral Residency Program, practicum coordinator for psychology training, and holds a Clinical Investigator affiliation with the University of Ottawa’s Institute of Mental Health Research.

Dr. Ferguson received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Ottawa where he conducted research in the Cognition and Anxiety Disorders Research Laboratory and completed his predoctoral residency at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. Dr. Ferguson’s research is grounded in experimental psychopathology, with a focus on understanding the cognitive and behavioural mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders.

He is a recipient of the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship at both the doctoral and masters levels, as well as the Ontario Graduate Scholarship. He has several peer-reviewed publications in journals including the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, the Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, and Canadian Psychology.

Dr. Ferguson is deeply committed to advancing CBT training and dissemination across the country and to increasing access to culturally safe, evidence-based psychotherapy for equity-deserving communities. Dr. Ferguson has been a member of the CACBT community since 2017 and is honoured to serve as Secretary-Treasurer on the CACBT Board of Directors (2026–2029) and looks forward to contributing to the organization's continued growth and impact.

Member-at-Large
Term: 2026-2029

Dr. Dean Carcone is a clinical psychologist working out of the Downtown Psychology Clinic in Toronto and the Oakville Centre for Cognitive Therapy. He provides cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and other evidence-based treatments to adults with presenting concerns such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic, and depression, among others. Dr. Carcone is also a lecturer at the University of Toronto, teaching cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to graduate students in the OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education) department. Dr. Carcone is passionate about the advancement, dissemination, and implementation of contemporary CBT, which he hopes to facilitate through his role on the CACBT board of directors and annual conference committee. 

Dr. Carcone completed his graduate studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough, receiving master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology. His research focused on the transdiagnostic relationship between cumulative stress and memory dysfunction at subjective, neural, and cognitive levels. He completed his pre-doctoral residency at the Centre for Psychological Services and Research at the University of Ottawa.

(CACBT Certified)

Member-at-Large: Francophone Relations
Term: 2026-2029

Dr. Jean-Philippe Gagné is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at l’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). His research interests centre upon cognitive-behavioural mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders and related problems. He obtained his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Concordia University under the supervision of Dr. Adam Radomsky, where he held a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. He also completed specialized research and clinical training in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders at McLean Hospital (Harvard Medical School) and, in the context of his predoctoral residency, at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (McMaster University). Dr. Gagné has been an active member of the Communications and Advocacy Committee of CACBT since 2015 and has previously been Chair of the Section for Students in Psychology of the Canadian Psychological Association. Within these two leadership roles, Dr. Gagné has advocated for equitable opportunities for francophone clinicians and students from coast to coast by creating new initiatives for them. As a registered psychologist in Quebec and Ontario, Dr. Gagné also maintains a private practice as a part-time associate at the Mindful Living Centre. Past work experiences include being an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University and a Psychologist in the Centre for CBT Research, Training, and Intervention of the McGill University Health Centre.

Communications & Advocacy Chair
Term: 2026-2027 (Interim)

Dr. Nina Laugesen is a clinical psychologist and founder of Willow Tree Psychology, a private practice in Oakville Ontario providing psychological services to children, adolescents, adults, and families. Her clinical work focuses primarily on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and she works with individuals experiencing a wide range of concerns including anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, mood disorders, emotion regulation difficulties, and life transitions.

Dr. Laugesen completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Concordia University under the supervision of Dr. Michel Dugas, where her research focused on excessive worry and intolerance of uncertainty in youth. She completed her predoctoral residency at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, where she received advanced CBT training with children, adolescents, and adults. She later served as Director of Child and Youth Services at the Oakville Centre for Cognitive Therapy, providing CBT-based treatment and supervising graduate students and clinicians in training.

In addition to her current clinical work, Dr. Laugesen supervises graduate students and clinicians in supervised practice with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. She has a longstanding interest in clinical training, evidence-based psychological care, and contributing to the broader CBT community through advocacy, education, and professional collaboration.

Student Affiliate
Term: 2025-2027

Cailyn Fridgen, M.A., is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, under the supervision of Dr. Adam Radomsky. She completed her B.Sc. (Honours) in Behavioural Neuroscience at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Her current research focuses on identifying cognitive maintenance factors underlying Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, with the ultimate goal of improving cognitive-behavioural interventions. Cailyn has presented her research at both national and international conferences and is passionate about knowledge translation and dissemination. Her clinical training centers on an evidence-based cognitive-behavioural approach, and she is currently completing her practicum at the Centre for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Research, Training, and Intervention at the McGill University Health Centre. She is the recipient of several federal graduate fellowships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council in support of her studies. Cailyn has also served as president and executive director for several student-led mental health and academic initiatives, where she has had the opportunity to advocate for student well-being, promote access to mental health resources, and support equity in academic spaces.