Dr. Rebecca Fraccaro
CLINICAL AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST
Welcome! I’m glad you’re here.
I am a Psychologist registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario in the areas of Clinical and School Psychology. My areas of practice are psychological assessment and treatment with children, adolescents, and adults.
Collaborative and strengths-based
I want to get to know the true you: your strengths, interests, values, and vision for your life. I will present my authentic self in our time together (quirks and all!) so that you can feel comfortable doing the same. Together, we will learn how your past experiences and core values have brought you to the place you are today, and normalize that we all do the best we can with the tools we have. Together, we will look at your life with a compassionate but critical lens to discover what is working for you and what needs some fine tuning. I emphasize what’s really important to you into our work together and use a collaborative approach to develop a concrete plan with your specific goals at the forefront.
Creative and experiential
I use humour, creative expression, and a bit of fun to help approach difficult topics. With children, I use play and active learning to teach skills through hands-on experiences. I draw from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) approaches while remaining grounded in the person-to-person interaction between us. I combine these and other evidence-based treatments with real human connection and a healthy dose of humour. I apply a feminist lens in my work to look critically at the power structures that shape our behaviours and advocate for equity, empowerment, and affirming spaces. When invited, I bring this critical lens into my conversations with clients.
Navigating transitions together
As a parent myself, I have a deep appreciation for the beautiful complexities of parenting. I love working with parents to help them better understand both themselves and their children, identify longstanding family patterns, and address deeply rooted beliefs that guide their parenting decisions and contribute to stress. I have a specific passion for supporting new parents, particularly new mothers, in navigating the pre/postpartum period and transitioning into parenthood. I also enjoy working with students of all ages as they navigate school and the many transitions within student life. I have a deep respect for the experience of neurodiverse individuals and enjoy supporting children, youth, and adults learn about their individual strengths and needs through assessment. I provide comprehensive psychological assessments to identify underlying learning, developmental, behavioural, and mental health conditions as well as strengths and capacities.
My details
I received my PhD in School and Applied Child Psychology from the University of Calgary. I have since completed professional development trainings to expand my practice to serve clients through the lifespan. I have taught university-level courses in school psychology, trauma and resilience, as well as graduate-level courses in statistics and psychometrics. My graduate research focused on the concept of stress-related growth, which is the idea that individuals can experience positive change out of their experiences with stress, adversity, and trauma. As a researcher, therapist, and person, I appreciate each individual’s capacity for positive change. An important part of my role at The Thought Centre and other community spaces is to provide clinical supervision to early career psychologists and clinicians looking to enter the field.
In addition to my private work, I am a consultant Psychologist and clinical supervisor for Kinark Autism Services.