Dana S. Thordarson PhD, RPsych

Dr. Dana Thordarson is a psychologist registered by the College of Psychologists of BC and certified in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) by the Canadian Association of Cognitive & Behavioural Therapies.

In her private practice, she focuses on assessment and therapy for adults with anxiety, posttraumatic stress, habit disorders, stress, and depression. She enjoys helping her clients take a practical and active approach to challenge their problems while pursuing their larger goals. She uses a cognitive-behavioral approach, supplemented with mindfulness and acceptance-based techniques. Recognizing that many people cannot afford a full course of therapy, Dr. Thordarson often sees clients for one or two sessions so that she can formulate a plan and direct them to evidence-based self-help resources, with occasional follow-up sessions as needed.

Dr. Thordarson received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UBC in 2000. Her doctoral research focused on anxiety disorders, particularly thoughts and beliefs associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder. She completed her predoctoral residency at UBC Hospital, working primarily in the (now defunct) Anxiety Disorders Unit. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the Psychiatry department at UBC, where she was the main therapist for a randomized trial of exposure therapy, EMDR, and relaxation training in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, and she developed a telephone treatment program for adults with OCD.

Dr. Thordarson has also worked as a psychologist for people with chronic illness at the Heart Centre at St. Paul’s Hospital, as a research associate in behavioral genetics, and as a sessional lecturer in the UBC Psychology department. She has published numerous journal articles and book chapters on anxiety disorders and behavioral genetics. She has also contributed to an upcoming section on in pregnant women and new mothers at www.AnxietyBC.com.

In addition to her private practice at NSSAC, Dr. Thordarson is an instructor in the UBC Midwifery program, where she teaches a class on principles of evidence-based medicine, epidemiology, and critical appraisal of research literature, and supervises student research projects. She is a member of the UBC Behavioural Research Ethics Board, which reviews applications for ethics approval by UBC researchers. She is currently involved in research on fear of childbirth, the development of anxiety disorders during pregnancy and postpartum, physician attitudes toward birth, and the contributions of “mommy bloggers.” She is also the mother of three young boys.