Dr. Joanne Park is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Mount Royal University (MRU). She is also a proud second-generation Korean-Canadian. She joined MRU's Department of Psychology in December, 2023. She completed her MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of British Columbia, her predoctoral residency at IWK Health in Halifax, NS, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Calgary. The goal of her research is to identify determinants of parenting and targets for parenting interventions, and to ultimately improve parent-child relationships, child mental health, and developmental functioning. Her research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR).

Clinically, Dr. Park works primarily with children, adolescents and their families and provides Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Behavioural Therapy to address anxiety, OCD, selective mutism, depression, and emotion dysregulation, as well as parent-focused behavioural treatments for children with ADHD and behavioural issues. She also provides psycho-educational assessments for children and adolescents and has received specialized training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for both adolescents and adults.

Dr. Park's CV

Email: jlpark@mtroyal.ca

Faye Arellano is the Research Coordinator at the Parenting Resilience Kids (PaRK) Lab at Mount Royal University. She completed her BSc Honours degree in Psychology at the University of Calgary, where she used animal behavioural experiments to study how patterns in brain activity relate to decision-making. At the PaRK Lab, she is coordinating a meta-analysis to examine how social support influences parental sensitivity and child mental health outcomes, as well as the factors that may shape these relationships. She is passionate about research that aims to better understand and support children’s mental health, particularly in finding effective ways to help those facing psychological challenges. Faye hopes to pursue graduate studies in psychology, where they can continue working to improve mental health outcomes for children and youth.

Xena Al-Hejji (she/her) earned her BA Honours degree in Psychology from Mount Royal University in April 2025, where she completed a thesis that used an animal model to examine the role of serotonin in anxiety-like behaviour. Xena has previous experience as a Research Assistant across various departments at MRU including the Department of Psychology, the Department of Mathematics and Computing, and the Bissett School of Business. She recently joined the PaRK Lab as a Research Coordinator and is currently co-coordinating a meta-analysis investigating the impact of social support on parenting sensitivity and child mental health. Xena is deeply committed to improving mental health outcomes for youth and aspires to pursue a career where she can contribute to mental health research and its application in clinical settings.

Jessica Sadler (she/her) completed her Honours Psychology degree under the supervision of Dr. Joanne Park at Mount Royal University in April 2025, where she investigated the relationship between ADHD self-diagnosis and social media use in adolescents. Jessica is passionate about breaking down societal beliefs and misconceptions about mental health and identity, especially beliefs formed by social media content, and will continue research in this area at the PaRK Lab. She hopes to pursue graduate studies in clinical or experimental psychology to further explore how social media shapes beliefs about non-normative or neurodivergent identities.

Téa (she/they) is a recent Honours Psychology graduate who minored in Women and Gender Studies, and conducted her experimental thesis project on how sexualized human and AI influencer content affect womens appearance-monitoring and cognitive functioning. With research interests in body image, media exposure, and gendered health disparities, Téa is interested in health and well-being on the individual and societal levels. She aims to build a career in psychology, either clinically or medically, and will be applying to programs across Canada and the United States in the fall. Amidst her research, Téa volunteers at the Cancer Centre, as a coach at the Distress Centre, and works at a residential disability camp in Texas during the summers.

Skye Smith completed her Honours psychology degree with a minor in Women and Gender Studies at Mount Royal University in April 2025. Skye completed her honours thesis under the supervision of Joanne Park, and investigated maternal executive functioning as a moderator for the relationship between stress and child mental health. She is also interested in identifying factors of parental intervention that can influence parent-child interactions and child mental health. Skye would like to pursue a masters degree and PhD in clinical or counselling psychology with an emphasis on finding ways to support children with specialized needs so no child gets left behind. Skye continues research as an assistant in the PaRK Lab, as a way of continuing to work within an area that is dedicated to supporting child mental health. 

Alessia Eremita is a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts in Psychology student at Mount Royal University. She has a strong interest in both forensic and developmental psychology, particularly in how these fields intersect. Alessia is especially curious about the factors in childhood that may contribute to criminal behavior later in life. She is currently completing her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Park, investigating how mothers' adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may be associated with child aggression through parenting practices, and whether this pathway is moderated by parent neuroticism and child temperament. After completing her undergraduate degree, she plans to pursue a master's and PhD in forensic psychology, with a specific focus on youth.

Ava Hampshire is in her final year at MRU completing her BA with a major in psychology. Ava is passionate about improving child mental health outcomes, with a special interest in how physical literacy translates to mental health. Ava is interested in pursuing a Masters of Social Work with hopes of creating meaningful connections with individuals across communities and facilitating access to mental health services.

Chris is entering her third year in the psychology program at Mount Royal University, where she is currently working towards applying to the Honours program. She is a Denesuline member of the Fort McKay First Nation, and plans to achieve her master's degree in counselling psychology to support Indigenous and LGBTQ+ populations in the future. 

Abby Bickham recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Biology at Mount Royal University. Her interests include child and adolescent development, psychological wellbeing, and the influence of social environments on mental health across development. Alongside her academic work, she has several years of experience working with children and supporting student wellbeing through residence life leadership roles. She plans to pursue graduate studies in counselling psychology in the future.

Ashley Barrett (she/her) earned her BSc in Psychology from the University of Alberta in 2024. For the past two years, Ashley has worked as the Mental Health Promotion Coordinator at Mount Royal University, developing a variety of campus-wide mental health initiatives grounded in connection. She has experience working on peer-led support programs across both institutions and is interested in how social support, particularly peer support, informs overall wellbeing. In the future, Ashley is interested in exploring what these impacts could look like in the field of children's mental health, with wishes to pursue graduate education to support clinical work with children.  

Cailyn is a fourth-year Psychology student at Mount Royal University and plans to pursue an Honours degree before continuing to graduate studies. Outside academia, she practices and teaches pottery, which has fostered her interest in the intersection of psychology and the arts, particularly how creative practices can support social, cognitive, and emotional development, as well as dialogue across diverse perspectives.