Amy Alexander MD, MHSc, CD, Capt (Ret'd)
Family Physician: Focused Practice in Psychotherapy with special interests in Pain Management, Complex Illness and Oncology
Dr. Amy Alexander (she/they) has real life experience of life with depression, anxiety, insomnia, burnout and chronic pain. Thankfully, these experiences have led her to learn ways to heal from, and live well with, such challenges. She’s eager to teach you how to use these ways for yourself!
Dr. Alexander offers clinical services which focus on the care of those with mental and physical illness including chronic pain and/or cancer.
She practices trauma-informed and integrative Psychiatry & Psychotherapy approaches informed by an Anti-Oppressive framework, Functional Medicine, Medical Acupuncture and Yoga Therapy. This combination of skills is uncommon in the Canadian medical communities. She practices as a Family Physician licensed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).
Training and Credentials
Amy is a Loran Scholar who graduated as a Medical Doctor from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University. They completed their Postgraduate medical training in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto’s Department of Family and Community Medicine (Mount Sinai Hospital) where they sought focused training in Trauma Psychiatry and in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy. They also hold a Masters degree in Public Health Promotion from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
Amy continually explores her interests in mind-body healing. She undertook Mind-Body Medicine training through the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, specializing in treatment protocols for both Cancer and Chronic Pain. She completed training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Group Leadership through the Mount Sinai Psychotherapy Institute and has also completed in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Group Facilitation training with Drs. Zindel Segal and Pat Rockman.
She is a Level-3 Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist through the IFS Institute with additional courses, retreats and/or workshops with teachers and trainers such as Frank Anderson, Susan McConnell (Somatic IFS training), Colleen West (Trauma-Informed IFS training), Michelle Glass (DPMP method), Nancy Sowell, Nancy Wonder, Derek Scott, Cece Sykes and Chris Burris (Creating Healing Circles - IFS group facilitation training). Most recently, Amy has undertaken training with Dr. F. Le Doze in Relational Intelligence, a neurobiologically deeper application of IFS and Polyvagal Theories to treat dissociation.
Also a Certified Yoga Teacher, Amy studied with Cynthia Funk and faculty at The Yoga Sanctuary in Toronto. In addition to this training, they have also been fortunate to study with numerous others, including Amy Weintraub, Anodea Judith, Bo Forbes, Kelly McGonigal, Cindy Lee and Jennifer Reis. Amy is a LifeForce Yoga® Level 1 Practitioner and is certified in the use of specific yoga practices designed to work with and manage mood. They also trained with Megha Nancy Buttenheim in the Let Your Yoga Dance model and with Dr. Richard Miller in the delivery of the iRest Yoga Nidra protocol. iRest is an evidence-based practice of deep relaxation and meditative inquiry which is used throughout the USA in VA centres, hospitals and clinics.
Amy is a graduate of Harvard Medical School’s Structural Acupuncture Certificate Course for Physicians (now AcuMed) and is an advanced practitioner of this method. In 2016, she completed a graduate Certificate in Pain Management through the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta. She has also completed all Advanced Practice Modules with the Institute for Functional Medicine.
Military Service
In August 2015, after 12 years of service, Amy retired from the Canadian Armed Forces where they worked as a Medical Officer in the RCMS, providing primary and occupational medical care to military members. They welcome CAF veterans, active service members and other professionals from high-stress, high-performance occupations to her practice.
Clinical Appointments
In addition to her Mind-Body Medicine practice in Oakville, Ontario, Amy is an Active Staff member in the Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Unit at the Southlake Stronach Regional Cancer Centre in Newmarket, Ontario. She holds clinical appointments in both the Departments of Psychiatry and Family & Community Medicine.
Affilitations and Professional Activities
Amy is part of the Global Team of Building from Within, a peace building project aimed at using an Internal Family Systems therapeutic approach to support those working for peace in Palestine. She is a Clinical Member of the Medical Psychotherapy Association of Canada and is the Chair of its Psychotherapy Training Program Planning Committee. She is a past Diplomate of the Canadian Academy of Pain Management.
Phone
647.877.MIND (6463)
fax
647.776.7779
Location
8th Line/Upper Middle
Oakville, On
L6H 3H1
(exact course locations available to group participants)