Meggan Porteous

Practicum Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology

I’m Meggan, a practicum student at the Child, Adolescent, and Family Centre of Ottawa (CAFCO). I provide psychological assessment and treatment services to children and adolescents in both French and English under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. In therapy, I work with a diverse range of clients dealing with challenges related to anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), skin picking/hair pulling, trauma, emotion regulation difficulties, gender exploration, autism and parenting concerns.

My therapeutic approach is strengths-based and customized to each client’s unique needs, pulling from evidence-based and integrative modalities like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response (Ritual) Prevention Therapy (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Enhanced Habit Reversal Training (HRT-ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). I aim to foster a warm, supportive, and collaborative atmosphere where clients feel genuinely cared for.

I am currently completing my fifth year of the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa. Prior to my role at CAFCO, I gained training experience at the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Psychological Services and Research (CPSR), the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (OICBT), the 1 in 5 Initiative, Patchwork Child Psychology, and Gilmour Psychological Services. I am also a recipient of the Canadian Graduate Scholarship, which rewards excellence in high-calibre doctoral research for my work on insomnia and depression in adolescents and adults. I am passionate about research and knowledge mobilization on sleep and pursue this through research work at the University of Ottawa’s Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal (https://www.theroyal.ca/research) and knowledge mobilization initiatives with the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium (https://www.researchsleep.ca/knowledge-mobilization).

Clients I work with:

  • Children and youth aged 0-18
  • Parents
  • Families

Areas where I can help:

  • Psychodiagnostic assessments (i.e., diagnosing mental health conditions)
  • Psychoeducational assessments (i.e., diagnosing Learning Disorders, Intellectual Disability, ADHD, ASD, Gifted Status)
  • Anxiety
  • OCD/perfectionism
  • Depression
  • Trauma
  • Difficulties with emotion regulation
  • Parent-child conflict

Types of Therapy Provided:

  • Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
  • Exposure and Response (Ritual) Prevention (ERP)
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Enhanced Habit Reversal Training (HRT-ACT)
  • Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)