Autonomous Psychologist
Clinical and Health Psychologist
AUTISM SERVICE LEAD
Dr. Hadas Dahary
PhD, C.Psych
Families often notice how quickly their child settles in. Dr. Hadas has a way of shaping sessions around each child's interests, strengths, and natural ways of engaging, so even the harder parts of opening up feel more manageable than expected. Parents tend to leave feeling understood and less alone, knowing that someone is genuinely holding the full picture of who their child is.
I love popcorn in every flavour imaginable. And if you catch me upside down somewhere, that is just yoga. My favourite kind.
You don't have to have it figured out.
How Dr. Hadas works
Dr. Hadas works with children and youth navigating autism, ADHD, intellectual and learning disabilities, anxiety, and emotion dysregulation. A significant part of her practice is also dedicated to supporting young people with physical differencesm including low vision, hearing loss, and mobility challenges, and those coping with medical diagnoses, chronic pain, procedural anxiety, and the process of adjusting to a new health reality.
Alongside her practice at Whole Kids Health, Dr. Hadas serves as a staff psychologist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital on their Autism Service Team. That clinical context runs through everything she does: a deep, practiced understanding of how neurodivergent and physically diverse children experience the world, and what genuine support actually looks like for them.
Her style is gentle and playful. She has a natural ability to connect with children, particularly autistic and neurodivergent young people, and she brings genuine curiosity about who each child is, how they think, and what works best for them. She shapes sessions around interests, strengths, and natural ways of engaging, so the work feels like a fit rather than a framework.
Dr. Hadas also partners closely with parents, helping them understand their child's unique way of processing and thinking, and working together to shape environments and strategies that meet their child's actual needs.
A first session with Dr. Hadas is shaped around your child. She will follow their lead, learn about their interests, and take time to understand what matters most to them and to your family. The goal is simply for your child to feel genuinely met before anything else begins.
Clinical approach
Seeing beauty in every mind.
Dr. Hadas approaches every child from a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming perspective. She believes in working collaboratively with young people to develop a shared understanding of their experience, and in supporting them to discover and take steps toward what matters most to them. She sees beauty in all minds, and she builds from there.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is the foundation of her clinical approach. She has received advanced training and clinical supervision in ACT, and it shapes how she thinks about values, flexibility, and what it means to move toward a meaningful life, even when things are hard. She integrates play-based strategies, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and skills from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) when helpful, and she is trained in SPACE for parent-based work alongside their child.
Dr. Hadas's doctoral research explored strengths-based approaches to supporting autistic children in inclusive school and community settings, including how interests like music can be leveraged to build connection and participation. That research background enriches her clinical work and reflects a long-standing, genuine commitment to understanding how autistic and neurodivergent minds work.
I want each child to feel met exactly as they are. Who they are, how they think, and what they feel all make sense. From there, we build together around their strengths and what matters most to them.
What Dr. Hadas works with.
Areas of focus
Languages: English · French
Background and credentials.
Education and training
PhD, School and Applied Child Psychology
McGill University
MA, School and Applied Child Psychology
McGill University
BA (Hons), Psychology
York University
Professional AssociationsCollege of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO)
Ontario Psychological Association (OPA)
Association for Contextual Behavioural Science
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre
Predoctoral Residency
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Pediatric Clinical and Health Psychology
Additional Placements
McGill University Psychology Clinic · Early Intervention and Rehabilitation Centres, Montreal · Inclusive and Specialized Schools, Montreal
CertificationsACT Advanced Training and Supervision
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)