Doctoral Associate
Michelle Luszawski
MSc
Children and youth who work with Michelle often discover strengths they did not know they had. She builds an environment of trust and collaboration, one where young people feel able to take on challenges they once avoided and reach goals they never thought possible. Families feel the partnership in it, knowing their child is supported by someone who genuinely cares.
I can never say no to a sweet treat. A muffin from a local cafe, a homemade cookie, a Blizzard from DQ, I love them all.
You don't have to have it figured out.
How Michelle works
Michelle believes children have a way of surprising us. They arrive with their own goals and their own hopes, and with the right support and encouragement, they develop the skills and the courage to reach them. Her work starts from that belief in what each young person is already capable of.
She is especially drawn to neurodiverse children and youth, and takes a neuroaffirming approach throughout her practice. Her research focuses on the sensory experiences of neurodiverse people, and it has taught her how closely anxiety, mood, and sensory experience are connected. She works to create a sensory-inclusive space for every child and youth she sees.
Sessions with Michelle feel less like an appointment and more like a conversation with someone you trust. She pays attention to what has changed since last time, to what is helping, and to what is getting in the way, creating a space where children feel heard and comfortable enough to open up.
Clinical approach
Collaborative, neuroaffirming, and always tailored.
Michelle draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), choosing among them to find the best fit for each child and family. In session, that might look like psychoeducation and skill-building, climbing exposure ladders, exploring why families get stuck, developing coping strategies, and making sense of big emotions.
Whatever the approach, she stays committed to a collaborative therapeutic space, so children and families feel engaged and know their needs are being met.
You don't need the right word, the perfect plan, or all the answers before we meet. Just bring yourself, and we'll make sense of things together.
What Michelle works with.
Areas of focus
Languages: English
Background and credentials.
Education and training
PhD, Clinical Psychology
Western University
In progress
MSc, Clinical Psychology
Western University
BSc (Hons), Psychology
Western University
CertificationsADOS-2 Certification
ADI-R Certification
Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care Program
Vanier Children's Mental Wellness Centre
Archways Centre for CBT
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