Iwona
Iwona Kaczmarzyk-Kozlowski, MA, C.Psych
School & Clinical Psychologist & Co-Founder PATH
About me
With over 20 years of experience providing psychological services to children and adults, I have been a registered member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario since 2002. Previously, I have spent several years working with individuals, teens, couples, and families in various community mental health agencies. I have experience in assessing and treating children, teens, and families experiencing sexual abuse as well as working with victims and perpetrators of family violence through the Catholic Family Services, as well as the Peel Collaborative Sexual Abuse Treatment Program.
I joined the Toronto Catholic District School Board over 20 years ago and continue my role there. My work has included assessment, consultation, and prevention work. For over 10 years, I have served as a Psychology Department Lead in the provision of clinical services. I have provided training in suicide response, risk assessment, supervision, and mentorship to the new staff members as well as the staff providing services to secondary schools within the organization.
Additionally, I have been coordinating the delivery of mental health prevention programs across the board (Friends for Life). I have spent approximately 10 years on the Mental Health Board-wide Committee planning the mental health strategy for the Board. I am an ASIST and Safe-TALK trainer (Living Works Canada). Presently, I am primarily working with high school students presenting with complex mental health needs including anxiety, depression, gender-related issues, emotional regulation issues, etc. Additionally, working at the school board has allowed me to keep current with research evidence, given me an understanding of the school system, and allowed me to advocate for children and make a difference in their lives. This opportunity for advocacy is one of the main reasons why I have not opted to work solely in private practice.
​For over 25 years I maintained a successful private practice in Peel and in Halton. I offered assessments and treatment services to a variety of client groups, utilizing skills that are based on a variety of modalities. I am trained in Family Systems, Brief Solution Focused, CBT, DBT, Trauma-Focused CBT, EFFT, Mindfulness-Based CBT, and motivational interviewing. As of recently, I have been developing my skills in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT encourages people to accept their thoughts and feelings rather than trying to get rid of them or feeling guilty about them. ACT is action-oriented as it prompts us to act towards a value-based and meaningful life while accepting the pain that unavoidably goes with it.
Assisting clients in finding their path to wellness that includes a productive and healthy lifestyle is work that I find extremely rewarding and enjoyable.
​Assessments are the first step towards understanding the problem and in my private practice, I offer them to children, adolescents, and adults. These in-depth evaluations offer a blueprint to address some of the learning, emotional and mental health needs of my clients. Many times I have been surprised by the impact of an adult diagnosis of ADHD on a client who has struggled for years. For them to understand the challenges that they have endured for so long stem from a learning disability or untreated ADHD is truly humbling.
Services
I am committed to providing high-quality psychological services to children, adolescents, and adults both English and Polish. Services are available in person in Oakville and Georgetown, as well as online.
PSYCHODIAGNOSTIC & PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENTS
My assessment services include psycho-educational assessments across all age groups:
-
Learning Disability
-
Giftedness
-
Intellectual Disabilities
-
Attention Deficits
-
Emotional & Behaviour challenges
-
Mental Health
What is a school psychologist?
School psychologists are uniquely qualified members of school teams that support students' abilities to learn and teachers' abilities to teach. They offer expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviourally, and emotionally. School psychologists partner with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections among home, school, and the community (NASP: The National Association of School Psychologists).
School psychologists are highly trained in both psychology and education. Their training involves gaining expertise in mental health, child development, school organization, learning styles and processes, behavior, motivation, and effective teaching. School psychologists evaluate the cognitive, academic, social, emotional, and behavioural functioning of children and adolescents using available background information, observations, interviewing, and standardized tests to provide understanding and recommendations to parents and schools.
School psychologists must be certified and/or licensed by the province in which they work. In Ontario, school psychologists are regulated by the College of Psychologists and Behavioural Analysts of Ontario.
What is a clinical psychologist?
A clinical psychologist is a mental health professional with highly specialized training in the diagnosis & psychological treatment of mental, behavioural, and emotional disorders. To practice, clinical psychologists must be certified and/or licensed by the province in which they work. In Ontario, the professional activities of clinical psychologists are regulated by the College of Psychologists and Behavioural Analysts of Ontario.
​​​​
All members of the College of Psychologists of Ontario: "must have knowledge and skills respecting interpersonal relationships, assessment and evaluation, intervention and consultation, understanding and applying research to professional practice and knowing and applying professional ethics, standards and relevant legislation to professional practice. Every member of the College, with the exception of individuals whose practice is limited to Industrial/Organizational Psychology, must be competent to formulate and communicate a psychological diagnosis" (CPBAO).
​
Clinical Psychologists treat many psychological problems, including depression, anxiety, stress, learning disabilities, substance use, relationship problems, health issues, problems related to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Clinical Psychologists conduct psychological assessments (often using standardized tests) to answer questions related to the nature and severity of the presenting problem. Assessment by Clinical Psychologists involves detailed interviewing of an individual and, when appropriate, their family/significant others. Clinical Psychologists often use standardized psychological tests and questionnaires to gather clinically useful information. The assessment questions involve diagnosing a psychological problem or identifying strengths in individuals and their social contexts. Psychologists share the results of the assessment with the client and take the client's feedback into consideration. Psychological treatment involves several psychotherapy approaches, such as cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, family, and psychodynamic. Clinical Psychologists typically conduct an assessment before beginning psychotherapy. Treatment may focus on reducing distress and symptoms of psychological disorders, improving coping skills and functioning, and promoting healthy lifestyles.
