Louise Hartley settles in as director of the York University Psychology Clinic

The new York University Psychology Clinic (YUPC) is now up and running, offering a range of effective mental health services to people of all ages dealing with life’s challenges. While students can continue to get counselling through Counselling & Disability Services, the YUPC will provide services to faculty and staff, as well as to the wider community.

The YUPC is a state-of-the-art community mental health and training centre on the newly renovated first floor of York’s Behavioural Sciences Building. It is associated with the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Health.

Louise Hartley (PhD ’86) leads the YUPC as its first director. She joined York’s Department of Psychology a year ago, bringing with her over 27 years of experience in the fields of employee well-being and mental health. Hartley is the former vice-president of clinical services at Family Services Employee Assistance Programs, as well as the former president of the Employee Assistance Society of North America.

Right: Louise Hartley

The YUPC is a 5,000-square-foot clinic with 13 rooms which range in size and functionality and include assessment rooms and individual, couple and family therapy spaces, as well as areas to run group programs.

The clinic will operate similarly to a teaching hospital – the team of professionals providing the services are graduate trainees under the supervision of provincially licensed psychologists.

The goal is to provide excellent assessment and intervention services to members of the York University community, as well as the surrounding community. There are plans to run group programs in such areas as pain management, healthy aging and effective parenting. The YUPC will also provide evidence-based training sessions to community-based practitioners.

Services are available at reasonable fees and clients will be able to be reimbursed for these payments through workplace extended health benefit plans.

For more information or a copy of the YUPC’s brochure, contact yupc@yorku.ca or Louise Hartley at lhartley@yorku.ca.