Dr. Danielle Petricone-Westwood, C.Psych.

Dr. Danielle Petricone-Westwood is a registered Clinical and Health Psychologist with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario and is dedicated to helping individuals in high-pressure environments navigate life’s challenges with resilience and purpose. She works with adults in demanding roles, including executives, athletes, and medical professionals, to support their wellbeing while they care for their clients, patients, and teams. For those managing health concerns, Dr. Petricone-Westwood provides practical strategies to help individuals and their families adjust emotionally to a diagnosis, to manage their illness effectively, and to work towards their broader health and personal goals. She offers compassionate support to individuals coping with chronic illnesses such as cancer and diabetes, as well as those navigating grief, anxiety, low mood, stress, relationship challenges, or significant life transitions. Her approach focuses on aligning personal goals with emotional and physical health, and empowering clients to build resilience and to achieve a sense of balance in their lives.

Dr. Petricone-Westwood takes a genuine and collaborative approach to psychological care, tailoring evidence-based interventions to meet each client’s unique needs. She believes in the power of working with emotions to help her clients to achieve their goals and thrive. She integrates Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and mindfulness techniques in order to foster emotional growth and resilience. Her work focuses on helping clients to tune into their emotions, to manage life’s demands, and to achieve meaningful, lasting change.

Dr. Petricone-Westwood completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa and her predoctoral internship at Alberta Health Services in Calgary, with rotations in Psychosocial Oncology at the Tom Baker (now, Arthur Child) Cancer Centre, the Diabetes Centre of Calgary, and the Calgary Epilepsy Programme. She further enhanced her expertise through a fellowship in Psychosocial Oncology, contributing to advocacy for Indigenous clients affected by cancer. She has worked in cancer centres across the country, including the Juravinski Cancer Centre and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Her research has focused on health psychology, psychosocial oncology and caregiving in cancer care, reflecting her commitment to improving mental health outcomes for both individuals and families. Dr. Petricone-Westwood continues to contribute to research in health psychology and mental health interventions, and serves as a medical advisor to community cancer support organizations.

At Laksman Doell Psychology, Dr. Petricone-Westwood provides therapy to individuals navigating personal and professional challenges, supervision to psychologists during their supervised practice year with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario and peer consultation with her colleagues. She also offers customized workshops for organizations and teams, focusing on workplace mental health, stress management, and effective communication. Through these workshops, Dr. Petricone-Westwood empowers clients to build resilience, enhance well-being, and achieve a healthy balance between performance and emotional health. She also provides training to medical professionals on trauma-informed care, behaviour change, and mental health management in the healthcare system.

Dr. Petricone-Westwood is a member of the Canadian Psychological Association and the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology. She offers services in both English and French.