Bridge City

Dr. Katherine Shebelski (McMillan), Ph.D.

Registered Doctoral Psychologist # 1002

Dr. Shebelski’s practice focuses on the assessment and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma related disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, and depression. She has completed training in Prolonged Exposure for PTSD (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD (CPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Dr. Shebelski is also registered with the SK College of Psychologists to provide neuropsychological assessment for clients concerned about changes in thinking, personality, and/or behaviour related to aging, disease, or head injury. In additional to therapy and assessment, Dr. Shebelski offers clinical supervision for psychologists, social workers, and counsellors. Dr. Shebelski is a registered member in good standing with the Saskatchewan College of Psychologists and is a member of the Canadian Psychological Association.

Dr. Shebelski approaches treatment with humour and compassion. She focuses on how all behaviours, even those that may be causing problems, serve an adaptive purpose (or did so at an earlier point in time). This is part of what can make change so difficult. For example, within PTSD, efforts to avoid trauma related triggers can be seen as a symptom which may prolong distress, but it can also be viewed as an effort to cope with what you may perceive as an increasingly isolated, dangerous, and unpredictable environment. Similarly, within OCD, checking behaviours may take up so much time that you are chronically late for work, but they temporarily reduce the intense anxiety of not knowing. By better understanding the function of our behaviours, Dr. Shebelski helps to foster a sense of self-compassion and a shared understanding of the rationale for treatment and behavioural change.

Dr. Shebelski completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Regina in 2017. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the overlap between social anxiety disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, investigating implications for diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Shebelski has published 17 peer reviewed journal articles, two book chapters, and acts as an advisory board member for the journal Neurology and Therapy - Anxiety Disorders Subsection. She has been the recipient of 22 awards for research and academic excellence, including the prestigious Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Canada Graduate Scholarship – Masters and Doctoral Awards for both her thesis and doctoral dissertation. Dr. Shebelski volunteered as a member of the Saskatoon Heath Region and Saskatchewan Cancer Agency Joint Ethics Committee for a six year term and remains an active peer-reviewer for numerous academic journals. When not at working, Dr. Shebelski enjoys spending time with her husband and kids, practicing martial arts, reading, and trying out new recipes.