Since 2005, Dr. Pillai Riddell has been a registered clinical psychologist in the province of Ontario, licensed to treat, assess, consult, and conduct research with children and adults. Dr. Pillai Riddell completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of British Columbia. She completed her clinical residency at London Health Sciences, where she focused on pediatric and adult behavioural medicine. She has received advanced clinical postdoctoral training in infant-parent mental health, perinatal mental health, and chronic pain. Her clinical and research work is grounded in evidence-based practice and is grounded in both cognitive-behavioural and attachment theoretical frameworks.

Dr. Pillai Riddell’s clinical practice focuses on three clusters. First, she works with parents to manage general mood and anxiety related to adjustment to parenthood, behavioural challenges with their infants and preschoolers, and/or parents who require support managing current or past Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experiences. Second, she also provides child and adult therapy in coping with chronic pain and phobias surrounding painful contexts, such as vaccination. Finally, she works with academics who come from traditionally marginalized groups who would benefit from therapeutic support and professional coaching with a therapist working within the post-secondary sector.

Dr. Pillai Riddell’s research practice is through her work as a university professor and as an award-winning mentor. She is passionate about training the next generation of clinical psychologists and, more broadly, academics at all stages. She is a nationally recognized advocate for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in research and mental health training. Her research focuses on parent-child dynamics in painful medical contexts such as NICUs. For her professional contributions to the field of pain and mental health, she has been inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2021) and the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists (2019). She is on several external advisory boards offering both strategic and discipline-specific consultation for a number of national organizations including Strong Minds Strong Kids, the national Infant and Early Mental Health Promotion program, and CBC Kids.

Her sessions are available only through video conferencing.