Hello, if you are viewing this webpage, you are likely having difficulty yourself, or worried about someone you care about, perhaps a child or your spouse. You may have tried to cope with you or your loved one’s challenges for sometime on your own and are now feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to move forward.

Sometimes, receiving support in a crisis, a new perspective on an old problem or some new strategies may make the world of difference. Although, you may be struggling now, there are ways to help and make changes in your life and the lives of those you care about. Seeking support and intervention from a trained professional can often be the first step on the road to relief, recovery and joy.

My name is Dr. Staci Illsley and I am a psychologist in private practice and work with children, teens, adults and families. I received my BA with Honors in Psychology from Concordia University and my Master’s and PhD from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. I further completed a clinical Post-Doctorate in Pediatric Psychology at Montreal Children’s Hospital and subsequently worked there for two more years carrying out developmental and feeding assessments on young children. During this time, I was also employed as a faculty lecturer at McGill. Since 1995, I have worked privately with children and families and consulted at hospitals, schools and development centers.

Presently, I am in private practice in downtown Vancouver where I assess and treat children, youth  and adults with emotional difficulties (including behavioral problems, anxiety and depression), developmental delays (including autism and am recommended by ACT-BC), learning difficulties, developmental derailments (e.g., attachment difficulties)  and trauma. My therapy skills are multimodal and include various self-regulation, behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, dialectial-behavioral, attachment-based,  family, play and art therapy techniques. I am also well versed in numerous assessment/diagnostic techniques, including psycho-educational, developmental evaluation (e.g., Autism and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) and projective testing. My research focuses on parent training and the treatment of children with behavior problems and I have published in professional journals and presented at national and international conferences. I am also currently a member of the College of Psychologists of British Columbia (CPBC; #01598) and the BC Psychological Association. As, such, some or all of my services may be covered by your extended medical benefits.