RP, SCP

Heather Vanderstelt is a Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner and Supervisor-Educator in CPE (CASC/ACSS) and a Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO) employed at St. Joseph’s Health Care, London. Heather works in the outpatient context supporting a number of specialized outpatient clinics. She is Ordained within the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and has a passion for research related to clinical practice. Heather also presently serves as the Research Chair for CASC/ACSS’s Professional Practice Commission. 

Contact: heather.vanderstelt@sjhc.london.on.ca

ThD, CSE CASC/ACSS

Thomas St. James O'Connor, ThD, CSE CASC/ACSS is Professor Emeritus at Martin Luther University at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. He is semi-retired and continues to supervise students in their clinical placements. He teaches in the PhD program at Martin Luther and is the author and co-author of numerous books, chapters and articles in peer-reviewed publications. His current areas of study and publication are in spiritual and theological reflection, spiritually integrated psychotherapy and the evolution of spiritual care and psychotherapy in Canada.

Contact: toconnor11@gmail.com

RP, CSE

Angela Schmidt, DMin, is the Associate Professor in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy at Knox College located on the campus of the University of Toronto. She is the Director of the Master of Psychospiritual Studies degree and Director of Experiential Learning. Angela is a Registered Psychotherapist, RP, a Certified Supervisor-Educator with the Canadian Association of Spiritual Care/association Canadienne de soins spirituels (CASC/ACSS) and a Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner (CASC/ACSS). Her area of interest and research is in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy and in facilitating partnerships for the expansion of spiritual care.

Contact: angela.schmidt@utoronto.ca

Simon Lasair is the CASC/ACSS Director, Educational Development. In addition to possessing extensive frontline spiritual care experience, he has also functioned in leadership and research roles throughout his career. His new book, Spirituality and Holistic Spiritual Health: Expanding Chaplaincy’s Theoretical Frame articulates a comprehensive and clinically efficacious understanding of spirituality and spiritual health, linking clinical practice to measurable client outcomes.

Contact: slasair@spiritualcare.ca

Vivian Stang is a Spiritual Care Practitioner at The Ottawa Hospital and Clinician Investigator at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. She is a Supervisor-Educator with CASC/ACSS and Clinical Supervisor with the CRPO. She has a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Studies from Saint Paul University, Ottawa.

Contact: vstang@toh.ca

Kelly Collins completed CPE training in 2012 and has practiced in hospice and hospital contexts. She has had roles as Practice Leader, Certified Spiritual Care Educator and Director, Spiritual Health, Mission, and Ethics in various health systems. Kelly recently completed her PhD in Human Relationships (Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy) at Martin Luther University College.  She has had a small private psychotherapy practice, Brave Space Therapy and Supervision since 2020 and now works as a psychotherapist full-time, specializing in trauma, trauma-informed supervision, couples counselling, and EMDR.  She is currently sessional faculty at Knox College in Toronto.

Contact: kelly@bravespacetherapy.ca

Desmond Buhagar, SJ, is a Roman Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus in Canada. He holds registrations in Psychotherapy and Marriage and Family Therapy (RMFT) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). He is a Certified Psychospiritual Therapist (PT) and Psychospiritual Therapy Educator-Supervisor (PTE) with the Canadian Association of Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS). He is an Associate Professor of Psychotherapy and Spiritual Care Education at Regis St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto, and operates a private practice in psychotherapy alongside his teaching and research activities.

Contact: desmond.buhagar@utoronto.ca