Dr. Lyzon K. Babchishin, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Psychologist

Lyzon has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Ottawa. Her graduate research primarily focused on understanding the mechanism of trauma risk and outcomes, resiliency, and trauma recovery. She also completed research projects in the area of coparenting, family transitions, cancer recurrence fears, youth sex offenders, maltreatment, childcare and school readiness, substance use, and systemic influences on developmental outcomes and well-being. Prior to working at the OATC, she acquired clinical experience from a variety of hospital and community-based clinics in the Ottawa area (e.g., DBT Borderline, Outpatient, and Inpatient Clinics at the Montfort Hospital, HIV Clinic at The Ottawa Hospital, Elmgrove Acute Care Inpatient and Outpatient programs in Brockville, the Centre for Treatment of Sexual Abuse and Childhood Trauma, and the Centre for Psychological Services and Research). Lyzon has also worked as a psychologist at the Ottawa Couple and Family Institute during her supervised practice year where she was training in Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT).

Lyzon joined the OATC team in 2014 as a clinical psychologist. She works primarily with adults and couples affected by trauma and dissociation, such as individuals with a history of childhood abuse and neglect, domestic violence, sexual trauma, human trafficking, refugee trauma, war-related trauma, and occupational trauma. Lyzon works extensively with veterans as well as members of the RCMP and Canadian Armed Forces exposed to occupational trauma, offering assessment services, individual treatment, and couples therapy to these populations. 

Lyzon's prevailing theoretical orientation is attachment and trauma-informed. She integrates elements of emotionally-focused, behavioural (e.g., exposure therapy, CBT, DBT, exposure and response prevention), and skills-based approaches (e.g., poly-vagal theory, mindfulness, emotion regulation skills, assertiveness skills, focusing/somatic techniques). She provides a confidential, safe, empathic, warm yet directive therapeutic environment for her clients, works collaboratively to set up treatment goals, and tailors intervention plans according to best practice and current research. Lyzon believes in her clients potential for growth and change, and her treatment aims to expand beyond symptom reduction to establishing new and consolidated patterns and habits that promote self-protection, self-awareness, positive identity, authenticity, and connection. She considers the full person and adapts her services to respect neurodivergence, identity-based oppressive experiences (e.g., gender, sexual identity and orientation, racial trauma), physical health (e.g., TBIs, injuries, chronic pain, body impacts of prolonged stress/high allostatic load), and systemic influences (e.g., work culture). Her approach to processing is gradual and progressive, titrated to foster safety and containment, reduce avoidance, and build regulation capacities. It further aims to be comprehensive in nature by being multi-modal and targeting explicit (semantic, episodic) and implicit (emotional, procedural) trauma memories. When appropriate, she further works with clients and third-parties to generate rehabilitation and retraining plans, as well as support returns to work or medical retirements. Lyzon also regularly completes psychological assessments for Veterans Affairs and the Bureau of Pensions Advocates.

Lyzon considers herself a lifelong learner and continues her professional development through regular supervision, workshops and training, conferences, and scientific readings (including regularly acting as a peer reviewer). She maintains memberships in various professional organizations. She is currently acting as a college member for the CPO discipline committee (2024-2025 term). Lyzon also prioritizes her own well-being to optimally serve her clients, and does so by maintaining a balanced caseload, taking care of her own physical and mental health, spending quality time with her loved ones, and protecting space for her various interests and passions such as reading, writing, cooking, travelling, and yoga.

Note that Lyzon's waitlists for individual therapy and couples therapy are currently closed and are not expected to be reopen until  Fall 2025. Her waitlist for assessments is currently open for VAC and CAF assessments only. While Lyzon is unable to take on new supervised practice psychologists at this time, she continues to offer case consultations to fellow health providers wanting to expand their knowledge and skills in working with trauma, dissociation, combat-related PTSD, occupational trauma, and adapting couples therapy to first responder and military populations.