Name: Brian Willoughby, Ph.D.
Kwantlen Program: Associate of Arts Degree (Psychology)
Grad Year: 2000
Employed as: Child Clinical Psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Employer website: http://www.massgeneral.org/psychiatry/services/leap_home.aspx
What are your primary responsibilities at your job:
At Massachusetts General Hospital, I provide neuropsychologica
l assessments to children and adolescents to help better understand their learning, developmental, and psychological profiles. I am also faculty at Harvard Medical School, where I supervise interns and post-doctoral fellows, teach clinical courses, and conduct research. I recently published a book for parents of children with slow processing speed entitled, Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up: Help Your Child Overcome Slow Processing Speed in a Fast-Paced World
What is your favourite part of your work?
I have always loved working with children and their families – even back to my days as a summer camp counselor. The best part of my day is meeting with children and parents – and hearing abou
t their experiences.
How do you like to unwind/handle stress?
Physical fitness is a big part of my life. I enjoy running, weight training, and fitness bootcamps. Working out helps me undwind.
Who is the most famous person you've ever met?
Sadly, I haven’t met many famous people. I once saw Kevin Costner at the airport – does that count?
If you had a time machine and could have lunch with anyone living or dead, who would it be?
My maternal grandmother. She passed away when I was three years old – so I don’t have many memories of her.
Where does your inspiration come from?
A lot of my inspiration comes from the wonderful mentors and supervisors I had during undergrad, graduate school, and internship. And my parents – they have always inspired me.
Where do you see yourself in one, five or 10 years?
I see continuing to live in Boston, Massachusetts – this is a beautiful city – though I do miss Vancouver and Canada in general. I hope to continue my work as a child psychologist here at the hospital and perhaps start my own clinical program one day.
Favourite Kwantlen moment?
I have so many great memories of the people I met at Kwantlen – and I am still great friends with a handful of my classmates. I treasure my time at Kwantlen – it inspired me to do great things!