Deborah Mater

I have worked in two of the psychiatric hospitals (Saskatoon and Abbotsford) within the federal correctional system in a variety of positions including Clinical Director. For the past 8 years, I have been writing psychological risk assessments on violent and sexual offenders who were applying or eligible for release or reduced security. I have taught Psychopathology and Psychopharmacology to graduate students since 2008 and have taught various sessional psychology courses at KPU since 2014. I’ve recently joined the KPU faculty on a full time basis where I will continue to instruct psychopathology and clinical psychology courses as well as others. I have been a second reader for multiple graduate and post graduate Capstone projects, theses and dissertations and hope to be able to support KPU students with their honours work. 

I have and maintain a private counselling practice where most of the clients have mental health injuries obtained on the job. I have specialty training to work with first responders and have a strong interest in trauma and other stressor-related disorders. My volunteer work has been with stroke victims suffering from aphasia and I have instituted and done pet facilitated therapy in a variety of locations. My current Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has retired from active duty as a therapist preferring to lounge around eating biscuits and pretending he is actual royalty. If asked nicely, he will accompany me on a long forest hike. We are working on his equinophobia.