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Dr. Sarah Pantin, C.Psych.
Her approach, tailored to her clients’ needs, integrates interpersonal and cognitive perspectives to assist them in developing strategies and skills to make positive changes in their lives.
Dr. Pantin earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Ottawa and focused her research on the significance of interpersonal relationships and attachment in developing resilient behaviour in foster children and youth. She has also been involved in a number of community mental health initiatives. Dr. Pantin initially trained and worked as a lawyer, which has given her first-hand experience of the importance of effective coping strategies to achieve a rewarding life/work balance.
She maintains membership in the
Ottawa Academy of Psychology and the Canadian Psychological Association. She is also a registered member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario. She continues to carry out research in the area of program development, implementation and evaluation as well as staying up to date with best practice in clinical psychotherapy.
Psychologist Expertise
Dr. Sarah Pantin provides psychotherapy to adult and young adult clients experiencing a wide range of difficulties including:
While everyone gets angry from time to time, some people have rage reactions or explosive outbursts which emotionally or even physically hurt other people in their surroundings. Even the intense direct expression of anger can be problematic if people do not control where and when they express anger. These days, tolerance for intense, angry behaviour is low, even if expressed only in words. Angry outbursts can be considered abusive and can result in reprimands in the work place or fines and charges in public places.
Anxiety has been frequently described as feelings of fright, flight or freeze. This means that people experiencing anxiety have both the mental and the physical, visceral feelings of wanting to escape the situation, fight what is challenging or simply cannot move in any direction to deal with what is troubling them.
Psychological Assessments are used by psychologists to help determine a diagnosis and inform the course of treatment. There are many different components to these assessments such as different tests, interviews, school and medical records, medical information, and observation.
Burnout is a condition in which the individual feels completely overwhelmed from an increasing inability to cope with a build-up of stressors considered within the normal range of human experiences. Many of the symptoms are common to depression, including diminished interest and enjoyment of work and personal life.
Codependency is an emotional and behavioural condition that leads to imbalanced relationships. In codependent relationships, there is often one individual enabling another’s self-destructive behaviour, such as substance abuse, poor mental health and coping skills, immaturity, and under-achievement. Codependency can lead to individuals staying in unhealthy or abusive relationships because they feel as though they cannot live without the other person.
Throughout life, in the various contexts such as home or work, it is very common to come across conflicts and differences of opinions. It is often possible to resolve these challenges alone, but sometimes these disagreements can cause intense negative emotions, which can escalate the situation. In those cases, it can be helpful to have a mediator to filter through the emotions and clarify the facts.
Crisis intervention is an urgent and temporary care given to an individual experiencing a crisis. The purpose of this intervention is to interrupt and prevent negative or harmful behaviours and reduce emotional distress, with the hope that the client (an individual, couple or family) will be able to return to their usual level of functioning and be able to cope with future crises with greater ease.
Depression is a state of low mood in which people feel helpless, hopeless, worthless, lethargic and unable to enjoy the things that used to give them pleasure. People who are depressed are often irritable or pessimistic. Their low mood goes beyond having “the blues” or being sad. Even people who are grieving usually do not sink into depression. People diagnosed with a Major Depressive Disorder cannot just “pull up their socks” to get better. They require professional help. Psychologists use a variety of scientifically based psychotherapeutic approaches to help people recover from depression.
Couples and families often go through experiences that can challenge the stability of the relationships, leading to feelings of anger, fear, betrayal, and lack of trust. In these instances, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) can be beneficial to provide guidance on how to improve the relationships. EFT can also be helpful for individuals who are experiencing depression or the effects of trauma, such as individuals who are struggling to cope with their own illness or the illness of their child.
The family unit that raises and lives with an individual is called a Family of Origin. This is not necessarily a biological family, as family structure can be very complex. Families of origin have a lasting impact on an individual's development, and help shape worldview, relationship development and patterns, physical health, and mental resilience.
Grief is the emotional response to the loss of someone, something or some place of emotional significance to the person. Grief is a normal emotion which has impact on people’s physical, mental, behavioural and social states. People who are grieving usually experience fatigue and find that everything takes more effort.
Identity relates to an individual’s sense of self that is built through experiences, relationships, beliefs, values, and memories. This sense of self stays mostly consistent regardless of any aspects of the self that develop or strengthen as time progresses.
Certain factors or events might contribute to an overall sense of uncertainty regarding one or more areas of an individual’s identity, including career aspirations, sexual and gender orientation, social circles, values, and behaviour.
Incest describes sexual abuse that is committed against a child by a parent or close family member. Survivors of this form of abuse may have varying impacts into adulthood. These individuals are at an increased risk of experiencing poor self-esteem, shame, self-hatred, interpersonal difficulties, as well as a sense of helplessness and worthlessness.
Infertility often has a detrimental effect on an individual’s self-esteem, emotions, relationships, identity and beliefs about life. Symptoms of anxiety and depression are common. There can be a profound sense of loss of the desired child and ensuing sense of helplessness and powerlessness. One may harbour a sense of shame, alienation, isolation or jealousy and anger of others. There is inevitable strain on the couple in their physical and emotional intimacy, such as blame or guilt. Sex may even become less enjoyable and fraught with anxiety as they try to conceive during particular time periods.
Psychologists can provide a safe space to address issues related to gender and sexuality. Common themes include mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, substance use, gender dysphoria), rejection/bullying, relationship difficulties, confusion, the coming out process, isolation, etc.
If you and your partner have been having constant unresolved relationship difficulties, you may find couples’ therapy extremely rewarding, even if at times it is difficult, stressful and frightening.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can follow the experiencing or witnessing of a severe trauma involving the actual or threat of death or serious injury to the self or others. The traumatized person has typically reacted to the trauma with intense fear, helplessness or horror. Alternatively, an accumulation of less intensely damaging situations (‘small ‘t’ traumas’) can over time also lead to PTSD.
Self-esteem refers to the perception of oneself (values, abilities, self-worth, etc.). It impacts one’s relationships, mental health, and achievement. For instance, negative self-regard can lead to mood disturbances, anxiety, and loneliness; It can increase the likelihood of conflict in relationships and increase vulnerability to substance abuse. On the other hand, individuals with positive self-views are generally more likely to maintain positive relationships, maintain a positive outlook on life, and achieve success.
It is important to look at the effect or impact that stress and anxiety has on your work and home life. A professional therapist – psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker or counsellor can assist in the stress management process.
Sometimes we need to talk to someone about finding a job or what type of job might suit best, or when considering a change in career or when needing to figure out how to stop feeling stagnant and how to re-vitalize ourselves so that we feel good again about our work. Making a living, doing well at work, and feeling satisfied and fulfilled in what we do is important not just in wanting to move ahead and earn to our potential but also in developing and maintaining a positive self-image.
Contact
To reach Dr. Sarah Pantin directly, please phone 613-230-4709 ext. 150
CONTACT
421 Gilmour St Ottawa,
Ontario Canada, K2P 0R5
Call: 613-230-4709
Fax: 613- 230-8274
NAVIGATION
Recognition of Territory
Gilmour Psychological Services® is built on un-ceded Algonquin Anishinabe territory. The peoples of the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation have lived on this territory for millennia. Their culture and presence have nurtured and continue to nurture this land. We honour the peoples and land of the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation
