Dr. Iris Jackson

Dr. Jackson has focused on adult psychotherapy with individuals and couples since she opened her practice in Ottawa in 1981. She also conducts psychological testing of adults including psychological-legal assessments for specific types of civil, criminal and family law matters. Dr. Jackson is the founding psychologist of Gilmour Psychological Services®, established in 1983. Gilmour Psychological Services® has grown a great deal over the past decades. In 1997, Dr. Jackson added a computer-assisted psychological testing company in conjunction with Dr. Alex Weinberger and Dr. Sandy Ages. Dr. Jackson remains as committed and  enthusiastic as ever in providing the highest level of service in evidence-based counselling, psychotherapy and independent psychological evaluations.

To reach Dr. Iris Jackson directly, please phone 613-230-4709 ext. 0024 at 437 Gilmour Street 2nd floor

Iris Jackson

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Psychologist Expertise

Although Dr. Jackson works with a diversity of adult problems, she has a special interest in the following areas:

  • Adjustment to Life Changes
  • Adult children of Dysfunctional Families
  • Adult Families (Parents and Adult Children)
  • Adult Survivors of Trauma
  • Alcoholism/Substance Abuse
  • Anger Management
  • Anxiety/Stress
  • Co-dependency
  • Conflict Resolution Counselling (adults and adult children)
  • Depression
  • Geriatric Issues/Seniors
  • Fitness to Practice Assessments
  • Families dealing with family member with a major mental illness/psychosis
  • Identity Disturbances
  • Incest Abuse Survivors (women and men)
  • Independent Psychological Examinations
  • Intimacy Fears
  • Major Mental Illnesses and Fitness to Practice Issues
  • Self-Esteem Issues
  • Sexual Abuse Survivors (women and men)
Dr. Jackson’s psychotherapy orientation can be described as integrative because of her extensive training in behavioural, cognitive, psychoanalytic, systems, feminist and interpersonal approaches. She is a strong believer in tailoring the psychotherapeutic approach to the client. Dr. Jackson earned her Honours B.A. in Psychology from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. She received her M.A. and doctorate degrees from the University of Waterloo in Ontario. She has earned her Proficiency Certificate in the treatment of alcohol and substance abuse disorders from the American Psychological Association’s College of Professional Psychology. She also has her National (USA) Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals’ Master’s degree MAC)in Substance Abuse Disorders Counselling. She is registered as a psychologist in Ontario. She is also a member of the Canadian Society of Medical Evaluators and of the Canadian Academy of Psychologists in Disability Assessment.

She has had intern and staff experience in psychiatric inpatient and outpatient hospitals including the Royal Ottawa Hospital and the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry in Toronto, now CAMH. She has also worked for a Child and Family Centre, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Provincial Ministry of Corrections and a Regional Retardation Centre. She has consulted to several drug and alcohol treatment centres, a general medical setting, and a milieu treatment centre and the Ministry of Health’s First Nation and Inuit Health Branch’s Mental Health Program.

She has many years of experience of providing Independent Psychological Evaluations in the context of civil suits for psychological trauma, certain retrospective criminal assessment and stands of care tribunals.  She has testified as an ExpertWitness in several civil suits, tribunals and criminal cases.  Many of the cases for which she has provided evaluation reports have settled out of court.

She is a strong believer in psychology as an ethical and scientific health profession. She has voluntarily served with the Ontario Psychological Association as a member and chair of the Ethics and Policy Committee, as a Regional Director, as President-Elect (1991), as President (1992), and as Past President (1993). She has been President of the Ottawa Academy of Psychology (2005 and 2006). She has also been an examiner of new psychological registrants for the College of Psychologists of Ontario, which licenses psychologists. She has served on the Transitional Council of the College of Psychologists (1993), occasionally acts as a consultant to the College of Psychologists’ Discipline Committee and has served as an Expert Witness on Standards of Professional Practice in civil court cases. Dr. Jackson has been awarded the Ontario Psychological Association’s Award of Merit in 1991 for her work on the Regulated Health Professions Review Committee. She has also been awarded the Ontario Psychological Association’s Barbara Wand Award for outstanding contributions to Ethics and Standards in Psychology. She also has received the Ontario Psychological Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her significant and sustained contribution to the life of professional psychology in Ontario.

She leads a Mentorship Group for licensing year and early career psychologists. To ensure her continued competence as a psychologist, she participates in study groups and attends conferences and workshops, and reads current psychological research.

You can read online or print our book: Building Personal Resilience: A Guide to Positive Living. edited by Dr. Iris Jackson.
Dr. Jackson has updated and expanded her book, The Joys of Private Practice.  Please see the link below.