Study Staff & Therapists

Meet the team.

Meet the team that is dedicated to guiding you through our groundbreaking pilot study, designed and supervised by Dr. Monnica Williams. Each of our Treatment Facilitators is trained to deliver the Racial Stress and Trauma Treatment Protocol, a research-based approach aimed at reducing racial trauma symptoms. They bring expertise, compassion, and a commitment to fostering a supportive environment as you work through this 12-session protocol. These therapists are here to help you understand the impact of racism, develop effective coping skills, and support your healing journey. Sessions are conducted via Zoom, allowing you to engage in this work from a space that feels safe and comfortable. Our team is here to ensure your experience is meaningful and tailored to your needs throughout the study.

Sophia Gran-Ruaz

Project Coordinator

Sophia Gran-Ruaz manages the study and conducts participant intake assessments. She is a White Canadian of European ancestry currently completing her third year of a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa. She has previously trained at the Centre for Psychological Services and Research and the Ottawa Institute for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and is currently training at the Ottawa Centre for Resilience. Sophia aspires to work with adults experiencing substance use disorders and/or trauma and stressor related disorders. She is especially interested in supporting clients with stigmatized and marginalized identities to ensure they receive culturally relevant, high-quality care.

Myriah MacIntyre

Myriah MacIntyre

Treatment Facilitator

Myriah MacIntyre (she/they) is a third-year PhD student studying clinical psychology at the University of Ottawa with research focuses on racial trauma and traditional medicines/psychedelics. As a queer person with Black Caribbean and Indigenous ancestry, Myriah is also well-versed in intersectionality in order to provide compassionate and equitable care to all of their clients surviving systemic structures of sociocultural inequity. She has completed a practicum at The Child, Adolescent, and Family Centre of Ottawa (CAFCO), and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy training. To enhance her skills, she is currently a practicum student at The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. In their free time, Myriah enjoys skateboarding and playing musical instruments.

Rajni Sharma, PhD

Treatment Facilitator

Rajni is an Ontario registered psychotherapist and art therapist, practicing in mental health for the last 12 years. She completed a graduate diploma in Art Therapy followed by a Masters in Counselling Psychology and doctorate in Community Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University. Her research is on how to address and heal from the experiences of racial trauma in therapy, specifically, training/re-training therapists on how to address this. Her ongoing research also includes psychedelic therapy and how that can be used to address trauma. Her work with clients includes exploring the mind-body connection to heal trauma, discovering how past experiences are connected to the present, unpacking thought patterns, regulating emotions, or learning how our challenges are connected to structural realities that can be oppressive and impact mental health.

Lebert Lester III, MA

Treatment Facilitator

Lebert is a licensed therapist with a research background in Black studies, and factors that affect help-seeking. Under the mentorship of Dr. Monnica Williams, he is employed at the Behavioral Wellness Clinic where he provides therapeutic service for clients living with depression, PTSD, panic disorder, anxiety, racial trauma and other areas. As a graduate of a historically Black college, Lebert takes a special interest in supporting factors related to clients identity such as skin-tone, gender, sexual orientation etc. In his free time, Lebert enjoys creative writing, photography, museums, drawing, and exploring music.

Lucia Da Silva, MA

Treatment Facilitator

Lucia (she/they) was born and raised in Brazil and sustains a deep connection with her lands as part of their identity and inner drive to keep evolving as a human being. Lucia worked as a trauma therapist before immigrating to Canada. As newly Canadian, their goal is to support BIPOC immigrants' mental health and settlement process in Canada and contribute to the political discussions to decriminalize psychedelics through her work as a researcher. They love poutines!

Erica Campbell, MA

Treatment Facilitator

Erica is a Registered Ontario Psychotherapist (Qualifying) at Behavioural Wellness Clinic, working primarily with Canadians struggling with anxiety disorders. Erica’s experience working with dual diagnosis individuals and supporting women to leave domestic violence, grew her passion for helping those who have suffered disparities build their mental wellness. Erica was born in Canada and had the opportunity to live coast to coast, as well as in the US. She obtained her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Prince Edward Island, and obtained her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University. In her free time, Erica likes to paddle board, play with her dogs, and spending time in nature.

Arghavan Nepton, MA

Treatment Facilitator

Arghavan is currently a doctoral student in Neuroscience, in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Before moving to Canada, she received her MA in Counselling Psychology in Iran. She has conducted research on cognitive functioning among adolescents, and also collaborates in emotion regulation and cross-cultural research, with interests in mental health disorders. Arghavan is from Iran and her first language is Farsi. She is committed to improving social opportunity, psychological wellness, and mental health for Black, Indigenous, and other historically racialized groups who suffer from racism. In her spare time, you can find Arghavan reading novels, watching movies, learning French.