Dr Suja Srikameswaran

Registered Psychologist

My areas of expertise

I specialize in treating eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder) and disordered eating, as well as other psychological conditions including depression and anxiety.

I have extensive experience helping women who are pregnant and post-partum to address body image, eating, mood, relationship and parenting issues. I am also experienced in helping people navigate life challenges as varied as infertility, grief and loss and chronic health conditions.

My approach to therapy

My training is in cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT). In CBT, we identify the beliefs or assumptions we hold and examine the impact of these beliefs on our feelings and on our behaviour. Often we struggle with “thinking traps” (e.g.,“I’m a failure”) that keep us in suffering (sadness, anger and despair). Or we may struggle with intense emotions that keep us in behavioural traps (e.g., binge eating) that make us vulnerable to judging ourselves (“I have no self-control, I’m a loser”) and also lead to suffering.

Often people feel frustrated because they know they are suffering, yet they aren’t ready to change their problem behaviours or thoughts. In my practice, I integrate CBT techniques with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), insight oriented therapy; I also teach the skills of self-compassion to help clients explore barriers to change, and to help them prepare for and engage in change.

I hope we will both bring our curiosity and open hearts to the therapy sessions to help you achieve your goals.

My background

I was born in India to a South Indian Hindu family, and I moved to Canada with them when I was 4 years old. I was raised in the Prairies, and completed my Ph.D in Clinical Psychology at the University of Manitoba. I came to Vancouver to do my clinical internship at UBC Hospital. It was difficult to leave friendly Manitoba, but the siren call of beautiful BC with its gentle winters and gorgeous mountains was impossible to resist.

I worked at the Provincial Adult Tertiary and Specialized Eating Disorders Program (PATSED) at St. Paul’s Hospital from 1990- 2020 (30 years). I provided assessment, and individual and group treatment and supervised the training of psychology and psychiatry residents. I was also the Professional Practice Leader for Psychology for Providence Health Care and have extensive experience with the challenges and opportunities faced by leaders and managers.

I continue to work as a member of the PATSED research team and I am a co-recipient of grants from CIHR, SSHRC and MSHFRC, and a co-author of numerous publications on readiness and motivation to change in the eating disorders, social support, and most recently, self-compassion. I am a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, UBC.

I work at Changeways Clinic on Mondays, and can offer evening appointments. Since the pandemic, I have found that providing services on-line enables individuals from across BC to access treatment. Therefore, my preference is to continue delivering services online. I can offer in-person services by request.