91社区

Ainsley Jenicek is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work, 91社区 and a practicing clinical social worker, Couple and Family Therapist, and psychotherapist. Her program of research focuses on chosen families, or family-like relationships formed outside of biological and legal ties, and how clinicians can effectively offer support. Building on research about fictive kinship, voluntary kinship, chosen families, and related concepts, she is investigating how these relationship structures can present in clinical work and what clinical approaches are best suited to their realities. Her aim is to promote the needs of these often marginalized relationships within clinical training and practice to encourage creative, reflective practice with families as a whole.

She teaches Couple Therapy, Understanding & Assessing Families, Adult Mental Health, Trauma and Resilience, and Ethics in Couple and Family Therapy at the graduate level.

Before joining the 91社区 School of Social Work, she worked for several years as a social worker and couple and family therapist in youth psychiatry and private practice. In youth psychiatry at the Jewish General Hospital, she created an intake evaluation system that blended wait list management strategies with risk assessments and crisis management. She also practiced individual and family therapy with youth dealing with suicidality, major depression, anxiety disorders, and other mental health issues. In her ongoing clinical work, she offers therapy to individuals, couples, and families dealing with communication, conflict, trauma, intergenerational, and various mental health difficulties. In addition to her training as a Couple and Family Therapist, she has completed the multi-year training to become a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) and a fellowship year with the Canadian Psychoanalytic Society, Quebec English Branch.

Aside from her clinical work, she also worked for the Ordre des travailleurs sociaux et th茅rapeutes conjugaux et familiaux (OTSTCFQ) from 2015-2017 to support the creation of the four R茅f茅rentiels that describe and frame the competencies required for Couple and Family Therapists in Quebec.

Prior to becoming a clinician, Ainsley worked for over a decade in the community sector doing popular education, community building, group facilitation, and offering informal support within the LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and migrant communities based in Quebec. This work inspired her to become a clinician and continues to influence her therapeutic work.

Education:

Bachelor of Arts, 2007 - 91社区

Master of Arts, 2009 - Concordia University. Media Studies

Master of Social Work, 2014 - 91社区

Master of Science Applied, 2015 - 91社区, Couple and Family Therapy Programme

Doctor of Philosophy, in progress - 91社区, School of Social Work

Employment:

2022 鈥� present: Assistant Professor, 91社区, School of Social Work

2019 鈥� 2022: Course Lecturer, 91社区, School of Social Work

Professional:

MacIntosh, H.B., Marzinotto, E., & Jenicek, A. (2021). E虂chelle COVID-19 dans le milieu familial.

Steering committee member (OTSTCFQ):

1) R茅f茅rentiel d鈥檃ctivit茅 professionnel li茅 脿 l鈥檈xercice de la profession de th茅rapeute conjugale et familiale ou th茅rapeute conjugal et familial au Qu茅bec

2) R茅f茅rentiel d鈥檌nspection professionnelle li茅 脿 l鈥檈xercice de la profession de th茅rapeute conjugale et familiale ou th茅rapeute conjugal et familial au Qu茅bec

3) R茅f茅rentiel de r茅flexion sur la pratique professionnelle en th茅rapie conjugale et familiale

4) R茅f茅rentiel d鈥櫭﹙aluation et de reconnaissances des personnes form茅es 脿 l鈥櫭﹖ranger voulant exercer la profession de th茅rapeute conjugale et familiale ou th茅rapeute conjugal et familial au Qu茅bec (to come)