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Program

MA Year 1, Counselling Psychology

Supervisors

Dr. Bassam El-Khoury

Previous Education

MSc Psychiatry, ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ, 2023

BA Pyschology (minors in anthropology and in behavioural sciences), ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ, 2021

Connect On

Christina is an MA1 student in the Counselling Psychology program (project stream), and she holds a BA in Psychology and an MSc in Psychiatry, both from ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Over the course of her CIHR-funded Master's degree, Christina conducted clinical research on mindfulness- and tech-based interventions for older adults in a geriatric psychiatry lab at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. Her current research interests include mindfulness and the development of mindfulness- and compassion-based interventions for emotion regulation, self-harm, and suicidality in adolescents and young adults.

Research Publications

• Dikaios, E., Sekhon, H., Allard, A., Vacaflor, B., Goodman, A., Dwyer, E., Lavin-Gonzalez, P., Mahdanian, A., Park, H., Walsh, C., Sasi, N., Nazar, R., Gruber, J., Su, C.-L., Hanganu, C., Royal, I., Schiavetto, A., Cinalioglu, K., Rigas, C., … Bukhari, S. N. (2020). Connecting during COVID-19: A protocol of a volunteer-based telehealth program for supporting older adults’ health. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 598356.
• Elbaz, S., Cinalioglu, K., Sekhon, K., Gruber, J., Rigas, C., Bodenstein, K., Naghi, K., Lavin, P., Greenway, K. T., Vahia, I., Rej, S., & Sekhon, H. (2021). A systematic review of telemedicine for older adults with dementia during COVID-19: An alternative to in-person health services? Frontiers in Neurology, 12, 761965.
• Garel, N.*, Rigas,C.*, Ben m’rad,M., Bodenstein,K., Joober,R., Sekhon,H.,** & Rej,S.**. (2023). Psychopharmacology for the Clinician: Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Benzodiazepine de-prescription in hemodialysis patients suffering from anxiety and depressive symptoms. Journal of Psychiatry And Neuroscience.
• Moussaoui, G.*, Rigas, C.*, Escobar, S., Torres-Platas, S. G., Castel, S., Yang, M., Inhaber, J., Novielli, J., Van Amsterdam, J., Sasi, N., Potes, A., Nikolitch, K., Penheiro, R., Looper, K., Segal, M., Elie, D., Kiss, A., Selchen, S., Hermann, N., … Rej, S. (2022). Brief mindfulness-oriented interventions (MOIs) to improve psychiatric symptoms in a psychiatric inpatient unit: a randomized controlled feasibility trial. Psychosis, 14(4), 368–377.
• Park,H.*, Rigas, C.*, Ibrahim,M.*, Su,C., Eyler,L., Thomas,Z., Nassim, M., Beaulieu,S., Buck,G.**, Rej,S.**. (2023). Efficacy of Virtually-Delivered Qigong/Tai Chi for Depression in Middle- and Older-Age Adults with Bipolar Disorder (QT-BD): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports.
• Rigas, C.,ÌýPark, H., Nassim, M., Su, C.-L., Greenway, K., Lipman, M., McVeigh, C., Novak, M., Trinh, E., Alam, A., Suri, R. S., Mucsi, I., Torres-Platas, S. G., Noble, H., Sekhon, H., Rej, S., & Lifshitz, M. (2022). Long-term effects of a Brief Mindfulness Intervention versus a Health Enhancement Program for treating depression and anxiety in patients undergoing hemodialysis: A randomized controlled trial. Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease, 9, 20543581221074560.
• Sekhon, H.*, Lavin, P.*, Vacaflor, B.*, Rigas, C., Cinalioglu, K., Su, C.-L., Bodenstein, K., Dikaios, E., Goodman, A., Raymond, F. C., Ibrahim, M., Bein, M., Gruber, J., Se, J., Sasi, N., Walsh, C., Nazar, R., Hanganu, C., Berkani, S., … Rej, S. (2022). Isolating together during COVID-19: Results from the Telehealth Intervention Program for older adults. Frontiers in Medicine, 9, 948506.
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Conference Presentations

• Klil-Drori, S., Rigas, C., Gruber, J., et al. (2022, October 14-15). Aging and Technology: If a Virtual Tool is Good for Online Shopping Does it Mean It Is Good for a Virtual Medical Appointment? [Poster presentation]. Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Scientific Meeting. Montreal, Qc, Canada.
• Rigas, C., Klil-Drori,S., Sekhon, H., & Rej, S. (2022, October 14-15). Virtual Healthcare for All: Accessibility and Use of Telehealth Among Canadian Older Adults. [Poster presentation]. Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Scientific Meeting. Montreal, Qc, Canada.
• Rigas, C., Lavin, P., Sekhon, H., & Rej, S. (2022, October 14-15). A Friendly Ear for Mental Health: Predictors of Response to a Novel Telehealth Intervention for Older Adults (TIP-OA) for Stress and Mental Health Symptoms. [Poster presentation]. Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Scientific Meeting. Montreal, Qc, Canada.
• Rigas, C., Sekhon, H. & Rej, S. (2022, March 18-21). Predictors of response to a Telehealth Intervention Program for Older Adults (TIP-OA) for Stress and Mental Health. [Poster presentation]. American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL, United States.
• Rigas, C., Rej, S., Sekhon, H., & Vahia, I. (2022, June 17-19). Telehealth Intervention Program for Older Adults (TIP-OA) for Stress and Mental Health Symptoms: Predictors of Treatment Response. [Online poster presentation]. Canadian Psychological Association Annual General Meeting and National Convention. Calgary, AB, Canada.
• Rigas, C., Sekhon, H. & Rej, S. (2022, March 18-21). Predictors of response to a Telehealth Intervention Program for Older Adults (TIP-OA) for Stress and Mental Health. [Poster presentation]. American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL, United States.
• Rigas, C., Klil-Drori,S., Sekhon, H., & Rej, S. (2023, March 3-6). Virtual Healthcare for Older Adults: Accessibility, Perceptions and Benefits . [Poster presentation].American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA, United States.
• Rigas, C., Lavin, P., Sajatovic, M., & Rej, S. (2023, June 23-25). Antidepressant Prescription in Older Adult Bipolar Disorder (OABD). [Poster presentation]. Canadian Psychological Association Annual General Meeting and National Convention. Toronto, ON, Canada.
• Rigas, C*., Park, H.*, Ibrahim, M.*, Buck, G.,& Rej, S. (2023, June 23-25). Efficacy of Qigong/Tai Chi for Depression and Cognition in Middle and Older Age Bipolar Patients During COVID-19: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. [Poster presentation]. Canadian Psychological Association Annual General Meeting and National Convention. Toronto, ON, Canada.
• Sekhon, H.*, Lavin, P.*, Vacaflor, B.*, Rigas, C.,…,Rej,S. (2022, October 14-15). Isolating together during COVID-19: Mental Health Effects of a Telehealth Intervention Program for older adults. [Poster presentation]. Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Scientific Meeting. Montreal, Qc, Canada.
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Funding

• Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s, Canadian Institute of Health and Research (2022)

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Awards

• Graduate Excellence Fellowship, ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Education and Counselling Psychology, ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University (2023)