Dr. Joanna McDermid nominated by Michelle Man, Communications Coordinator, Department of Pediatrics, BC Children's Hospital, UBC & BCCH and Council Member, BC Children's Hospital Centre for Mindfulness ​

What is your role?

JM: consulting psychiatrist with BC Children’s Hospital, Looking Glass Residence and affiliated with UBC, Associate Director of BC Children's Hospital Centre for Mindfulness

 Please indicate the centre or clinic you work at.

JM: as above 

What do you enjoy most about your role?

JM: Working with teenagers and supporting their families! The developmental window of adolescence is an opportunity for intervention and growth, for building sense of self, resilience, and distress tolerance. It’s a privilege to be part of their journey.  

What prompted you to get into your area of health care?

JM: There is silent suffering with psychiatric illness and my hope is to promote advocacy, understanding and compassion.

What would you say to someone interested in joining this line of work?

JM: Call me!

What is your proudest accomplishment to date?

JM: Being on the team of the BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Mindfulness and our vision and mission of co-creating a more hospital culture. One of our current projects is the creation of the MARS-PC pilot program, developed for parents and caregivers whose children or youth are accessing care and support through BC Children’s Hospital: Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Parents and Caregivers (MARS-PC) “being fully present to the experience of parenting and caregiving, while bringing resilience to the challenges”

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Dr. Joanna McDermid

Associate Director, BC Children’s Centre for Mindfulness

Joanna McDermid, MD, is a psychiatrist, with a subspecialty in child and adolescent psychiatry and is a clinical instructor with Department of Psychiatry, at BC Children’s Hospital and at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In addition to her psychiatry training, Dr McDermid has trained in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindful Self Compassion. She has done an extended mentorship with Dr. Ron Epstein and his team in the Mindful Practice program for physicians and health providers through the University of Rochester.  Dr McDermid has developed a mindfulness program to supplement standard care for individuals with eating disorders in residential treatment, and is currently developing a global parent mindfulness informed resource. 

Joanna.McDermid@cw.bc.ca