Dr. Fiona Thomas
Biography
Dr. Thomas is an assistant professor of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), specifically with research and teaching interests in culturally-informed clinical practice. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Department of Psychology at TMU and MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science in Health, Community and Development. Additionally, she completed her predoctoral residency with the London Clinical Psychology Residency Consortium and a postdoctoral fellowship in implementation science and evidence-based trauma interventions on a joint project between labs at Stanford University and TMU.
Dr. Thomas’ research examines culturally-responsive and sustainable mental health interventions locally and globally, focused on addressing structural inequities and reducing mental health disparities among marginalized communities. She works toward improving current systems of care by using multiple methodologies (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, participatory) with diverse stakeholders to understand the interconnections and complexity of factors that influence psychopathology. A nascent research area includes adapting, implementing, and disseminating evidence-based protocols to better fit families and communities impacted by social upheaval and multigenerational traumas.
In collaboration with researchers locally (e.g., Toronto), regionally (e.g., United States) and globally (e.g., Sri Lanka, Nepal), Dr. Thomas’ works at the nexus of clinical and public health interventions. Her research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC; Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship), the RBC Immigrant Diversity and Inclusion Project, and Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement (SSHRC).
Selected Publications:
Thomas, F.C., Coulombe, S., Girard, T., Hart, T., Doherty, S., Dass, G., Wickramage, K., Siriwardhana, C., & McShane K. (2022). Displacement-related stressors in a Sri Lankan war affected community: Identifying the impact of war exposure and ongoing stressors on trauma symptom severity. Social Science and Medicine – Mental Health, 2: e: 100129. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100129 (external link)
Thomas, F.C., D’sousa, M., Magwood, O., Thilakanathan, D., Sukumar, V., Doherty, S., Dass, G., Hart, T., Sivayokan, S., Wickramage, K., & McShane K. (in-press). Examining post-conflict stressors in Northern Sri Lanka: A qualitative study. PLOS One
Thomas, F.C., Puente-Duran, S., Mutschler, C., Monson, C.M.M. (2020). Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for children and youth in developing countries: A systematic review. Child and Adolescent Mental Health. doi: 10.1111/camh.12435 (external link)
Thomas, F.C., Bowie, J., Hill, L., & Taknint, J.T. (2019). Growth-promoting supervision: Reflections from women of colour psychology trainees. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 13, 167-173. doi: 10.1037/tep0000244 (external link)
Khenti, A., Thomas, F.C., Mohamoud, S., Diaz, P., Ballarino, V., Dunbar, K., & Sapag, J. (2017). Mental health and addictions capacity building for community health centres in Ontario. Canadian Family Physician, 63, e416-e424. PMID: 29025818
Thomas, F.C., Jordans, M.J.D., Reis, R., de Jong, J., & Tol, W. (2016). Emic perspectives on the impact of armed conflict on children’s mental health in Northern Sri Lanka. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 22, 246-253. doi: 10.1037/pac0000172 (external link)
Thomas, F.C., Robert, B., Luitel, N.P., Upadhaya, N., & Tol, W.A. (2011). Resilience of refugees displaced in the developing world: A qualitative analysis of the struggles and strengths of urban refugees in Nepal. Conflict and Health, 20, 1-11. doi: 10.1186/1752-1505-5-20 (external link)