Vincent Santiago he/him

As a member of Dr. Stephanie Cassin's Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Lab, Vincent Santiago is exploring the use of an intervention for food addiction (the concept that individuals can be addicted to foods, particularly highly processed foods). This intervention combines Adapted Motivational Interviewing, a person-centred counselling approach, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for disordered eating.

"I'm grateful to be working with my supervisor, Dr. Stephanie Cassin, in testing out and providing this novel treatment for community members who are struggling with food and eating issues. Although food addiction is not a new concept, little research has been done in treating it, and I feel like I am at the forefront of this exciting (and controversial!) field. Ryerson University and the Psychology Department has been a supportive environment for my research."

Vincent also co-organized the inaugural “Diversifying Psychology Recruitment Event” at Ryerson in 2020 and is helping to organize similar events. The goal of this event was to provide more information about applying to graduate school for students from traditionally underrepresented groups, particularly students identifying as Black, Indigenous, and as Persons of Colour.

"The growth and survival of our field is dependent on the inclusion of diverse voices. We need to break down the barriers that prevent this inclusion and our department is taking steps towards this. In clinical psychology especially, representation among treatment providers can be so important to the clients that we work with."