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Common Therapeutic Factors
I am in my second year of the MA/PhD program in clinical psychology. I first became interested in clinical psychology after attending a mind-shattering (in a good way) public lecture called “Virtue as a Necessity” by Dr. Jordan Peterson, at the University of Toronto. After reading several books by master clinicians (e.g., Rogers, Jung), I became fascinated with the process of psychotherapy and the vast potential that humans have for transforming themselves for the better. During my time as an undergraduate, I worked in various research labs, conducting independent projects on the link between conscientiousness and guilt, the impact of childhood abuse on later psychophysiological functioning of domestically violent men, and the effects of traumatic life events on individuals diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. However, my primary interest lay in understanding the processes of psychotherapy and the characteristics of therapists, clients, and the therapeutic situation, that facilitate positive change. Given my interests, I was very excited to join PIRT, and to work under the supervision of Dr. Oakman and Dr. Mittelstaedt. My current research, based of the work by Frank & Frank (1991), explores how common therapeutic factors (e.g., therapist’s empathy and perceived expertise) relate to outcomes across a broad range of treatments (psychotherapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, etc.). Aside from conducting research and fantasizing about possible future studies, I enjoy watching bad sci-fi movies, reading fiction, experimenting with cooking, and occasionally, dancing.
Here are some examples of my work:
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Milovanov, A., Oakman, J.M., Keleher, B., Capobianco, K., Finch, K.K., & Mittelstaedt, W. (2017). Common Therapeutic Factors in Psychotherapy and Complementary Treatments.Poster session submitted to the Annual Convention of the Canadian Psychological Association, Toronto, ON
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Milovanov, A., Paquette-Smith, M., Lunsky, Y., & Weiss, J. (2014). Prevalence and Impact of Significant Life Events for Adults with Asperger Syndrome. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 19, 50-54.
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Milovanov, A., Xu, X., & Peterson, J. (2015, May). Working Hard and Feeling Guilty: Relationship Between Industriousness and Guilt. Poster session presented at Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention, New York, NY.
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Lishak, V., Milovanov, A., & Scott, K. (2013, June). Psychophysiological Profiles and Executive Functions of Men with History of Domestic Violence Perpetration: a Pilot Study. Poster session presented at Canadian Psychological Association Annual Conference, Quebec City, Quebec.