BA (Queen’s University), PhD (McGill University)
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Toronto General Hospital, Eating Disorders Program
I will be accepting a graduate student for Fall 2026.
Research Interests
My lab uses diverse methods to study theoretical models that help to explain the variation in well-being and psychopathology we see both across people (i.e., some people struggle more than others) and within a given person based on context (i.e., in certain relationships and on certain days, a given person enjoys greater well-being than others). The theory behind compassion-focused therapy (see Gilbert, 2005) has inspired a great deal of our research. We have examined shame and self-criticism as contributors to psychopathology, particularly eating disorders, and the role self-compassion and associated interventions play in preventing and alleviating psychopathology. Given the established benefits of self-compassion, my lab is currently interested in identifying the factors that influence self-compassion in daily life, for example, the characteristics of the people we interact with, the behaviours we engage in, and so on. We are interested in testing our ideas in a range of populations who experience psychological distress (e.g., people with mental illness or other marginalized identities, people working in emotionally demanding professions, people navigating a profound loss). Through our research, we aim to inspire novel, implementable interventions and strategies that can support the self-compassion of individuals, groups, and organizations. My greatest current interrelated research interests include:
- Social factors (e.g., types of interactions, relationships) that support versus undermine self-compassion, and that heighten versus soften self-criticism.
- Behaviours in daily life that support versus undermine self-compassion, and that heighten versus soften self-criticism.
- Accessible interventions to support self-compassion in daily life.
- Ways of promoting self-compassion in individuals who are highly self-critical and fearful of self-compassion.
Representative publications (A full list of our lab’s publications)
- Kelly, A. C., Katan, A., & Zuroff, D. (2024). The ups and downs of self-criticism and disordered eating: Complementing Paranjothy and Wade’s (2024) analysis by considering both trait and state perspectives. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 57(8), 1649-1652. http://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24224
- Shaw, J., & Kelly, A. C. (2024). How exposure to personal distress with and without self-compassion affects distress tolerance: Results from a two-sample randomized trial. Mindfulness, 15, 570-585. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-024-02312-x
- Miller, K. E., Kelly, A. C., & Kraus, G. E. (2022). Adaptive body image can be contagious: An examination of college women facing situational body image threats. Body Image, 42, 222-236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.06.008
- Waring, S. V., & Kelly, A. C. (2020). Relational body image: Preliminary evidence that body image varies within a person from one specific relationship to another. Body Image, 34, 221-232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.06.006
Lab
I run the Self-Attitudes Lab, which typically consists of 3-5 graduate students in our clinical psychology program, undergraduate honours thesis students, undergraduate research assistants, and a lab manager. We have regular lab meetings in which we get to learn about and offer suggestions on each other’s work in a supportive and dynamic environment. Our lab’s research has been funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Ontario Early Researcher Award, and the Ontario Mental Health Foundation.
Teaching
- Psych 257 – Psychopathology
- Psych 417 – Mindfulness
- Psych 716 – Adult Psychopathology
- Psych 728 – Psychotherapy: Classical Roots & Contemporary Developments
Clinical Training
I have been continuously involved in the clinical supervision of the graduate students in our clinical psychology program. Every year or two, I supervise a compassion-focused therapy group for adults with eating disorders in our Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment (CMHRT).
Workshops
I am a registered psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. My areas of expertise are self-criticism, shame, self-compassion, and mindfulness. I am not currently seeing clients in private practice, but do offer experientially based workshops on self-compassion, mindfulness, and self-care for a range of audiences (e.g., clinicians, educators, organizations where employees face high stress and burnout).