Profiles

Allison Kelly is the director of the Self-Attitudes Lab. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from Queen’s University and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from McGill University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Toronto General Hospital’s Eating Disorders Program before joining the University of Waterloo as a faculty member in 2012. Dr. Kelly conducts and supervises research on topics related to self-compassion, self-criticism, shame, disordered eating, and body image, as broadly described on the lab home page and faculty page.

Jenessa received her Honours Psychology degree (Bachelor of Arts) from the University of Windsor, and began the Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Waterloo in September 2020. In her current research with Dr. Kelly, she is exploring how a compassion-based intervention can help reduce the perception that experiencing negative emotions is unbearable in those who hold this belief.

Michelle received her Honours Psychology degree (Bachelor of Arts) from Simon Fraser University. She began the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Waterloo in September 2022. Broadly, her interests include how compassion-based interventions can promote the reduction of distress in self-critical individuals.

Monica received her Honours Bachelor of Knowledge Integration and her Honours Psychology (Bachelor of Arts) degrees from the University of Waterloo. She began the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Waterloo in September 2022. Broadly, her research interests include fear of self-compassion and how self-compassion is socially learned.

Emily (she/her) received her Honours Psychology Degree (Bachelor of Arts; minor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies) from the University of British Columbia and began the Clinical Psychology program in September 2025. In her current research with Dr. Kelly, she is exploring the relational aspects of self-compassion. Broadly, her research interests also include 2SLGBTQIA+ wellness and body image. 

Giselle graduated from McGill University in Montreal with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Science in Psychiatry, and is currently the Research Coordinator in the Self-Attitudes Lab. Previously, she worked as a research coordinator at McGill University Health Centre and Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.