Kelly Ann Cartwright, Psychologist - psychologue

07/18/2025

We are currently seeking participants for a new, online study looking at the experiences of women and females with tics

Are you:
🔹️ A woman or AFAB person?
🔸️ With Tourette’s Syndrome or a Persistent/Chronic Tic Disorder?
🔹️ Interested in participating in an online survey and virtual interview about your personal experiences as a female with symptoms of Tourette’s Syndrome or other tic disorder?

If so, you may be eligible to participate!

To learn more or to begin the survey:
🌐 tiny.utk.edu/ts.

Thank you for sharing with your networks!

06/21/2025

Thank you to all who attended our talk at TIC-CON25, hosted by the Tourette Association of America, examining the emerging research into the female experience of tic disorders that is turning our traditional understanding of Tourette on its head!

Co-presented with my esteemed colleague Dr Charles Galyon of Knoxville Behavioral & Mental Health Services.

If you've registered for the conference, you can still watch it on demand. Registration is free at https://touretteconference.org/en/registration-form

05/11/2025

Verbal Abuse in Childhood Rewires the Developing Brain

New research reveals that verbal abuse in childhood can alter the developing brain, leading to long-term emotional and cognitive consequences.

Harsh, demeaning language from adults activates the brain’s threat system, making children more likely to interpret neutral cues as threatening.

At the same time, the brain’s reward system becomes blunted, reducing responsiveness to praise, affection, and positive experiences.

These neural changes can impair relationship-building, self-worth, and mental health well into adulthood.

Verbal abuse increases the risk of anxiety, depression, substance use, and difficulty with emotional regulation.

Experts urge greater awareness and prevention, emphasizing that nurturing, respectful language is essential for healthy brain development and lifelong wellbeing.

https://neurosciencenews.com/verbal-abuse-child-brain-28886/

04/21/2025

Autistic people don't lack social skills. They have different social values.

04/04/2025

Food for thought about the challenges, complexities, failures and potential of inclusion in the workplace, especially as apply to neurodiverse workers.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10596011251330687?fbclid=IwY2xjawJdFaxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHo-VkYViyJgg0LHrplbKcAkpJ_ZovsSzvDF-CAIq35FBNU-feYZvs_XtCfhp_aem__700d-24HwOyKdz5cMdsxw

Open accessResearch articleFirst published online March 31, 2025The Inclusive Leadership Paradox: When Inclusion Efforts Lead to the Exclusion of Neurodivergent PeopleYannick Griep https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0104-6739 [email protected], Kevin S. Cruz https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4961-5917, […], D...

04/02/2025

Participez à une nouvelle étude clinique sur une intervention spécialisée visant à réduire les tics.

Ouvert aux participants âgés de 14 à 21 ans !
L'intervention se déroulera en français et en présentiel à Montréal.

Pour plus d'informations ou pour vous inscrire, contactez le 514-323-7760 poste 2381 ou recrutement.projetTourette.cnmtl@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

🐠 Poisson d’avril?! 🐟
𝑵𝙤𝒏, c’est le lancement d’un 𝙣𝒐𝙪𝒗𝙚𝒂𝙪 𝙥𝒓𝙤𝒋𝙚𝒕!! 💥

Nous recrutons des participant.e.s pour une nouvelle 𝘦́𝑡𝘶𝑑𝘦 𝘤𝑙𝘪𝑛𝘪𝑞𝘶𝑒 sur les tics et le Syndrome de Gilles de la 𝙏𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚 (SGT)

🔹 Tu as de 𝟙𝟜 à 𝟚𝟙 𝒂𝒏𝒔?
🔸 Tu as des 𝙩𝒊𝙘𝒔 et tu vis avec le SGT?
Tu as envie d’apprendre des 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆́𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 des tics tout en contribuant activement à 𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 ?

Cette étude permet de suivre gratuitement une 𝙥𝙨𝙮𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚́𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙚 qui vise à réduire les tics. 🙌

Si tu veux en savoir plus ou pour participer, on va répondre à toutes tes questions :

📞 Appelle-nous : 𝟝𝟙𝟜-𝟛𝟚𝟛-𝟟𝟚𝟞𝟘 poste 𝟚𝟛𝟠𝟙 ou
📩 Écris-nous : recrutement.projetTourette.cnmtl@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

Merci et à bientôt ! 😊👍

CIUSSS du Nord de l'Île de Montréal; Département de psychologie - UQAM; Centre de recherche - Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal; Association québécoise du syndrome de la Tourette; Tourette Soutien Montréal; Tourette Soutien Laval; Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada

12/10/2024

Congratulations to the authors for this seminal work.

Understanding early maladaptive schemas in autistic and ADHD individuals: exploring the impact, changing the narrative, and schema therapy considerations

Autistic/ADHD individuals are increasingly recognised as a valid minority group, with consistent research demonstrating a higher prevalence of co-occurring m...

12/01/2024

📌 Mark your calendars!

12 accredited hours of Professional Training in Specialized Psychotherapy for Tics and Tourette’s Syndrome

✔️ This is a Comprehensive training in the Cognitive Psychophysiological (CoPs) intervention for tics forchildren and adults
✔️ Live, interactive webinar for mental health and related professionals working with Tics and Tourette’s Syndrome
✔️ Hosted via Zoom on two consecutive Fridays on January 24 and 31, 2025 from 10:00am to 5:00pm EST (GMT -5)
✔️ Open to International participants (training language will be English)

For information and to register, visit www.lakeshorepsychology.ca/formation-training-cops-2025

Please, spread the word, we are waiting for you! 😊

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📌 À vos agendas!

12 heures de formation professionnelle continue sur la psychothérapie spécialisée pour la diminution des tics dans le syndrome de Tourette

✔️ Formation complète sur le modèle d’intervention cognitif et psychophysiologique (CoPs) pour tics pour les enfants et adultes
✔️ Webinaire interactif en direct pour les professionnels de la santé mentale et les autres professionnels travaillant avec les tics et le syndrome de Tourette
✔️ Organisé via Zoom deux vendredis consécutifs les 24 et 31 janvier 2025 de 10h00 à 17h00 EST (GMT -5)
✔️ Formation en anglais pour permettre une participation internationale

Pour plus d'informations et pour vous inscrire, visitez www.lakeshorepsychology.ca/formation-training-cops-2025

Passez le mot s’il vous plaît, on vous attend! 😊.

11/18/2024

Today marks an historic day for Québec psychologists! Effective today, Psychologists in the province of Québec are legally permitted to diagnose mental disorders, an activity we have been conducting for many years as part of the reserved professional act of evaluating mental disorders, but without the legal possibility of employing the word "diagnosis" to qualify our conclusions.

Before today, the use of the word "diagnosis" in Québec was limited to physicians/MDs only. In a press release published today, the Order of Psychologists of Québec (OPQ) announced that the Law Modifying the Québec Code of Professions* permitting psychologists and neuropsychologists to diagnose mental and neuropsychological disorders comes into effect today. The OPQ further declared that it is "now calling on decision-makers, managers and insurers to amend their laws and procedures to fully recognize mental health diagnoses made by professionals other than physicians. [...] These changes are essential to truly improve accessibility to services, employment-related accommodations, tax exemptions and compensation." (translated from French to English)

As a Québec psychologist, I acknowledge and celebrate the OPQ, its membership and all other involved parties, including Québec physicians who previously issued a statement of support for this initiative, for their advocacy, commitment and success with this momentous achievement.

The full press release may be read here: https://www.ordrepsy.qc.ca/-/diagnostics-enfin-reconnus

*Loi modifiant le Code des professions pour la modernisation du système professionnel et visant l’élargissement de certaines pratiques professionnelles dans le domaine de la santé et des services sociaux,

10/25/2024

I'm honored to have been selected by the Tourette Association of America as a speaker in this three-part online event focused on the experiences of women with Tourette disorder, beginning on Thursday, November 7, 2024. Be sure to join us for Parts 2 and 3 as well, when I'll be presenting an information capsule summarizing some of the important, recent research on Tourette in women (Nov. 14) and sharing a part of my personal story as a woman with Tourette (Nov. 21).

This FREE program is open to all individuals regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression.

For more details and to register, please visit

Description: Join us for a special three-part interactive series that showcases the unique experience of what it is like to be a woman with Tourette Syndrome and/or Tic Disorders. This series highlights that although every woman has their own unique background and experience there are universal feel...

10/10/2024

We are thrilled to offer this LIVE VIRTUAL Comprehensive Training in the Cognitive Psychophysiological (CoPs) Intervention for Tics, developed by the eminent Kieron O'Connor, and co-presented by Tourette researcher and developer of the child adaptation of CoPs, Dr Julie B. Leclerc, and clinical psychologist specializing in tics, Dr Kelly Ann Cartwright.

Participants will leave the training with an understanding of the underlying science and therapeutic strategies of this effective, empirically-supported therapy for tics, as well as step-by-step guidelines and materials for use with your child, teen and adult clients.

Taking place on two consecutive Fridays, January 24 and 31, 2025, the program will be delivered in English and is open to qualified professionals in Québec, Canada, the United States, and Internationally.

For further information and to register, visit us at

Details and registration information for our upcoming FULL TRAINING in the Cognitive Psychophysiological (CoPs) intervention for Tics. Don't miss this One-Time Live Virtual Training with CoPs researcher and the creator of the CoPs adaptation for use with children Julie Leclerc, and Kelly Ann Cartwri...

09/21/2024

Aphantasia 🙋‍♀️ and you?

Aphantasia, hypophantasia and hyperphantasia are forms of neurodivergence categorised by the images you see (or don't) in your mind.

Someone is hyperphantasic if they can conjure up extremely realistic mental imagery, to the point where it can be difficult to distinguish it from reality.

Someone is aphantasic if they can't produce mental imagery. With complete aphantasia there is no trace of imagery whatsoever. If someone can see vague images it can be categorised as hypophantasia, with 'hypo' meaning low, though it's common to see it referred to under the umbrella of aphantasia.

Being aphantasic or hypophantasic doesn't usually prevent people from experiencing mental imagery in dreams, it just can't be produced on demand.

The typical experience of being able to visualise is known as phantasia.

Aphantasia was first described by Francis Galton in 1880, though he didn't use the term itself. He was surprised to find that some people thought 'mental imagery' was just a turn of phrase and they didn't realise it was something that others could actually produce.

As well as strong, realistic images, hyperphantasics can taste, smell, hear and feel what they are seeing. It can be extremely scary in some situations, while being amazingly helpful in others. If you can use your imagination to conjure things up in this intense detail, it opens up fantastic creative and problem-solving possibilities.

Hyperphantasia is not the same as photographic memory as it includes being able to very clearly visualise and experience things that aren't real and haven't actually been seen.

Hyperphantasics do tend to have a very good visual memory though, and the ability to mentally 'travel back' and revisit things from their past.

Research into aphantasia, hypophantasia and hyperphantasia is lacking, but they are thought to be more common in people who are also neurodivergent in other ways. Hyperphantasia is positively correlated with synaesthesia for example, and aphantasia with autism, though people can be multiply neurodivergent in pretty much any combination. Hyperphantasics are more likely to develop PTSD from traumatic experiences because of the intense nature of their memories.

Aphantasia, hypophantasia and hyperphantasia are heritable and people are typically born that way. Aphantasia can also be acquired, usually through brain damage or psychosis.