Dr. Cathy Chovaz

Professor

Phone: Email Only
Email: cchovazm@uwo.ca
Website: http://cdeaf.kings.uwo.ca

Education

• Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, The University of Western Ontario
• M.A., Clinical Psychology, The University of Western Ontario
• B.Sc.N., Nursing, The University of Western Ontario 

Teaching

• Applied Clinical Settings (Psych 3995F/G)
• Child Psychopathology (3364F/G)
• Abnormal Psychopathology (3311)
• Clinical Practicum (4692F/G)
• Introduction to Clinical Skills (2301A/B)  
• Mental Health and Deafness

Research

• Mental Health Functioning of Deaf and Hard of Hearing School-Aged Children in Ontario
• Prevalence of Mental Health Distress in the Deaf population
• Developing Clinical Tools for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
• American Sign Language Interpreters and Mental Health Settings

Selected Publications

Textbooks

Chovaz, C.J. (Ed.).  Head-to-Head and Heart-to-Heart: Perspectives, Insights and Discourse with Deaf People Regarding Mental Health under review for publication 2025 with Gallaudet University Press, Washington, D.C

Du Feu, M. & Chovaz, C. (2014). Mental health and deafness. NW: Oxford University Press.

Fiction Books (related to mental health and deafness)
Chovaz, C.J. (accepted and in production). No No Bad Dog. Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

Book Chapters/Contributions

Chovaz, C.J. (2017). No No Bad Dog chapter. In Nielsen, D., & Khimasia, T.
(2017). Imprints: ten Write Place writers (D. Nielsen & T. Khimasia, Eds.). London, Ontario: The Write Place at King’s University College.

Chovaz, C. J. (1998). Cultural aspects of Deafness. In D. Evans & S. Kazarian (Eds.), Cultural Clinical Psychology: Theory, Research, and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press.

Book Reviews

Chovaz, C. J. (2011). Book Review: The differences in our similarities. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 16(3), 416 https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enr002

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Russell, D., Chovaz, C.J. & Boudreault, P. (submitted to Psychology, Public Policy, and Law: accepted for publication). Deaf Community Experiences in the Canadian Justice System.

Ashton Rennison, V. L., Chovaz, C. J., & Zirul, S. (2023). Cognition and psychological well-being in adults with post COVID-19 condition and analyses of symptom sequelae. The Clinical neuropsychologist, 1–28.https://doi.org/10.1080/13854046.2023.2227407

Mulder, J. & Chovaz, C.J. (submitted: currently under review). Validation of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Youth Self-Report in American Sign Language. (submitted to APA Psychology & Neuroscience: currently under review).

Russell, D. ,Chovaz, C.J., Nicholson, W., English, M. & Pacquette, V. (2023). Identity and Coping: Deaf Sign Language Interpreters and Secondary Traumatic Stress. Journal of Interpretation, 31(1) Article 3. https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/joi/vol31/iss1/3

Chovaz, C (2022). How to Make Psychology Practices More Accessible for Deaf People. In The
Psychology Commons. Kingston, ON: eCampus Ontario. Licensed under CC BY NC 4.0.
Retrieved from
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/psychologycommons/chapte r/mental-health-care-of-deaf-people-chovaz-c-2-28-2022/ This resource is recreated with permission from the Canadian Psychological Association: Chovaz, C. (2017). Mental Health Care of Deaf People. Psynopsis, 39(3),
14-15. Accessed via: https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Psynopsis/summer2017/index.html

Chovaz, C. J., Russell, D., & Daly, B. (2022). Lived experiences of Deaf
Canadians: What we want you to know! Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne.
Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000313

Daly, B., & Chovaz, C. J. (2020). Secondary Traumatic Stress: Effects on the Professional Quality
of Life of Sign Language Interpreters. American Annals of the Deaf (Washington, D.C. 1886), 165(3), 353–367. https://doi.org/10.1353/aad.2020.0023

Chovaz, C., Rennison, V.L., & Chorostecki, D.O. (2019). The validity of the test of memory malingering (TOMM) with deaf individuals. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 35, 597 – 614,
https://www-tandfonline-com.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/doi/pdf/10.1080/1385
4046.2019.1696408?needAccess=true

Chovaz, C.J. & Plimmer, C. (2018). Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire –ASL version. Youth in Mind, http://www.sdqinfo.com/

Chovaz, C. (2017). Mental Health Care of Deaf People. Psynopsis, 39(2),
14-15.https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Psynopsis/2017/PsynopsisSummer2017 .pdf

Chovaz, C.J. (2013). Intersectionality: Mental Health Interpreters and Clinicians or Finding the “sweet spot” in therapy. International Journal on Mental Health and Deafness; 3(1), 4-11. http://www.ijmhd.org/index.php/ijmhd/article/view/23/21

Chovaz, C. J. (2013). Report of a deaf child with Tourette’s disorder. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 18(3), 360-369. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/ent014

5. Under Presentations and Invited Talks please delete and replace with:

2022 Mental Health and Deaf People: What Psychologists Need to Know. Zoom seminar presented to the London Health Sciences Centre Psychology Department. June 8, 2022.

2022 Mental Health and Deaf People. Zoom seminar presented as part of the CDEAF Webinar Series: Raising Deaf Kids 2021-22. February 10, 2022.

2022 Working with Deaf Patients. Zoom seminar presented to London Clinical Psychology Residency Consortium. January 19, 2022.

2021 Deaf Perspectives on Mental Health: An online discussion with four mental health professionals. Sponsored by Toronto Association of the Deaf.

2021 London Family Court Clinic Invited seminar as part of Addiction Services of Thames Valley (ADSTV) training on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Cultural Perspectives. Zoom seminar for staff on October 7, 2021.

2021 Mental Health Issues. Invited panelist for webinar hosted by Canadian Association of the Deaf, July 22, 2021.

2021 The role and research of CDEAF. Zoom workshop presented to Western University Sign Language Club, March 12, 2021.

2020 The Struggle is Real- Deaf Interpreters and Vicarious Trauma. Zoom workshop presented to Sign language Interpreting Associates Ottawa (SLIAO), November 17, 2020.

2020 The Struggle is Real-Interpreters and Vicarious Trauma. Zoom workshop presented to Sign language Interpreting Associates Ottawa (SLIAO), May 5, 2020.

2020 Mental Health Strategies for DeafBlind Adults during Covid. Zoom
Workshop presented to CNIB Deafblind Community Services, June, 2020.

2019 The Canadian Experience of Deaf Academics. Joint paper delivered by C. Chovaz, L. Campbell, & K. Snoddon. 9th International Deaf Academic Researcher Conference, Rejavik. Iceland. July 2019.

2018 Best Practices for Ensuring a Mental Health tool is Kid-Friendly. Paper presented with A. Core., American Deafness & Rehabilitation Association, Indianapolis, Indiana.

2018 Creating Community Engaged Learning Opportunities for Psychology Majors. Paper presented with Wendy Ellis. National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology, St. Pete Beach, Florida.

2018 Mini Mental State Exam: Translation and Clinical Use with Deaf Adults.
Paper presented with A. Core at the London Joint Mental Health Research
Day, London, Ontario

2017 Mental Health and Deaf People. Invited lecture to the Western Senior Alumni Program, London, Ontario. https://youtu.be/OrhykotEC4o

2017 Life Stories – Mental Health and Deafness. Invited Keynote presentation. Deaf Cultural Festival, Bergen, Norway.

2016 Mental Health and Deaf People – What are the Facts? Invited keynote presentation. 5th World Federation of the Deaf Asia Conference, Singapore.

2016 Mental Health and Deaf People. Invited keynote presentation. Inclusive Communities Summit, St. John’s, Newfoundland.

2015 Deaf People - Culture, Language, and Mental Health. Invited presentation to Family, Youth and Child Services of Muskoka, Bracebridge, Ontario.

2015 Mental Health of Deaf Children & Adults. Invited keynote presentation. XVII World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, Istanbul, Turkey.

2015 ASL Consultation on Wellness. Invited Keynote presentation.
Newfoundland Labrador Association of the Deaf, St. John’s, Newfoundland.

2015 Deaf Children and Mental Health. Invited keynote presentation. Canadian Association of Educators of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children. Vancouver, British Columbia.
2015 Mental Health and Deaf Children – Dancing in the Rain. Invited Keynote presentation. Canadian Association of Educators of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children – Manitoba Chapter. Winnipeg, Manitoba.

2015 Mental Health and Deaf Children. Invited Keynote presentation. Mental Health Conference, Deaf Manitoba Inc., Winnipeg, Manitoba.

2014 The Right to Language and Implications for Mental Health. Invited Plenary Presentation. 6th World Congress on Mental Health and Deafness, Belfast, Ireland.

2014 Mental Health - What do Intervenors need to know? One day workshop.
Emergency Intervenor Services Program, CNIB Deafblind Services, Toronto, Ontario.

2011 Deaf Children and Mental Health. Invited Colloquium speaker, Dept. of Psychology, Guelph University, Guelph, Ontario.