PAIN PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM - MCGILL UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTRE & ALAN EDWARDS PAIN MANAGEMENT UNIT
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Pain Psychology Internship Program
McGill University Health Centre &
Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit
The Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit is located at the Montreal General Hospital. We apply
a multidisciplinary approach to chronic pain management and our team is composed of
specialized pain management health professionals including medicine (anesthesiology,
psychiatry, neurology, gynecology, rheumatology, family medicine, physiatry, dentistry),
psychology, physiotherapy, nursing, and social work. Our mission is to relieve pain, improve
patients’ quality of life, and train other health professionals in chronic pain management.
Living with chronic pain may results in significant psychological consequences, which in turn
influences pain intensity and the efficacy of interventions. Psychological comorbidities are also
often present prior to pain onset as they are a risk factor for chronic pain development.
Psychological treatments are therefore an extremely important part of multidisciplinary pain
management. Many patients referred to the unit require psychological assessment and/or
intervention in addition to their medical and physical treatment. The psychology team completes
approximately 2500 consultations per year.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
For many patients, a psychological assessment is required to facilitate multidisciplinary care.
Following this assessment, a treatment plan is established and may address adaptation to chronic
pain, or any other psychological challenge linked to pain, such as major depression, anxiety, post-
traumatic stress disorder, anger and stress management, among others. At times, the psychology
team is also solicited to evaluate whether a patient is an appropriate candidate for a medical
intervention.
We favor an integrative approach utilizing CBT, ACT, mindfulness, positive psychology,
interpersonal psychotherapy, and other evidenced-based approaches. Psychological services
include individual therapy, group therapy, or referral to additional psychological service outside
the unit. Our mission is to adapt our psychological interventions to our patients while considering
their pain and psychological distress.
INDIVIDUAL SUPERVISION
Every psychology trainee will receive supervision from at least two supervisors, allowing the
trainee to be exposed to various working models and approaches in order to expand their clinical
skills. Ultimately, our supervisors aim to help students gain confidence in developing their own
clinical style.
Individual supervision happens weekly. Each supervisor reserves time in her schedule for
structured supervision with her student. The OPQ requires 20 minutes of supervision per patient
for psychology trainees. There are also numerous opportunities for informal supervision, e.g.
after a new patient interview, during multidisciplinary rounds, and/or whenever the student may
need extra guidance. We have an open-door policy whereby trainees are invited to consult their
supervisor any time they encounter difficulties or would benefit from a clinical discussion. If the
student’s supervisor is not available, another supervisor will step in.
SUPERVISION TEAM
Christina Gentile, PhD, Psychologist
Christina Gentile is a clinical psychologist specializing in health concerns
including chronic pain, oncology, and cardiovascular issues. She completed
her doctoral internship at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit in 2017
and joined the team as a staff psychologist in 2018. In 2021, she committed
to a full-time position at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit and took on
the role of Team Leader of both psychological services and training. She has
also worked at Constance-Lethbridge rehabilitation center in the low back pain
program and for the psychosocial oncology program of the MUHC. She is
guest lecturer at McGill teaching medical students about psychosocial factors
in chronic pain. She generally employs an integrative approach adapted to the needs of the
patient that incorporates ACT, CBT, mindfulness, interpersonal psychotherapy, and motivational
interviewing.
Gabrielle Pagé, PhD, Psychologue
Gabrielle Pagé a complété sa maîtrise et son doctorat en psychologie clinique à
l'Université York, Toronto. Elle a complété son internat en psychologie clinique
au Queen Elizabeth Health Sciences Center à Halifax, Nouvelle-Écosse. Elle a
reçu une formation théorique et acquis de l'expérience clinique avec l'approche
humaniste, thérapie centrée sur les émotions, thérapie cognitivo-
comportementale et l'approche brève orientée vers les solutions. Elle s'est jointe
à l'Unité de gestion de douleur Alan Edwards en 2015. Elle est aussi professeure
sous octroi adjointe au Département d’anesthésiologie et médecine de la douleur
et au Département de psychologie de l’Université de Montréal sous octroi adjointe au
Département d’anesthésiologie et médecine de la douleur et au Département de psychologie de
l’Université de Montréal.
Myriam Pâquet, PhD, Psychologue
Myriam Pâquet a complété son doctorat en psychologie clinique de l’Université
de Montréal en 2019. Elle a ensuite complété un stage postdoctoral à l’Université
de la Colombie-Britannique. Elle pratique la psychothérapie selon une approche
intégrative, inspirée des thérapies cognitivo-comportementale et des
interventions basées sur la pleine conscience, ce qui permet de s’adapter selon
la problématique amenée, mais aussi basée sur les données probantes et selon
les préférences et besoins de chaque personne. Elle s’est jointe à l’Unité de
gestion de la douleur Alan Edwards en 2021.ADDITIONAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES Psychology trainees are expected to participate in educational activities at the pain unit. Psychology Rounds typically take place on Wednesday afternoons. Topics related to pain and psychotherapy are presented and discussed as a team. Trainees will also have the opportunity to present cases and receive feedback. Multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Rounds take place twice a week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at noon. The objective of these rounds is to discuss complex clinical situations, therapeutic successes, and to share knowledge. The Melzack Lecture Series occur regularly on Wednesdays at 4:00pm, addressing more general topics in chronic pain including advances in research. The McGill University Health Centre is a teaching hospital that educates pain specialists from all over the world. Psychology trainees can expect to share knowledge and learn from medical students, residents, and fellows. APPLYING FOR THE PAIN PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The deadline to submit your application is: Thursday, December 9th, 2021. Please submit the following documents in PDF: 1. Letter of Intent should include a brief description of your clinical and research experience as well as your interest in working with patients experiencing chronic pain. Please also indicate if you are applying for an internship or practicum, the start and end date, the number of hours required, and the number of days per week you wish to be at the unit. 2. CV 3. Two (2) letters of recommendation To both: Christina Gentile, PhD Psychologist Team Lead – Psychological Services and Training Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit christina.gentile@muhc.mcgill.ca Rebecca Binik Program Administrator Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit rebecca.binik@mcgill.ca
BILINGUALISM IS REQUIRED We require that you be able to conduct assessments and psychotherapy in both English and French. However, psychological reports and notes can be written in either English or French. OTHER REQUIREMENTS We require that trainees be available for a minimum of 2 days per week The schedule is from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm All trainees must be present on Wednesdays from noon to 5 pm
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