Hello and welcome to my biography!
My name is Maria Bennaceur and I am a psychologist at Blake Psychology.

I was trained in psychology in Bordeaux, France, specializing in issues of dependency and addiction from a psychodynamic and psycho-sociological perspective. I then moved to Quebec to complete a master’s degree in Criminology at the University of Montreal, working on the topics of sexual assault and psychopathy. At the same time, I worked in a crisis center with people in a state of existential or suicidal crisis. These different experiences allowed me to develop flexibility around intercultural and interdisciplinary aspects in order to have a diverse understanding of the difficulties being experienced.

I then completed my training in psychology by doing an equivalency internship in the oncology, radiation oncology, and palliative care departments of the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM). I had to intervene around the diagnosis of cancer, its treatment, and remission, or the loss and mourning that it entailed.

Existential questioning, crisis management, and therapeutic tools to manage the disease and its impacts were the central points of my psychotherapeutic follow-ups. This experience allowed me to acquire a better experiential understanding of the issues surrounding illness, loss, and grief.

Once I obtained my license from the Ordre des Psychologues du Québec in 2018, I practiced within an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in which I was able to assess multiple difficulties related to the professional environment (burnout, depression, anxiety, workplace bullying, etc.) and intervene from different therapeutic perspectives. I was then able to acquire expertise in psychosocial risks experienced in the workplace that can impact mental health and their psychotherapeutic treatment.
This diversification of problems encountered during my career has allowed me to develop a range of skills that I hope will suit your needs.

The core of my approach is to work with you on the issues that you are facing in a non-judgmental, empathetic, and caring way. I use an integrative perspective, which means that I will rely on scientifically validated tools and techniques from various psychotherapeutic approaches in order to best meet your expectations while considering your individual needs.

I look forward to working with you on the journey of exploration that is psychotherapy!