ITHP founder, owner, director, and practitioner: Dr. Kamala Pilgrim, Clinical psychologist (C. Psych., Ontario license: #6258). Certified Yoga teacher (CYT from Canadian and Indian alliances). The latter training has involved study of specific 8-limb (Ashtanga) traditions which I began in 1999 primarily at:

Self-Realization Fellowship (Began 1999, Kriyaban since 2006; ongoing)

Gitananda Yoga (Ongoing since 2019)

Infinity Yoga (Now closed, training completed between 2015 and 2016)

Superheroine nickname: Gypsy Lotus

Education and training: Doctorate in clinical psychology, Concordia (awarded SSHRC scholarship), Masters of neuroscience, McGill (granted an NSERC fellowship), Bachelor of arts in honours psychology, Concordia (dean’s list), Advanced yoga instructor certification, Infinity - Atlanta, United States and Ananda ashram - Pondicherry, India.

Ever since I was very little, I think because I was exposed to components of yoga quite young (around age 12), I have been fascinated by the mind-body link. I guess it’s not too surprising then, that when given a chance to choose a doctoral topic all my own in graduate school, I decided to investigate the impact that an attentional training task I modified and designed to help people focus and process very rapidly presented pleasant or neutral social cues, more than threatening ones, would specifically have on physiological markers of stress reactivity (cortisol and salivary alpha amylase - an indicator of norepinephrine and epinephrine levels). At the same time I continued to study and practice under various yoga teachers, primarily the ones mentioned above, to better understand this topic (i.e., the power of mind over body and vice versa) from a more experiential perspective (i.e., not only intellectually but also via lived, conscious, and intentional embodiment of similar principles). In my clinical work, I hope to help people discover their own inherent power.

Primary psychotherapy approaches conducted: Contemplative, somatically-oriented/Yoga-reinforced*, cognitive behavioural, acceptance and commitment-based, compassion-focused, prolonged exposure, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapies. I am also proud to be a Non-insured health benefits for First Nations and Inuit (NIHB) provider and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) too.

Languages: English (Mother-tongue), French (Bilingual proficiency). Note - Since all of my post-graduate educational and clinical training has only been in English, I exclusively do my work with clients, in English.

Personal passions: Yoga, physical fitness: long-distance running primarily, and also, aerobics, biking, swimming, studying nutrition and health (vegetarian for 20+ years as this works well for me), dance, singing, music (I tinker on both guitar and piano), creative arts (reading and writing poetry, painting, design), travel.

Little facts about me: I took vocals, dance and acting lessons, was a part of several small shows for years, and used to sing in a folk band as well as a Kirtan (spiritual chanting) group, both of which performed at different venues around Montréal, Quebec and Atlanta, Georgia.

* = Decided as always, in conversation with specific clients following thorough evaluation and only when empirically-validated by the scientific literature.