Dr. Rachel Vella-Zarb

Dr. Vella-Zarb received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from York University in Toronto and completed her pre-doctoral residency at St. Joseph's Healthcare in Hamilton, Ontario. She specializes in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders (panic disorder, health anxiety, social anxiety, phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder), eating disorders, and OCD. She also has expertise working with people with related difficulties, including perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, and low self-esteem and she has a particular interest in working with women experiencing perinatal anxiety and/or depression. Dr. Vella-Zarb believes that therapy should be a collaborative experience between the client and therapist that is tailored to each individual's needs. She brings compassion, warmth, and a sense humour to her sessions, while providing practical, evidence-based strategies to help clients manage difficulties and make positive changes. In addition to working at Vancouver Island Psychological Services, Dr. Vella-Zarb works as a clinical instructor in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. She has conducted research in eating disorders and OCD. She has co-authored numerous publications in scientific journals and has presented her research at several national and international conferences. Dr. Vella-Zarb is registered to practice in the Province of British Columbia (#2192).