Beaches Therapy Group

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Dr. Kesaan Kandasamy, C.Psych. (Supervised Practice)

Registered Psychologist

Credentials
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
  • Master of Arts (M.A.)
  • Bachelor of Sciences, Honours (B.Sc. Honours)
  • C.Psych. (Supervised Practice)
  • Registered with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario
Areas of Specialization
  • Brief Therapy
  • Solution Focused Therapy
  • Emotion Focused Therapy
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
  • Trauma Informed
  • Strength Based Approach
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Culturally Sensitive
  • Mindfulness Based Practices
  • Humanistic
  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
  • Exposure and Response Prevention
  • Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Compassion-focused Approach
  • Client Centred Therapy
  • Grief /Bereavement
  • Behavioural Activation
  • ADHD Coaching
Services Offered
  • Individual Therapy
  • Psychological Assessment
  • Neuropsychological Assessment
  • Cognitive / Memory Assessment
Let's Connect

Hi! I’m Kesaan

Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, baking olive bread, taking walks, watching scary movies, and spending time in nature, while trying (but inevitably failing) to not to get lost.

Loving yourself involves being loyal to yourself first and foremost.
— Uknown

I am a Registered Psychologist in supervised practice with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. I provide assessment and intervention services to adults and older adults in the areas of clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology. I work with clients who are seeking greater clarity, whether they are feeling stuck in patterns of anxiety, perfectionism, OCD, grief, low mood, insomnia, or stress, or are trying to better understand difficulties related to attention, learning, memory, or changes in cognitive functioning.

Therapeutic Approach & Philosophy

My style is warm, collaborative, and patient-centered. I try to create a therapy space where clients can slow things down and make sense of what they are experiencing, while also developing practical ways of responding differently. I draw primarily from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Emotion- Focused Therapy (EFT), tailoring my approach to the person sitting in front of me.

Broadly, I see therapeutic change as arising through a combination of insight and skill-building: helping clients understand what is shaping their distress and experiences, while also developing more effective ways of responding to it. I also have particular expertise in evidence-based treatment for insomnia, including CBT for insomnia (CBT-I).

Assessment & Training

I completed my Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Psychology at Concordia University and completed my graduate training at Toronto Metropolitan University, where I earned my M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

I provide adult psychological and neuropsychological assessment . I have advanced doctoral training in clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology, alongside years of experience across hospital settings, including St. Michael’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Humber River Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Baycrest Health Sciences, where I completed my residency.

These experiences have shaped my approach to complex assessment and formulation. I work with adults seeking diagnostic clarity around attention, learning, mood, anxiety, and cognitive concerns, as well as older adults who may be noticing changes in attention, memory, or day-to- day functioning and are seeking a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation.

Research & Publications

Alongside my clinical work, I have published peer-reviewed research in the areas of cognitive aging, neuropsychology, anxiety and related disorders, cultural and pandemic-related mental health, and cognitive control. My research has appeared in journals including Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition; Cognitive Neuropsychiatry; Psychology & Neuroscience; Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science; Psychology, Health & Medicine; Brain Sciences; and Annual Review of Developmental Psychology. I have presented my research findings in several international scientific conferences.

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

Kandasamy, K., & Yang, L. (2025). Cognitive control under distraction: A facilitation effect for older adults. Psychology & Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1037/pne0000363

McCabe-Bennett, H., Kandasamy, K., Carney, A. E., Lachman, R., Girard, T. A., & Antony, M. M. (2025). Investigating the neuropsychological features of hoarding disorder using a novel virtual reality paradigm. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 30(2), 104–126. https://doi.org/10.1080/13546805.2025.2502618

Carney, A., Kandasamy, K., Tsekova, V., Provost-Walker, O., Rowa, K., Elcock, A., McCabe, E. R., & Antony, M. M. (2025). Group cohesion in cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety and related disorders. Journal of Cognitive Research.

Yang, L., Kandasamy, K., & Hasher, L. (2022). Inhibitory control and creativity in aging: Does distractibility enhance creativity? Annual Reviews in Developmental Psychology, 50, 353-375. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-devpsych-121020-030705

Skrotzki, C., Stone, C., Kandasamy, K., & Yang, L. (2022). Event segmentation increases older adults’ reactive cognitive control bias. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 31(1), 187–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2022.2134548

Yang, L., Kandasamy, K., Wang, P., Zhang, W., & Na, L. (2022). Perceived and experienced discrimination and its associated psychological impacts among Chinese Canadians during the Wave 2 of the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 29(1), 108–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2022.2142947

Peer Reviewed Book Chapter

Kandasamy, K., Bolton, K., & Yang, L. (in press). Cross-cultural variations in emotions: The cognitive-emotion interaction in aging. In M. Yik (Ed.), Clinical Cultural Neuroscience: An Integrative Approach to Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology. Oxford University Press.

Culturally Responsive Care

As a visible minority, it is my core value to offer care that is both thorough and human, particularly for individuals who may have felt misaligned, unheard, or unseen in larger systems. I work with clients from diverse backgrounds, often from queer, neurodivergent, and racialized communities, and aim to create a space that feels respectful, collaborative, and attuned to the realities of navigating larger systems.

Next Steps

Whether we are meeting for therapy or assessment, my hope is that you leave with a stronger sense of understanding, direction, and next steps. I offer a free 30-minute consultation to explore whether working together feels like a good fit.