Get to know us
Sabrina Malouka
PhD Student, Clinical Psychology
she/her
Sabrina is a second-year PhD student studying clinical psychology student at York University. She is supervised by Dr. Natalie Michel.
Sabrina supports adults.
Training & Experience
Sabrina obtained her master’s degree in clinical psychology in 2025, and is currently completing her doctoral training in clinical psychology at York University. She has experience in both psychological assessment and evidence-based treatment across a range of clinical presentations, and has worked at the York University Psychology Clinic as well as at Sunnybrook’s Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre. Sabrina’s doctoral research focuses on humility and compassion and how these qualities relate to well-being. These values also shape her approach to clinical work, where she aims to create a compassionate, respectful, and collaborative space for each client.
Approach to Care
Sabrina’s goal is to provide you with a space where you know you’re safe to bring your entire self to the table, messy and ugly parts included and encouraged. Sabrina hopes to create a space where you can settle in, be yourself, and feel safe enough to try things that might feel a little uncomfortable. You can get things wrong, laugh at yourself, change your mind, and try again.
She hopes the therapy room can feel a little like a playground – a place where you can explore, experiment, take risks, and occasionally fall down knowing there will be soft ground to land on when things don’t go as planned. The goal is to create enough safety that you know you are loved and cared for exactly as you are, while still having the freedom to explore where you might want to go.
Sabrina genuinely believes that therapy is there for you, not vice versa. Your experiences, values, needs, and goals guide the work, while she works alongside you to help make sense of what may be keeping you stuck and explore new ways of moving forward.
Her clinical approach is integrative and personalized to each client. Depending on your unique concerns or goals, Sabrina may draw from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based approaches, and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT).
Client Goals & Concerns
Sabrina works with clients with a broad range of goals and concerns including:
- Anxiety (e.g., generalized anxiety, social anxiety, specific phobias, worry, and overthinking)
- Stress and burnout across different areas of life (e.g., work, relationships, caregiving, and other demands)
- Emotion dysregulation
- Intergenerational trauma
- Cultural identity
- Perfectionism and self-criticism
- Relationship anxiety and interpersonal concerns
- Communication and assertiveness
- Grief and loss
- Spirituality and meaning in life
- Insomnia
Therapy
Sabrina has training and experience in incorporating the following treatment approaches and strategies into her work with clients:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Mindfulness-based approaches
- Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)