Aaron Palachi

MA, Doctoral Associate

Aaron (he/him) is currently pursuing his PhD in Clinical Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). He received his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology at TMU and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from York University.

Aaron has provided clinical services at St. Michael’s Hospital and assessment services in a research setting working with the Clinical Addictions Research Equity Lab at TMU.

Aaron has experience working with adults of all ages from diverse cultural backgrounds, sexual and gender identities, and learning needs. He has assessed and treated individuals presenting with a wide range of concerns including OCD, anxiety (generalized, social, and agoraphobia), PTSD and complex trauma, depression, insomnia, addiction, and eating disorders. He has also treated concerns related to general worry, pessimism, life transition stress, gender-based stress, and avoidance using Exposure Therapy. 

Aaron has worked with individuals with a range of OCD concerns including obsessions and compulsions related to harm, vulnerability, relationships, and checking behaviours. He has also worked with individuals experiencing symptoms of body-focused behaviours such as excoriation disorder (i.e., skin picking) and body dysmorphia.

Aaron takes an integrative approach to providing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy by incorporating elements such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to match his clients’ needs. 

Aaron aims to build resilience and compassion among those he works with by taking a strengths-based, trauma-informed, and collaborative approach to therapy, believing that treatment should be tailored to the unique needs, goals, and values of each person. 

Aside from his clinical work, Aaron conducts research at both TMU and Sunnybrook Research Institute, broadly focused on equity-deserving and underserved groups. He has a particular interest in studying the impact of trauma in diverse groups including 2SLGBTQI+ individuals and Veterans, as well as mental health and barriers to prosocial transitioning in a forensic context. 

Aaron has several publications and has presented research on various topics at both national and international research conferences on a range of topics, with the goal of continuing his learning and sharing knowledge.

In his leisure time, Aaron enjoys cooking, music, and going on adventures with his dog.

Aaron Palachi’s practice includes the following services:

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Select Publications

Day, D. M., Luxor, O., & Palachi, A. (2024). (in-press). Personal similarity based on dog ownership and age and attribution of responsibility for a domestic violence incident: A test of the Defensive Attribution Theory. Current Research in Social Psychology.

Vieira, J. L., Snaychuck, L. A., Coelho, S. G., Thulin, M., Palachi, A., Sinclair, E. S. L. L., & Kim, H. S. (2024). Betting on uncertainty: A review of changes in gambling and substitute addictive behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Addiction Reports, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-024-00572-0

    Kirschbaum, A. L., Metheney, N., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Grace, D., Yakubovich, A. R., Cox, Palachi, A., J., Sang, J. M., O’Campo, P., & Hart, T. A. (2023). Syndemic factors and bidirectional intimate partner violence among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. LGBT Health, 10(S1), S89-S97, https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2023.0117

      Selected Presentations

      Palachi, A., Day, D., & Erentzen, C. (2024, March) Examining learned helplessness as a barrier to motivation to set prosocial goals after incarceration among incarcerated people [Poster presentation]. American Psychology-Law Society Conference, Los Angeles, California, USA.

        Walker, T., Ellis, J, & Palachi, A. (2024, May 25). Trauma-informed care: Practices & principles, Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster [Workshop]. Disaster Psychiatry Canada 7th Annual CME Training Course, virtual. 

          Palachi, A., Luxor, O., Day, D. (2023, June). Attributing blame in intimate partner violence vignettes based on self-identification with perpetrator [Poster presentation]. 84th Annual National Convention for the Canadian Psychological Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

            Kirschbaum, A. L., Metheney, N., Palachi, A., Apelian, H., Cox, J., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Lachowsky, N., … & Hart, T. A. (2022, April). Syndemic factors and bidirectional intimate partner violence among sexual minority men in Canada [Paper presentation]. Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, virtual