A Brief Biography - Dr. Laura Fazakas-DeHoog
Over the past 15 years, Dr. Laura Fazakas-DeHoog has been involved with the Suicide Survivor’s Program of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Her involvement includes facilitating the eight-week intensive Support/Healing Bereavement Group for individuals grieving the death of a loved one to suicide. Laura also has been actively involved in designing and evaluating the eight-week program and developing a facilitator’s manual for the program.
Dr. Laura Fazakas-DeHoog also has extensive experience working with clients who have experienced a traumatic loss, and has been actively involved in training other professionals to work with their own clients who have experienced traumatic, complicated or unresolved losses. Laura has received specialized training in counseling the dying and bereaved, having completed a certificate in Palliative Care and Thanatology, offered through the King’s College - Centre for Death Education.
Laura has received her Masters degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Western Ontario, with her graduate research focusing on spirituality and well-being in both within the generalized population and within specialized palliative care and bereavement populations.
Currently, Laura is a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Western Ontario, with doctoral research focusing on developing and validating a theory of suicidal behavior and the emotional and cognitive factors that contribute to suicidal thinking and behavior. Laura expects to complete her doctoral degree in the fall of 2007.
For the past several years, Laura has also taught Psychology courses at both the University of Western Ontario and King’s University College. Most recently Laura is also working as a Psychometrist in the Forensic Rehabilitation Unit and Outreach Team which is located at the St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital.
My Teaching Philosophy - Dr. Laura Fazakas-DeHoog
My passion for teaching psychology is deeply rooted in my own intrinsic love of learning, and my intrigue with the mind and behavior. As such, my primary goal in teaching is to share this fascination with my students.
My lectures are designed to be a blend of not only classical theory, but also cutting edge research in the field of psychology. I present the information using real life examples, case studies, and multimedia to engage the students on an intellectual level, as well as a deeper experiential level.
I have developed this instructional style with the broader goal of encouraging the students to “know” the material on a more meaningful level. At times, I also introduce controversial research and theory into my lectures to promote both critical thinking and ethical discussions. Despite the large class size, I endeavor to create a comfortable learning environment, in which students can openly explore a wide spectrum of human behavior.
It is my hope that my students will leave the course having not only mastered the course material, but also having a deeper understanding of themselves and others, and a continuing fascination with the human mind and behavior.
