Congratulations to Abigail Yuen for co-authoring an IAFMHS paper and being accepted into an MA Counselling Psychology!
WHO: Abigail graduated from The University of British Columbia in 2021 with a BA (Honours) in Psychology. She completed two honours theses and a directed study during her time at UBC. Abigail joined our team in 2021 and was involved in a variety of projects, including a qualitative study examining experiences, attitudes, and opinions about seclusion policies and practices at FPH. Given the detrimental effects of seclusion on patients and staff, it is imperative that research evaluates current practices and provides insight into policy changes to ensure its use is restricted in frequency and duration. Abigail has also worked alongside clinicians at FPH for a research challenge involving attachment styles and burnout among staff, and how attachment styles can affect patient-staff relationships in a clinical setting.
Outside of work, Abigail’s hobbies include hiking scenic trails and she is an accomplished singer. She sang with the Vancouver Youth Choir and mentored youth for many years. Abby is missed for her never-ending cheerful demeanour and her exceptional attention to detail. She can be counted on to lean in to offer help; she is reliable and conscientious. I have complete confidence she will be a considerable asset to the mental health field, providing compassionate and effective care to non-WEIRD populations (i.e., Western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic; BTW – don’t you just love the acronym!).
WHY: Abigail is a co-author on a paper which was presented at the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services (IAFMHS) 2024 conference. The paper, titled “BC FPH SECLUSION CONSIDERATIONS – PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF SECLUSION AMONG FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS”, was presented as part of a symposium on seclusion policies and practices at the BC Forensic Psychiatric Hospital.
Abigail has also recently been accepted into Adler University’s Counselling Psychology MA program. She aims to continue her research on attachment styles, especially by using qualitative methodology to capture attachment trauma in non-WEIRD populations. As a Chinese-Canadian, Abigail is especially interested in how cultural competence in counselling affects the therapeutic alliance among non-white clients and their counsellors.
Congratulations, Abigail!