Dr. Ainslie Heasman, C.Psych
Title
Owner & Director, Clinical & Forensic Psychologist
Assessments
Currently booking Risk Assessments (18 years+)
Therapy
Not currently accepting Therapy clients.
Bio
Dr. Heasman specializes in conducting risk assessments for adults involved in the criminal justice system or child protection services. Her primary focus is evaluating the risk of sexual re-offending or engaging in sexually inappropriate behaviour.
With nearly 20 years of experience, Dr. Heasman has extensive expertise in the assessment and treatment of individuals connected to the criminal justice for sexual offences. She completed her graduate training at Alliant International University in California and subsequently worked for seven years at the Ontario Correctional Institute (OCI), a therapeutic correctional facility for adult men. Currently, she serves on the staff of the Sexual Behaviours Clinic at the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH). Dr. Heasman is also a co-founder and current leader of Talking for Change, Canada’s first federally funded program focused on preventing child sexual abuse perpetration. Her research focus is on clinician decision-making and mandatory reporting in cases involving individuals with sexual interest in pre-pubescent or pubescent children.
Dr. Heasman is a registered member of the Ontario Psychological Association, the Canadian Psychological Association, and the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (ATSA). She currently serves as President of ATSA’s Board of Directors. She is registered for autonomous practice with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and the College of Alberta Psychologists and provides virtual services to individuals in Quebec and Nova Scotia.
Additionally, Dr. Heasman is registered with Medavie Blue Cross.
Select Publications
Stephens, S., McPhail, I.V., Heasman, A., & Gerritsen, C. (2023). Examining psychologically meaningful risk factors for detected sexual offending in a community sample of individuals with and without sexual interest in children. Journal of Sexual Aggression. Advance online publication.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13552600.2023.2192241
Stephens, S., McPhail, I. V., Heasman, A., & Moss, S. (2021). Mandatory reporting and clinician decision-making when a client discloses sexual interest in children. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Sciences / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement, 53(3), 263-273.
https://doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000247
Heasman, A., & Foreman, T. (2019) Bioethical issues and secondary prevention for non-
offending individuals with pedophilia. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 28(2), 264- 275.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0963180119000094
McPhail, I.V., Stephens, S., & Heasman, A. (2018). Legal and ethical issues in treating clients with pedohebephilic interests. Canadian Psychology, 59(4), 369-381. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000157
Select Media/Interviews
CBC Ideas - Child Sexual Abuse Prevention: How Best to Protect Kids, Sept 23, 2024
The Conversation, February 8, 2023
Quick Takes, April 13, 2022 (podcast)
CPSO Dialogue, December 2021
https://dialogue.cpso.on.ca/articles/preventing-child-sexual-abuse