Beyond Eligibility: ACE, Attachment and Alliance
| Saturday, May 3, 2025 |
| 10:45 AM - 11:30 AM |
| Grand Ballroom AB |
Speaker(s)
Speakers: Alex McPherson and Damian Rzeznikiewiz
Session Details
Objectives:
i. Identify how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in patients may contribute to attachment disorders and lead to negative health outcomes.
ii. Examine the literature on prevalence of ACEs and explore a method to inquire about them with patients.
iii. Distinguish between different attachment disorders and in what ways these can disrupt the patient-health care provider alliance.
Speaker
Psychiatry Alexandra McPherson
Alberta Health
Speaker
Biography
Dr. McPherson is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta and works at the Cross Cancer Institute. She is also a MAID assessor and provider.
Dr. Damian Rzeznikiewiz
Physician
UHN
Speaker
Biography
Dr. Damian Rzeznikiewiz is a Toronto-based family physician practicing primarily in the areas of substance use disorders and MAID since 2017, and as a CAMAP member he has been actively involved in delivering the Canadian MAID Curriculum and mentoring healthcare providers throughout Ontario, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and social workers, as part of an effort to build MAID-related capacities that better serve our communities.
At the core of his clinical and teaching philosophy, he focuses on actively listening, communicating effectively, and practicing cultural humility, recognizing and respecting the diverse backgrounds and perspectives that are so intrinsically fundamental to patient care.
At the core of his clinical and teaching philosophy, he focuses on actively listening, communicating effectively, and practicing cultural humility, recognizing and respecting the diverse backgrounds and perspectives that are so intrinsically fundamental to patient care.
