Chris MacKinnon Ph.D.

With degrees in history and psychology from McGill, Chris MacKinnon has been a practicing psychologist in Montreal for more than 16 years. He worked for almost a decade in palliative care at the McGill University Health Center before founding a group psychotherapy practice with a focus on loss and life transitions. He was on the executive committee of the International Congress on Palliative Care, a faculty member of both McGill’s Department of Oncology and Portland Institute for Loss and Transition in Oregon, and a specialist coach with the Canadian Foundation for Health Care Improvement. He pioneered, and continues to teach, a communication skills programs for palliative care fellows that was identified as a leading practice innovation by the College of Family Physicians. His written work has appeared in numerous professional journals, edited books, as well as online resources through the Canadian Virtual Hospice Learning Hub.

Nothing, not even enlightenment, puts an end to the trials of this life. No matter our level of understanding, no matter the depth of our experience, all the conditions of life will assail us: heat and cold, terror and joy, illness and sorrow. Our abiding task is to be simply and trustingly present to whatever comes. Paradoxically, the more fully present we are to our experiences, the less powerful will be their hold on us.

- Dr. Phil Simmons

Education

PhD Counselling Psychology, McGill University

MA Counselling Psychology, McGill University

BA English and History, McGill University

Undergraduate Psychology, Concordia University

Professional Experience

Executive Director / Founder - Monkland Psychology Inc.

Psychologist - McGill University Health Center Palliative Care Unit

Lecturer- Palliative Care McGill, McGill University Departments of Oncology and Family Medicine

Practicum Faculty - Portland Institute for Loss and Transition

Media Spokesperson

Organizational Work

Executive and Program Committees - International Congress on Palliative Care

Advisory Committee Member - Montreal Palliative Care Institute

Specialist Coach - Canadian Foundation for Health Care Improvement

Psychosocial Specialist, Writer, and Team Lead - Canadian Virtual Hospice

Clinical Supervisor - Quebec ALS Society, CIUSSS Ouest de l'Ile.

Full Member of the Réseau québécois de recherche en soins palliatifs et de fin de vie

Presentation

Workshops and talks for local, national, and international audiences for both the general public and professional audiences.

Publications

Dr. MacKinnon has published in numerous journals including Palliative Medicine, Death Studies, Omega, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Psycho-Oncology, the Counselling Psychologist, Rehabilitation and Community Care Medicine, the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, Critical Care Medicine, the Journal of Clinical Psychology, and the Journal of Counselling Psychology.

Dr. MacKinnon is also a regular contributor to Robert Neimeyer’s Techniques of Grief Therapy Series published by Routledge

Dr. MacKinnon’s complete CV is available upon request for review by Potentially partnering organizations.