ARCAI Lab
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ARCAI Lab
@arcailab.bsky.social
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ARCAI Lab @arcailab.bsky.social · Sep 15
🌟 Welcome to the ARCAI Lab! 🌟

We’re the Advancing Research for Culturally Aligned Interventions (ARCAI) Lab, based in the Department of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

Want to learn more? ⬇️
psychlabs.torontomu.ca/arcai/
arcailab.bsky.social
🎓 Interested in Clinical Psychology at TMU? Dr. Thomas is reviewing applications for the 2026–2027 cycle!

More info: www.torontomu.ca/psychology/p...

#ClinicalPsychology #TMU #GradSchool
September 9, 2026 at 6:35 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
Meet Alexandra, our URO Summer Student 🎥

A 4th-year Psychology student at TMU, she hopes to pursue graduate studies and a career in clinical psychology. She’s passionate about Latin American perspectives in research and reducing mental health stigma.

#URO #Psychology
July 7, 2026 at 5:04 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
Meet our Lab Coordinator, Maya Zaidan ✨

Passionate about global mental health, trauma-informed care, implementation science, and social justice. Outside the lab, she enjoys traveling, arts and crafts, and spending time with family and friends.

#LabSpotlight #Psychology
July 3, 2026 at 5:01 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
Congratulations to our lab member Sofia on receiving the Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Award, 2026–27!

We’re proud of this well-deserved achievement and her contributions to the field 🎉

#Psychology #AcademicAchievement @torontomet.bsky.social
June 23, 2026 at 5:50 PM
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Congratulations to our lab member Katherine on receiving the 2026 Canadian Psychological Association Certificate of Academic Excellence!

We're proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of her academic and research achievements. 🎉👏

#Psychology #AcademicAchievement @torontomet.bsky.social
June 19, 2026 at 7:29 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
Introducing…Volunteer Spotlight 🎥! This week shines on…

Alysia Williams ✨

She’s interested in using cultural and intersectional lenses to study intergroup relations and social inequities. She also enjoys playing video games and baking!

#VolunteerSpotlight #Psychology @alysiarwilliams.bsky.social
May 15, 2026 at 5:01 PM
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Huge congrats to Ashley & Alysia on getting into grad school! 🎉

Ashley is heading to Western University for Clinical Psychology, and Alysia to Toronto Metropolitan University for Social Psychology ✨

@torontomet.bsky.social @alysiarwilliams.bsky.social

#GraduateSchool #Psychology
May 8, 2026 at 5:02 PM
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Wondering how to start your application to grad school in psychology?

Come get your questions answered at this free event hosted by the EDIJ Committee in the Department of Psychology at TMU!

🔗Register: forms.gle/XjHyFrSSdN2k...
April 14, 2026 at 9:21 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
Same paper from last week, but another interesting finding! There is limited literature on specialized care for refugee women.

Check out the link below to dive deeper.👇
doi.org/10.1007/s119...

#Psychology #ResearchFindings @torontomet.bsky.social
April 7, 2026 at 5:03 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
Another interesting finding! Most mental health programs for refugee women are short-term, but we don’t know if the benefits actually last.

Check out the link below to dive deeper.👇
doi.org/10.1007/s119...

#Psychology #ResearchFindings @torontomet.bsky.social
April 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
Kicking off a new series where we highlight one research finding from papers co-authored by our lab members. This is the first post in the series - curious to dive deeper?

Check out the link below!
doi.org/10.1016/j.ss...

#Psychology #ResearchFindings @torontomet.bsky.social
A large speech bubble contains a quote: “Explosive anger… is particularly relevant in post-conflict caregiving contexts… mothers… often described overwhelming irritability and emotional intensity in parenting.” (Thomas et al., 2025). An illustration of a mother reading to a child appears on the left, and a megaphone graphic emphasizes the message. A small label reads “Not unique to Sri Lanka.” A follow-up informational post titled “Why this matters?” from the ARCAI Lab. The text explains that in post-conflict settings, mothers may experience explosive anger in parenting due to long-term trauma, stress, and caregiving burdens. It emphasizes that these reactions reflect broader social and emotional impacts of conflict, not just individual problems, and calls for parenting and mental health supports to recognize anger as a lasting consequence. A small illustration of a person with a magnifying glass appears on the left, and a call-to-action at the bottom reads: “Want to learn more? Check out our paper!”
March 31, 2026 at 5:03 PM
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✨ Throwback to a proud moment at ARCAI Lab! Our grad students Ahmad, Katherine, Sofia & Mandy were recognized with major awards for their impactful, equity-focused mental health research. Grateful for their contributions and continued leadership!

@torontomet.bsky.social #Psychology #ProudMoment
The post features multiple award callouts with student headshots and names, including: Ahmad receiving the Canada Graduate Scholarship (Master’s CGS-M) and the Bridging Divides Master’s Stipend; Katherine receiving both the Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Award and an SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship; Mandy receiving an SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship; and Sofia receiving the Jackman Foundation Psychology Graduate Student Excellence Grant.
March 27, 2026 at 5:02 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
Following a brief pause for personal reasons, we are now resuming regular updates. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
A simple announcement graphic stating that regular updates will resume. The post invites readers to look out for upcoming content, including research highlights and findings, student spotlights, lab achievements and milestones, as well as opportunities and announcements.
March 24, 2026 at 5:02 PM
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Did you know? Cultural intelligence can significantly predict microaggressive tendencies—even after accounting for aggression and negative affectivity. Read more in a study co-authored by graduate student Ahmad Alftieh (ARCAI Lab) in collaboration with Dr. Monnica Williams and Dr. Muna Osman.
November 21, 2025 at 6:29 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
Did you know? In May, Katherine presented at the Association for Psychological Science (APS) conference in Washington, D.C., sharing findings from our lab’s project on perinatal mental health and parenting in Northern Sri Lanka, led by Dr. Fiona Thomas.
In May, Katherine attended the Association for Psychological Science (APS) conference in Washington, D.C. to participate in a symposium, titled "The Role of Psychological Science in Facilitating Post-War Recovery: Examples from Sri Lanka and their Implications". She spoke about findings from the lab's project on perinatal mental health and parenting in Northern Sri Lanka, led by Dr. Fiona Thomas. From left to right, Dr. Eranda Jayawickreme, Katherine McGuire Dr. Nuwan Jayawickreme, Amy McCaffrey.
November 11, 2025 at 6:02 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
In July 2025, Katherine presented preliminary results from her Master’s thesis at the ESTSS Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia 🇬🇪. Her poster, War and Motherhood, explored how conflict shapes parenting and maternal experiences in Northern Sri Lanka.

@estss.bsky.social @torontomet.bsky.social #Research
Katherine (in the photo) presented preliminary results from her Master’s thesis at the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia (June 2025). Her poster, titled War and Motherhood: Exploring the Effects of Conflict on Parenting in Northern Sri Lanka, examined how experiences of war and its aftermath shape parenting practices and maternal subjectivities.
October 31, 2025 at 5:05 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
Spotlight on David Diao’s URO project! His research explores South Asian client experiences in Ontario’s Structured Psychotherapy Program, highlighting key barriers and facilitators to engagement in the Brampton-Halton-Mississauga regions.
🔗 buff.ly/pQ1THdm

@torontomet.bsky.social #OSP #Research
October 28, 2025 at 6:54 PM
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Throwback publication alert! 📝 Our study explores therapists’ motivations to initiate Cognitive Processing Therapy in community settings — insights that still resonate today.
🔗 Article: doi.org/10.1016/j.ss...

Timely with the inaugural CPT Summit happening later this month! (link below ⬇️)
Inaugural CPT Summit
An online conference for the entire CPT community.
doi.org
October 24, 2025 at 5:05 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
New publication! 🇱🇰 From "villages to floating islands" explores maternal support and isolation in Northern Sri Lanka, building on Dr. Fiona Thomas’s PhD work.

Open-access in a Special Issue on culture & mental health, guest edited by Drs. Eranda & Nuwan Jayawickreme.
🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.ss...
October 21, 2025 at 5:04 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
On October 17th, as Katherine celebrates her graduation, we’re thrilled to share that she’s received the 2025 TMU Gold Medal for the Faculty of Arts—a remarkable recognition of her excellence and dedication! 💙🎓

@torontomet.bsky.social #ConvocationDay #GoldMedal #ProudMoment
October 17, 2025 at 5:13 PM
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Our Grad Student Spotlight 🎥 for this week shines on…

Katherine McGuire ✨

She studies women’s health, including motherhood in post-war Sri Lanka and childbirth-related trauma. She enjoys nature, thrifting, and exploring vegan food 🌱

#GradSpotlight #Psychology
October 14, 2025 at 5:05 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
A little belated, but worth celebrating 🎉 Our PI, Dr. Fiona Thomas, received two teaching awards: TMU’s 2025 New Faculty Teaching Award & CPA’s Early Career Excellence in Teaching Award in early Summer 2025! 🏆👏 Honouring her equity-focused, student-centred teaching.

@torontomet.bsky.social
This picture shows Dr. Thomas (on the right) and her faculty mentor and nominator, Dr. Stephanie Cassin (on the left)!
October 10, 2025 at 8:38 PM
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Our Grad Student Spotlight 🎥 for this week shines on…

Mandy (Yufei) Wu ✨

She researches how youths with precarious migrant status navigate life after high school and advocate for inclusion. She also shares her illustrations on @thedoodleman 🎨

#GradSpotlight #Psychology
October 7, 2025 at 5:03 PM
arcailab.bsky.social
Our Grad Student Spotlight 🎥 for this week shines on…

Ahmad Alftieh ✨

He studies mental health care barriers for racialized groups through an intersectional lens, is interested in neuropsychology and trauma, and enjoys the outdoors with his dogs 🐕 and strength training.

#GradSpotlight #Psychology
September 26, 2025 at 5:04 PM
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Our Grad Student Spotlight 🎥 for this week shines on...

Sofia Melendez Ron ✨

Their research improves mental health support for trans & nonbinary people, and they love dancing salsa caleña 💃

#GradSpotlight #Psychology
September 23, 2025 at 5:02 PM