Dr. Janet de Groot

Dr. Janet de Groot, MD, FRCPC, Professor of Psychiatry, Oncology and Community Health Sciences at the Cumming School, University of Calgary, is a psychiatrist, researcher, and educator, with advanced training in psychotherapy and narrative medicine. Her continuous peer-reviewed funding includes Alberta Cancer Foundation (2020-2024) clinical grant funding and CIHR for Continuing Education grants.  Her national education awards include the Canadian Psychiatry Association Award for Most Outstanding Continuing Education Activity in Psychiatry in Canada (2008) and an Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada May Cohen award for Equity, Diversity and Gender (2014).

Dr. de Groot collaborates in incorporating digital storytelling, narrative medicine and forum theatre into both research and education.  In psychosocial oncology, Dr. de Groot is leading investigation of the therapeutic benefits of a novel psychotherapy and led implementation research of a psychotherapy for people with advanced cancer. She collaborates on medical education research to enhance Indigenous health, learner wellness and professional identify formation. In collaboration with an international team of researchers, the collective moral resilience concept will be investigated in relation to team functioning.  Clinically, she leads the Alberta Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) initiative for peer-supervision of multidisciplinary clinicians to provide CALM for people with advanced cancer and a family member. Dr. de Groot also provides psychotherapy supervision for graduate, postgraduate and undergraduate trainees.

Please find a listing of Dr. de Groot's publications on Google Scholar.

Dr. Kathleen Sitter

Dr. Kathleen Sitter is a Dorothy Killam Fellow and Canada Research Chair in Multisensory Storytelling in Research and Knowledge Translation. She is a Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University. Her transdisciplinary research advances novel sensory methodologies that centre lived experience and support whole person care to inform decision-making in healthcare and social practice. Dr. Sitter has led and collaborated on projects spanning digital storytelling, theatre, 4D installations, smellscapes, and tactile mapping. Her portfolio includes more than 500 creative and scholarly contributions, with over 200 invited and juried exhibitions. She is the director of the Multisensory Research Studio, where she leads projects focused on storytelling, accessible research design, and sensory-based knowledge sharing.

Dr. Andrea Feldstain

Dr. Feldstain is an adjunct Assistant Professor with the Division of Psychosocial Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. This early-career psychologist who takes on a number of roles within Psychosocial Oncology. She is primarily a scientist-practitioner with the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Rehabilitation at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre. Her clinical work focuses mainly on supporting patients, their loved ones, and interdisciplinary team members from hematology/stem-cell transplant tumour groups. She also has a special interest in palliative care, supporting those with advanced disease and/or complex psychosocial needs with any cancer diagnosis.

Dr. Feldstain is the Director of Clinical Training within the Department of Psychosocial Oncology, Tom Baker Cancer Centre. Clinical students under her mentorship develop strong skills in case conceptualization, application of clinical theory-driven intervention, and collaboration skills with interdisciplinary colleagues. Academic students she has mentored have used their work to bolster applications for grants, graduate studies, and medical school; presented at national and international conferences; and have successfully published manuscripts.

Dr. Feldstain’s research interests include program evaluation, interdisciplinary team integration, and psychosocial wellbeing for patients in palliative or end-of-life care. An area of particular interest is interdisciplinary collaboration, both clinically and academically. She works closely with her psychosocial and medical colleagues in hematology and stem cell transplant, clinical and academic colleagues in Psychosocial Oncology, and interdisciplinary colleagues in overall cancer care. She has been sought for her experience in interdisciplinary education, skill with complex patient needs, research leadership, and mentorship.

Selected Publications:

Lauren, B., Bultz, B., Sinnarajah, A., Abdul-Razzak, A., de Groot, J., … Feldstain, A. (July 14, 2020). Death, Taxes, and Health Disparities: Differences at end-of-life for women based on marital status [Conference session]. The 35th Annual Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology Conference, Virtual conference, Canada.

Robinson, M., Quereshi, M., Sinnarajah, A., Chary, C., de Groot, J., & Feldstain, A. (Sept 23, 2019). Psychosocial representation in Canadian Palliative Care [Conference session]. The 21st Annual Congress of the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS), Banff, Canada. doi: 10.1097/OR9.0000000000000010

Rutkowski, N., Lebel, S., Richardson, K., Mutsaers, B., Chasen, M., Feldstain, A. (2019). A little help from my friends: Social support in palliative rehabilitation. Current Oncology. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3747/co.25.4050

Feldstain, A., Bultz, B., de Groot, J., Abdul-Razzak, A., Herx, L., Galloway, L., … Sinnarajah, A. (2018). Outcomes from a Patient-Centered, Interprofessional, Palliative Consult Team in Oncology. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2018.7014

Feldstain, A., MacDonald, N., Bhargava, R., & Chasen, M. (2017). Reported distress in patients living with advanced cancer: Changes pre-post interdisciplinary palliative rehabilitation. Supportive Care in Cancer, 25(10), 3191–3197. doi: 10.1007/s00520-017-3728-2

Carly Waterhouse

Carly Waterhouse worked as part of the Psychosocial Oncology Division from 2016 to 2024. Since completing her undergraduate psychology degree at the University of Calgary in 2017, she helped to coordinate a number of psychosocial oncology projects, including a sexual health workshop for women diagnosed with cancer, an 8-week Mindfulness for Low Sexual Desire program for breast cancer survivors, and the LifeOnADT educational program for men undergoing prostate cancer treatment. She was fortunate to be a part of the CALM team as a project assistant and as a Master's Student, under the supervision of Dr. Janet de Groot and Dr. Jessica Simon. Carly completed her MSc in Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary in 2024. Her research interests pertain to the development, provision, and assessment of psychosocial interventions that support individuals and families as they navigate cancer diagnosis and treatment. Carly has now been accepted to the University of Lethbridge's Master of Counselling program, to begin in 2026.

Publications:

1. Sears, C., Strohschein, F., Patten, S., Feldstain, A., Simon, J., & de Groot, J. (2025). Exploring Patient-Related Contextual Factors and Personal Reflections About the Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) Intervention for Adults With Advanced Cancer in Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Southern Alberta: A Mixed Methods Study. Psycho-oncology, 34(1), e70067. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.70067
2. Brotto, L. A., Walker, L., Sears, C., Woo, S., Millman, R., & Zdaniuk, B. (2024). A randomized comparison of online mindfulness-based group sex therapy vs supportive group sex education to address sexual dysfunction in breast cancer survivors. The journal of sexual medicine, 21(5), 452–463. https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdae022
3. Walker, L. M., Sears, C. S., Wibowo, E., Robinson, J., Matthew, A., MacLeod, D., & Wassersug, R. (2024). A non-randomized comparison of online and in-person formats of the Canadian Androgen Deprivation Therapy Educational Program: Impacts on side effects, bother and self-efficacy. Current Oncology, 31(9):5040-5056. doi: 10.3390/curroncol31090373. IF: 2.8
4. Brotto, L., Zdaniuk, B., Woo, S., Millman, R., Sears, C.S, & Walker, L.M. (2024). A randomized comparison of online mindfulness-based group sex therapy versus supportive group sex education to address sexual dysfunction in breast cancer survivors. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 21(5):452-463. doi: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdae022. IF: 3.8
5. Sears, C. S., Millman, R., Brotto, L. A., & Walker, L. M. (2023). Feasibility and Acceptability of a Group-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder Following Breast Cancer Treatment. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 49(5), 533-549. doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2022.2154296. IF: 3.099
6. Sears, C. S., Santos-Iglesias, P., Millman, R., Jacox, N., Wiebe, E., & Walker, L. M. (2023). Implementation of individually tailored treatment plans in a group-based intervention for women with mixed vulvo-vaginal and sexual health concerns following cancer treatment: A feasibility study. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 63, 102236. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2022.102236. IF: 2.588
7. Walker, L. M., Sears, C. S., Booker, R., Doll, C., Glaze, S., Phan, T., Brennan, K., & Robinson, J. W. (2021). Perspectives of health care providers referring patients to a newly implemented sexual health program in a Canadian cancer centre. Supportive Care in Cancer, 29(12), 7131-7134. doi: 10.1007/s00520-021-06289-4. IF: 2.698
8. Walker, L. M., Sears, C. S., Booker, R., Doll, C., Glaze, S., Phan, T., Brennan, K., Millman, R. D., & Robinson, J. W. (2021). Development, implementation, and evaluation of a multidisciplinary oncology sexual health clinic in a Canadian cancer care setting. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 15(5), 755-766. doi: 10.1007/s11764-020-00967-8. IF: 3.303
9. Millman, R.D., Jacox, N., Sears, C., Robinson, J.W., Turner, J., & Walker, L.M. (2019). Patient Interest in the Lowdown on Down There: Attendance at a Vulvovaginal and Sexual Health Workshop Post-Cancer Treatment. Journal of Supportive Care in Cancer 28(8), 3889-3896. doi: 10.1007/s00520-019-05162-9. IF: 2.36
10. Sears, C. S., Robinson, J. W., & Walker, L. M. (2018). A comprehensive review of sexual health concerns after cancer treatment and the biopsychosocial treatment options available to female patients. European Journal of Cancer Care, 27(2). doi: 10.1111/ecc.1273.

Grace Liu

Grace Liu is a medical student at the University of Calgary with a background in biomedical sciences. As a recipient of the 2021 Dianne LaFlamme-McCauley Studentship Award during her undergraduate studies, she completed a summer project focused on qualitative analysis of stakeholder interviews as part of the CALM Implementation Study.