We welcomed Marc Simpson to the Southdown team in May 2019 in the position of Psychotherapist. Marc holds a Master of Social Work from Laurentian University and is a Registered Social Worker in the Province of Ontario. Marc’s extensive training and clinical experience in the areas of addiction and concurrent disorders, trauma and mental health concerns, CBT and DBT protocols, and Narrative Therapy greatly assists our mission to provide Healthy Ministers for a Healthy Church.

Eran Talitman is a licensed psychologist in the province of Ontario. He has been working at the Southdown Institute since 1998 and is currently the Clinical Team Leader. He provides assessment and psychotherapy services to religious and clergy as well as consultation services to leadership. Eran has offered seminars and workshops on Intimacy, Healthy Sexuality, Effective Leadership, Responding to the Call to Healthy Priesthood, Navigating Personality Styles and Disorders, Resilience, Conflict Management, Keeping Our Soul Alive, and Developing Healthy Ministerial Boundaries.

Michael Sy has been with The Southdown Institute since 1987 and he currently is the Religious and Clergy Outpatient Services Team Leader. Michael obtained his doctorate from Fordham University in New York City, NY. He is licensed to practice in the Province of Ontario and the State of Massachusetts and is registered in both the Canadian and American Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Dr. Sy’s primary focus is in assessment, clinical neuropsychology, cross-cultural differences and cognitive behavioural therapy. He assists religious communities and dioceses with interventions, crisis management and personnel issues. Michael provided assistance in establishing assessment and outpatient services in Philippines and United States. In addition to English, Michael speaks several languages including Filipino (Tagalog), Mandarin and Fukienese.

Carol Cavaliere is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at York University in Toronto. She has been a member of the clinical team at the Southdown Institute since 2015. In addition to providing psychological services to individuals with various mental health concerns, Carol also has training in the areas of forensic assessment and treatment. Her interests include emotion regulation, psychosexual development and wellness, and intimacy and interpersonal relationships.

Rev. Innocent Okozi, PhD joined Southdown in April 2020 as a member of the Clinical Team. He graduated from Seton Hall University in 2010 with his PhD in Counselling Psychology and has taught there as an adjunct faculty. Rev. Okozi has ministered in both missionary and pastoral settings as well as with a diverse population in Africa and the United States. He is an active member of the American Psychological Association (APA), where he has served on various committees, as well as in some APA Divisions, especially Division 36 (Society for the Psychology of Religious and Spirituality). He is fluent in English and French. Fr. Okozi has been involved in psychological research as well as clinical psychology,

Rev. Francois Diouf, OSB, PhD. joined Southdown in October 2020 as a member of our clinical team. He has served as a Benedictine monk and priest for the past eleven years. Rev. Francois ministered for several years with the novitiate formation team and accompanied novices and junior monks in three areas: human development, theology, and monastic spirituality. As a doctoral student in psychology, Rev. Francois’ area of interest is the importance of cultural factors in clinical work. His approach to psychotherapy is based on the recognition and understanding of the cultural uniqueness of each individual. He utilizes an integrative approach of Existential-Humanistic Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy. Rev. Francois offers psychotherapy in his native French, in addition to English.  

Dorothy Heiderscheit is a member of the Franciscan Sisters, Dubuque, Iowa. Dorothy holds her Masters in Social Work from Tulane University, New Orleans, LA and a BSN from Marycrest College in Davenport, IA. She is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) in the USA, licensed as an Independent Social Worker (LISW) in Iowa, and as a Registered Social Worker (RSW) in Ontario, Canada. Previous ministry experiences include the Office of Family Ministry with Catholic Charities of Jackson, MS, Board membership and chairman for the State Board of Mental Health of Mississippi, Clinical Practice for Religious and Clergy in the Tri-State area of Dubuque, IA, and eight years as Congregational President with the Dubuque Franciscans. Sr. Dorothy has served Southdown as Chief Executive Officer as well as Continuing Care Coordinator.

Febe is a Spiritual Director and a member of Southdown’s clinical team since 2007. She was trained as a Spiritual Director at the Institute for Spiritual Leadership in Chicago. She holds a Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of the Philippines where she worked as a counsellor for over twenty years. Her interest in Spiritual Direction stems from the interplay between spirituality and psychology. Febe has been a member of the Teresian Association since 1981.

Susan Morrison is a graduate of Wellesley School of Nursing in Toronto. Her experience includes the areas of medicine, surgery, nephrology, family health care, gerontology, infection control and foot care. Susan joined the Nursing Team at Southdown in 2009. In addition to her involvement in the assessment and medical treatment of the residents at Southdown, she is certified for Advanced and Diabetic Foot Care. Susan provides foot care to the residents as needed as part of Southdown’s integrated, holistic approach to mental health.

Amy Torch has been at Southdown since 2011 assisting residents with healthy eating and providing individual and group nutrition education classes. She also liaisons with the food service department and nursing to ensure that nutritionally adequate and appropriate meals and snacks are provided. Amy is dynamic and personable and thrives on empowering people through her experience and education to help set realistic goals to succeed. She is a Registered Dietitian who has been practicing clinical nutrition since 2000, focusing on weight management, diabetes education, heart healthy eating, metabolic disorders, women's health and mindfulness. Amy graduated from Ryerson University with a BASc in Food and Nutrition, followed by an Accredited Internship in Clinical Nutrition at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. She then achieved certificates as a Certified Diabetes Educator along with a Craving Change Educator. Amy is registered with the College of Dietitians of Ontario and Dietitians of Canada. Amy brings her many years of experience of nutrition counseling through working in an outpatient Adult Diabetes Education Clinic and running her own Consulting Dietetics Private Practice.