Meet Our Clinicians

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Dr. Healey Gardiner is a registered clinical psychologist who provides comprehensive psychological assessment services for adolescents and adults in Thunder Bay and across Ontario. She holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and is registered with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO). Dr. Gardiner's work focuses exclusively on psychological testing and assessment, with a strong commitment to culturally responsive, LGBTQIA+ affirming care.

Dr. Gardiner completed her Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Lakehead University before relocating to Windsor, Ontario, where she completed both her Master's degree and PhD in Clinical Psychology, graduating in 2021. She completed her residency year at The Ottawa Hospital, gaining advanced training in psychological assessment and clinical work with complex presentations. A born-and-raised resident of Thunder Bay, Dr. Gardiner returned home following her residency year, later completing her supervised practice year while working virtually with two Southern Ontario clinics: The Centre for Psychology and Emotion Regulation and The Firestone CBT Clinic. She has since transitioned back to in-person work in Thunder Bay.

Throughout her training and career, Dr. Gardiner has developed significant expertise in psychological assessment with adolescents and adults who present with complex and overlapping concerns. Her assessment experience includes autism, ADHD, trauma, emotion regulation difficulties, personality disorders, depression, anxiety, and co-occurring conditions. She has extensive experience working with clients from diverse backgrounds, including individuals who are neurodivergent, gender-diverse, sexually diverse, and culturally diverse. Dr. Gardiner is particularly passionate about helping clients better understand their patterns, strengths, and needs through thoughtful, individualised assessment.

At Affirming Thunder Bay, Dr. Gardiner provides a range of psychological assessments designed to support diagnostic clarity, self-understanding, and informed next steps for care. Her approach to assessment is collaborative, respectful, and affirming, with particular attention to providing LGBTQIA+ affirming psychological assessments. She understands that assessment can feel vulnerable or intimidating, and she prioritises helping clients feel safe, seen, and understood throughout the process.

Dr. Gardiner is a member in good standing with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her dog Koga, being outdoors, and connecting with friends and family. Returning to Thunder Bay has been a meaningful full-circle moment in her career, and she is proud to offer high-quality psychological assessment services to the community she calls home.

Dr. Katherine (Katie) Moore provides psychotherapy and psychological assessment services for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families across Ontario. She holds a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree in Applied Clinical Psychology and is registered with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO). Dr. Moore has also been licensed as a psychologist in California since 2021.

A significant focus of Dr. Moore's work involves supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, families, and parents. She works with clients navigating gender identity, sexual orientation, coming out, relationship concerns, self-esteem, family dynamics, religious trauma, and the effects of stigma, discrimination, and shame. She has extensive experience working with transgender, non-binary, gender-diverse, and sexually diverse individuals, and is passionate about helping clients build lives that feel authentic, connected, and aligned with their values.

Dr. Moore also works extensively with neurodivergent children, adolescents, and adults, including individuals with ADHD and autism. Many of her clients are exploring the intersection of neurodivergence, identity, relationships, trauma, and belonging. Her approach emphasises self-understanding, self-acceptance, and practical strategies that honour each person's unique strengths, needs, and ways of experiencing the world.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Moore has provided training and consultation to clinicians, schools, healthcare providers, and community organisations on 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming care and inclusive mental health practices. She is passionate about helping create environments where people of all identities feel understood, respected, and supported.

Dr. Moore's therapeutic approach is collaborative, person-centred, and trauma-informed. She has formal training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT), and integrates evidence-based approaches with a strong belief that meaningful therapy begins with a safe, affirming, and authentic therapeutic relationship.

While Dr. Moore's practice focuses primarily on psychotherapy, she also provides psychological assessments for children, adolescents, and adults, including assessments related to ADHD, autism, and diagnostic clarification. She offers both virtual and in-person services and works with clients who are comfortable incorporating both formats into their care.

Outside of work, Dr. Moore enjoys travelling, exploring new places, and spending time with her wife and kiddo.

Dr. Erika Puiras is a clinical psychologist in supervised practice who is pursuing lifespan competency. She holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and is registered for supervised practice as a member in good standing with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts

of Ontario (CPBAO).

Dr. Puiras was raised in the Maritimes before she moved to Thunder Bay to pursue higher education. She subsequently fell in love with the northern lifestyle and ultimately completed her Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology (2019), her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology (2021), and her PhD in Clinical Psychology (2025), all at Lakehead University. As part of her doctoral training, Dr. Puiras also completed a year-long residency through the Northwestern Ontario Residency Psychology Internship Consortium (NORPIC). She graduated in 2025 and has since continued working in Thunder Bay in the context of her supervised practice year. When she is not working, she loves spending time in the northern Ontario wilderness by hiking, kayaking, and camping. She is also an avid gardener and animal lover.

In light of the recent, devastating wildfires that have struck northwestern Ontario in the summer of 2026, Dr. Puiras is offering pro bono therapy services to adolescent and adult clients through Affirming Mental Health Services. Dr. Puiras practices therapy using an integrated approach. She

has formal training and/or clinical experience in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She brings a strong commitment to culturally responsive, LGBTQIA+ affirming care, and she strives to practice with a strengths-based perspective and

from a place of cultural humility. Pro bono individual therapy services with Dr. Puiras are currently being offered in a short-term capacity, as a way to give back to a community that has grown to be her beloved home.