Dr. Aliza Friedman

Contact

416-979-5000, ext. 553232
aliza.friedman@ryerson.ca

Degree in Progress

PhD in Clinical Psychology

Degrees

MA in Clinical Psychology, Ryerson University

BSc (Honours) in Psychology, Queen’s University

Research Interests

Aliza’s research focuses on the effects of weight-based stigma and discrimination on disordered eating for individuals across the weight spectrum, as well as mechanisms that explain this relationship. Her Master’s thesis investigated the effects of various facets of weight-based stigma and discrimination on eating behaviours in both female undergraduate students and bariatric surgery patients. Her dissertation examined brief interventions that may reduce internalized weight-based stigma, as well as how these interventions can be utilized to improve outcomes for the treatment of disordered eating.

Clinical Interests

Aliza is interested in cognitive-behavioural and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of eating, mood, and anxiety disorders. She has completed clinical practicum placements at St. Michael’s Hospital Department of Family and Community Medicine (Clinical Psychology Training Clinic), the Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton, and the Eating Disorders Program at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton.  She also completed her pre-doctoral internship at St. Joseph’s Healthcare.  She has also provided telephone-based cognitive behavioural therapy to individuals who have undergone bariatric surgery at Toronto Western Hospital.

Research Support

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) – Master’s Award

Ontario Graduate Scholarship – Master’s Award

Ontario Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral Award

Selected Publications

  • Friedman, A. & Cassin, S. E. (2018).  Cognitive behavioural therapy for behavioural and lifestyle changes in severe obesity.  In S. E. Cassin, S. Sockalingam, and R. Hawa (Eds.), Psychological care in severe obesity: A practical approach (pp. 133-160). Cambridge University Press.
  • Mehak, A., Friedman, A., & Cassin, S. E. (2018). Body shame and appearance anxiety mediate the relationships between self-objectification, weight bias internalization and binge eating in young women. Body Image, 24, 111-115.  https://doi.org/1016/j.bodyim.2018.01.002
  • Atwood, M. E., Friedman, A., Meisner, B. A., & Cassin, S. E. (2018). The exchange of social support on bariatric surgery online discussion forums: A mixed-methods content analysis.  Health Communication, 33(5), 628-635. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2017.1289437
  • Cassin, S. E., & Friedman, A. (2017). Weight-based stigma and body image in severe obesity.  In S. Sockalingam & R. Hawa (Eds.), Psychiatric care in severe obesity: An interdisciplinary guide to integrated care (pp. 93-105).

Selected Conference Presentations

  • Friedman, A., Atwood, M., Cassin, S., Wnuk, S., & Sockalingam, S. (2016, June). Psychosocial care of bariatric surgery patients: Unique challenges and innovative treatment approaches. In F. Collardeau (Chair), Graduate student symposium: Psychologists in hospitals and health centres. Symposium presented at the meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Victoria, Canada.
  • Friedman, A., Cassin, S., & Choma, B. (2016, June). Mediators of the relationship between weight-based stigma/discrimination and binge eating in female undergraduates. Poster presented at the meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Victoria, Canada.
  • Friedman, A., Cassin, S., Choma, B., & Pilla, L. (2015, November). Disordered eating as a predictor of approval of surgical and non-surgical body alteration in female undergraduates. Poster presented at the meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Chicago, U.S.A.
  • Friedman, A., Cassin, S.E., Wnuk, S., & Sockalingham, S. (2015, April). Effects of weight stigma concerns, perceived discrimination, and weight bias internalization on disordered eating in bariatric surgery patients. Poster presented at the Canadian Obesity Summit, Toronto, ON.