Vanessa Montemarano

Contact

416-979-5000, ext. 553232

vanessa.montemarano@ryerson.ca

Degree in Progress

PhD in Clinical Psychology

Degree                

MA in Clinical Psychology, Ryerson University

BSc (Honours) In Psychology, Queen’s University

Research Interests

Vanessa’s research interests include examining eating disorders across the weight spectrum and improving intervention efficacy for individuals with disordered eating. Her Master’s thesis examined the potential stigmatizing effects of a food addiction label among individuals who are overweight or obese. She also has a broader interest in the relationship between PTSD and disordered eating.

Clinical Interests

Vanessa is interested in cognitive-behavioural interventions for eating-related difficulties, including body image, eating disorders, and food addiction. She is a telephone-based cognitive behavioural therapist for individuals who have undergone bariatric surgery. Vanessa has also completed a clinical practicum placement at St. Michael’s Hospital Department of Family and Community Medicine (Clinical Psychology Training Clinic) and the Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton.  She will be completing a practicum placement at the Eating Disorders Program at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in 2021-2022.

Research Support

Ryerson Graduate Scholarship – Master’s Award

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

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) – Doctoral Award

Selected Publications

  • Montemarano, V. & Cassin, S. E. (2021). The effect of a food addiction explanatory model of eating behaviours on weight-based stigma: An experimental investigation.  Eating Behaviours, 41, 101507.
  • Cassin, S. E., Sijercic, I., & Montemarano, V. (2020). Psychosocial interventions for food addiction: A systematic review. Current Addiction Reports, 7, 9-19.
  • Montemarano, V., Troister, T., Lambert, C. E., & Holden, R. R. (2018). A four-year longitudinal study examining psychache and suicide ideation in elevated-risk undergraduates: A test of Shneidman’s model of suicidal behaviour. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 74(10), 1820-1832.
  • Mac Neil, B. A., Leung, P., & Montemarano, V. (2018). Exposure with response prevention (ERP) for body dissatisfaction in a group therapy format: An exploratory study. Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 23, 225-232.

Selected Conference Presentations

  • Montemarano, V., Sijercic, I., & Cassin, S. E. (2020, July 6 – August 28). There is a lack of empirically supported psychosocial interventions for food addiction: A systematic review. [Poster presentation]. 81st Canadian Psychological Association Annual National Convention, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. (https://eventmobi.com/cpa2020/)
  • Montemarano, V., Kua, K., & Cassin, S. E. (2019, November 15-16). The association between food addiction symptoms and externalized weight-based stigma [Poster presentation]. Ontario Psychological Association 72nd Annual Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada.
  • Montemarano, V., & Mac Neil, B. A. (2016, September). Preliminary study examining self-evaluation based on body image scale (SEBI): Areas of self-evaluation, validity, and reliability. The Bi-Annual Eating Disorders Association of Canada (EDAC) Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.