portrait
Dr Francis Lemay, Ph.D., psychologist, founder and director of Psychologie Déploiement

I have a doctorate in clinical psychology from Laval University (Ph.D., Research and intervention) which I have obtained in August of 2014, after 8 years of university training, 7 of which were spent volunteering or working part-time in various forms of jobs requiring helping relationships. I am a member of l’Ordre des psychologues du Québec (Quebec board of psychologists) and I specialize in the use of a contemporary form of cognitive and behavioral therapy (see Approach section) with adults and teenagers.

I have completed my doctoral thesis in a neurosciences laboratory, which has allowed me to study the biological bases of certain problem behaviors (such as anxiety, alcohol consumption and cognitive rigidity) in rodents.

Over the course of my training, I have developed an expertise in treating people with anxiety disorders and mood disorders (such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder), eating disorders, insomnia and personality disorders. I have worked at Laval University’s Service de consultation de l’École de psychologie, as well as the CHUL’s unit for the eating disordered (PITCA). I have completed a one-year internship at l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec (formerly known as Centre hospitalier Robert-Gifard), within the Mood disorders unit and the Sexual disorders unit.

I began work in a private practice in January of 2014, first under the supervision of Sophie Côté, Ph.D., psychologist (www.psymomentum.com). I have also worked at Clinique de psychologie de Neufchâtel (www.psychologieneufchatel.ca) and the Centre de psychologie Limoilou (www.psychologielimoilou.ca). I have been entirely autonomous in my practice since September of 2014.

I am an occasional lecturer at Laval University and have previously offered talks for various organisms (AFSCC, FFAPAMM, RIMAS, ACBS-Q) and in universities (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Laval University). I am a member of the Association for a contextual behavioral science (ACBS) as well as their French-speaking chapter (AFSCC), and have been seating on the Board of directors of their Quebec chapter (ACBS-Q) since 2014. I also am a founding member of the Canadian association for cognitive and behaviora therapy (CACBT).

In my clinical practice, I aim at using scientifically validated approaches, while also critically considering the importance of building high-quality relationships with the people who come to my office.

As the logo for Deployment Psychology, we have chosen the origami crane. Many reasons motivate that choice, just like that of the clinic’s name. In English, to deploy usually refers to the action of extending military units. However, the origins of the verb “to deploy” are found in the French verb “déployer”, which usually means extending or unfolding, as in the case of a bird unfolding its wings. A second meaning of the verb is to fully bring people, items or skills into action. We believe this term elegantly reflects the process of a quality psychotherapy: a person in therapy generally will “unfold” from their own difficulties, open up to the world around them and free themselves from their hardships in order to better use their own resources. This will allow them to focus their energies on their activities, projects, as well as on the things and people that matter most to them ; to give more meaning to their own lives.

As for our logo, first off, one of the main images that come to mind when one thinks of the verb “to deploy” (that is, its French meaning…), is the unfolding of wings, which one usually associates with a bird. The bird is known as a symbol of freedom, life and wellbeing, hence the choice of the crane. In China and Japan, the crane is a symbol of longevity, health and wisdom, which are states people usually which to attain when they invest their time and energy in a psychotherapy.

The origami may carry many meanings. One may see it as the necessity to look at oneself and work in order to succeed in solving one’s problems. In psychology, one may often say that “the devil is in the details”: that is also true of origami. One may also consider that although it is demanding, work in psychotherapy may, at times, be playful. The origami can also reflect the very real possibility of change. One can always unfold a piece of paper, flatten it and start anew in order to attain a new shape. Finally, sometimes, a trial-and-error process is necessary before the expected results are attained in therapy.