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OCD psychologist therapist BC

About

All services are provided by Dr. Robert Selles, a Registered Psychologist in the province of British Columbia (#2352).

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As a settler in the city of Vancouver, Dr. Selles acknowledges that he occupies traditional and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.

Knowledge & Expertise

Compassion & Connection

Dr. Selles received his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of South Florida and completed residency at Brown University. Following this, he worked at UBC/BC Children's Provincial OCD Program and provided services privately via Cornerstone Child and Family Psychology Clinic, before starting HeadQuarters Mental Health in 2021.

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Training and collaborating with leaders in the field and working across outpatient, intensive, and inpatient settings, Dr. Selles have extensive clinical experience in the assessment and treatment of psychological disorders and is an expert in the areas of OCD and anxiety disorders.

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Dr. Selles has published over 40 peer-reviewed scientific articles regarding these conditions, their impacts, and optimal approaches to treatment. These contributions have been cited over 1500x.

As a therapist, Dr. Selles values building collaborative relationships with clients that help them feel supported and empowered. Dr. Selles listens deeply without judgment and provides an engaging space for developing greater self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-confidence.

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Using scientifically supported approaches, Dr. Selles believes deeply in the skills and strategies he provides in therapy and is passionate about tailoring his approach to fit the unique experiences, interests and challenges of each individual.

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Dr. Selles also thinks beyond illness and seeks to help people develop ways of living that enhance their quality of life. For himself, Dr. Selles values time with loved ones and is passionate about recreation, exploration, creative expression, and the environment. He enjoys making music, hiking, photography, cycling, and learning new skills, in his free time.

In addition to this practice, Dr. Selles serves as a scientific advisory committee member for Anxiety Canada and a clinical instructor in the Psychiatry Department at the University of British Columbia. He also engages in environmental advocacy with the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and has served as faculty for the International OCD Foundation's Behavior Therapy Training Institute.

Select Recent Activities

Publications:

  1. Co-Author: Exploring latent clusters in pediatric OCD based on symptoms, severity, age, gender, and comorbidity. 2024, European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

  2. Co-Author: Parent management training augmentation to address coercive and disruptive behavior in cognitive-behavioral therapy for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. 2023, Child Psychiatry & Human Development.

  3. Lead Author: Challenges of insight assessment in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: Initial results and clinical considerations from a measure development study. 2023, Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders.

  4. Co-Author: Age-specific determinants of psychiatric outcomes after the first COVID-19 wave: Baseline findings from a Canadian online cohort study. 2023, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health.

  5. Co-Author: FAST CBT for Paediatric OCD: A multiple-baseline controlled pilot trial of parent training in exposure and response prevention delivered via telehealth. 2022, Frontiers in Psychiatry.

  6. Lead Author: Effects of treatment setting on outcomes of flexibly-dosed intensive cognitive behavioral therapy for pediatric OCD: A randomized controlled pilot trial. 2021, Frontiers in Psychiatry: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

  7. Co-Author: Comorbidities in obsessive-compulsive disorder across the lifespan: A systematic review & meta-analysis. 2021, Frontiers in Psychiatry.

  8. Lead Author: Family profiles in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. 2020, Journal of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders.

  9. Co-Author: Race and ethnicity in pediatric OCD: An exploratory study of a clinical North American sample. 2020, Annals of Clinical Psychiatry.  

  10. Lead Author: Avoidance, insight, impairment recognition concordance, and cognitive behavioral therapy outcomes in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. 2020, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

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Presentations and Public Advocacy:

  1. Interview about eco-anxiety and coping with wildfires for a CBC News Story.

  2. Training for therapists on enhancing family-based CBT for pediatric OCD for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

  3. Panel guest on parenting with anxiety and parenting anxious children organized by the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation and Anxiety Canada. 

  4. Professional Webinar on managing barriers to reducing family accommodation in pediatric OCD for ADAA. 

  5. Workshop for teens on maximizing life outside of OCD for the International OCD Foundation.

  6. Training for therapists on overcoming barriers to effective exposures for the International OCD Foundation.

  7. Community presentation on optimizing CBT & ERP treatment for the Canadian Mental Health Association: Vancouver-Fraser Division.

  8. Workshop for teachers and school counselors on anxiety in school conducted at Kitsilano Secondary School.

  9. Q&A on the challenges of treating OCD in children with BC Children's Hospital Research Institute.

  10. Featured Guest on Episode of CBC Radio Show Now or Never on living with obsessive compulsive disorder.

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