Department of Psychiatry

Faculty of Medicine

Angela Cooper

Assistant Professor

Department of Family Medicine , Department of Psychiatry

Email: angela.cooper@nshealth.ca
Research Topics:
  • Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapy
  • Medically explained physical symptoms
  • Psychotherapy Change Processes
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Chronic Pain

Related information

• Full list of publications

Education

  • BSc Forensic Psychology (University of Teesside, UK)
  • MSc Applied Forensic Psychology (University of York, UK)
  • DClinPsy Clinical Psychology (University of Nottingham, UK)

Research interests

Dr Cooper’s interests include the psychodiagnosis and treatment of patients with medically unexplained symptoms, anxiety and/or depression using an evidenced based therapy approach known as Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). She is involved in teaching and researching this model within the departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry.

Selected publications  

  • Aafjes-van Doorn, K. Macdonald, J. Stein, M., Cooper, A. M. & Tucker. S. (2014). Experiential Dynamic Therapy: A Preliminary Investigation Into the Effectiveness and Process of the Extended Initial Session (2014). Journal of Clinical Psychology, 70, 914-923.
  • Affective Processes within Initial Experiential Dynamic Therapy Sessions (submitted manuscript). – K. Aafjes-van Doorn, J. Macdonald, A. M. Cooper, F. Falkenstrom, P. Lilliengren
  • Cooper, A., Hart, A., SabinFarrell, R., & Roberts, N. (2011). Does Self Compassion Act as a Moderator for Risk Factors Associated with PTSD Symptom Severity (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Nottingham, Nottingham.

Memberships

  • Member of the Nova Scotia Board of Psychologists
  • Member of the Canadian Psychological Society
  • Member of the British Psychological Society

Teaching

Dr. Cooper currently offers monthly workshops to Mumford and Spryfield Family Medicine Centers to educate nurses and physicians about ISTDP and the role of emotions within medically unexplained symptoms.

Research

Dr. Cooper is currently supervising three family medicine residents who will be conducting a qualitative research project into the experiences of physicians, residents and patient’s when considering emotional factors within cases of medically unexplained symptoms as well as having a psychotherapy service embedded within a family medicine setting.

She is also evaluating the clinical and cost effectiveness of providing ISTDP to patient’s with Medically Unexplained Symptoms.