Dr. Dina Buttu, Ph.D., C.Psych. (she/her)
Psychologist and Clinic Director
Dr. Dina Buttu is a registered Clinical and Counselling Psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. The focus of her clinical practice is on providing trauma-informed, anti-oppressive and culturally-safe psychological services. She has specific interests in supporting second-generation children of immigrants navigate conflicts related to race, ethnicity, religion, sexual identity, and cultural value conflicts. She also has a special interest in working with survivors of honour-based violence and those who have experienced identity-based oppression and marginalization. Dr. Buttu has been providing counselling and psychotherapy services for 16 years. For the past 10 years she has been working in private practice (Dr. Dina Buttu & Associates). Prior to that, she held clinical positions in various hospitals, universities and private practices, including Toronto Metropolitan University, Lakewood Psychology, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Markham Stouffville Hospital and York University.
Commitment to Anti-Oppressive Practice
Dr. Dina Buttu’s lived experience as a member of multiple historically marginalized groups inspired her dedication to research, clinical and advocacy efforts dedicated to understanding and better meeting the psychological needs of members from communities that routinely face societal injustices. She is committed to social justice and advocacy efforts in psychology through clinical work, advocacy, leadership, consultation and supervision. Her recent work includes:
- Founding Integrative Psychology Centre (formally Dr. Dina Buttu & Associates) to meet the needs of members of historically marginalized communities locally and across Ontario.
- Serving on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Psychological Association (2021-Present).
- Serving as the Chair of the Social Justice/Advocacy committee for the Ontario Psychological Association.
- Dr. Dina Buttu is also a founder member of Ontario Psychologists for Racial Justice (2020-Present).
- Dr. Buttu regularly consults with clinicians on the provision of culturally responsive psychological services and has acted as a consultant and advisory board member for organizations that serve historically marginalized communities. She particularly enjoys providing clinical supervision and mentorship within her private practice.
- Dr. Buttu is committed to ongoing personal and professional development activities to deepen her capacity to provide culturally-safe and anti-oppressive psychological services.
Therapeutic Approaches
Dr. Buttu integrates interventions from Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and somatic-based therapies (e.g., sensorimotor psychotherapy) when working with clients. She also takes time to understand the intersectional identities of each client and ways in which experiences in the world inform clients’ relationships with those identities. She is committed to providing culturally-responsive psychological services in the form of individual assessment, treatment, supervision, and consultation.
License and Registration
Dr. Dina Buttu is a registered Clinical and Counselling Psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.
Education
- Ph.D. – Clinical and Counselling Psychology (University of Toronto)
- Master’s Degree – Clinical and Counselling Psychology (University of Toronto)
- Master’s Degree – Social and Personality Psychology (York University)
- Bachelor’s Degree – Psychology Specialist (University of Toronto)
Research
Dr. Buttu’s doctoral research focused on examining ways in which the intersection of ethnic identity, bicultural stress, acculturation stress, and cultural value conflicts impacts disordered eating behaviour and body image. Her previous research explored the intersections of gender, race, and perfectionism on disordered eating behaviour and body image difficulties.
