Dr. Bonnie Purcell
London Health Sciences Centre - Victoria Hospital
The Geriatric Mental Health Program
800 Commissioners Road East
London, ON N6A 5W9
Telephone: (519) 685-8500, ext. 74767
Email: bonnie.purcell@lhsc.on.ca
Clinical interests: The GMHP consists of an inter-professional team designed to provide outpatient geriatric psychiatry consultation, assessment and treatment services to seniors, 65 years of age and older, and their families living in the London-Middlesex region. Office, virtual (video and telephone) and home visits are available to our clients. I provide psychosocial and diagnostic assessment, cognitive/personality assessment, primarily individual psychotherapy (although group opportunities may be available), and consultations. I have a primarily cognitive-behavioural and client-centred orientation to assessment and intervention, but will supplement with elements of interpersonal and/or psychodynamic psychotherapy, as appropriate. Consultations are usually diagnostic in scope, with recommendations (usually behavioural in nature) provided to the family physician, other community care providers, family, and/or long-term care staff. Teaching opportunities are also available to provide in-services (in-person or virtual) to long-term care homes, retirement homes, and community organizations on topics such as addictions, seniors' mental health, the link between mood/anxiety and cognitive impairment, and personality disorders.
Topics for workshops, seminars: Geriatric mental health (dementia, delirium, depression)
Type of clinical practica: Advanced intervention
Types of clients: Senior
Modality: Individual
Theoretical orientation: Cognitive behav.; Behavioural; Cognitive; Interpersonal; Client-centred
Types of client problems: Adjustment disorder; Anxiety disorders; Bipolar & related disorders; Depressive disorders; Somatic symptoms & related disorders; Neurocognitive disorders; Personality disorders
Type of supervision you can provide: Student describes case; Co-therapy/Co-interview; Observe student live
Recent students: C. Cutler (2019)
Current students: H. Abbas (2022)
Clinical mentor: Not available
Research interests: My research has recently focused on the development of national guidelines on the prevention, assessment, and treatment of alcohol use disorders among older adults and dissemination of those published best practice guidelines.
Available to supervise: Roster full
Constraints: Available to supervise January to June 2023. Advanced intervention (I would consider a student for Initial Intervention placement if they have a basic understanding of CBT); 1-2 days per week (not Wednesdays).
Last updated: May 30, 2022
