Sophia Fajnerova, M.A.

Associate Psychologist

Sophia Fajnerova, M.A. is a Registered Psychologist with the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology (NSBEP) as well as a member of the Canadian Psychological Association. She has extensive experience and training in child therapy and pychoeducational assessments. Sophia began practicing as a psychologist in 2019. She completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours in Psychology at the University of Calgary in 2013 followed by a Master of Arts in School / Applied Child Psychology at McGill University in 2015. She received a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University in 2022. Sophia has worked in school settings in both Alberta and Nova Scotia. She has worked as a School Psychologist for the Halifax Regional Centre for Education and Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education.

Sophia provides individual counselling to clients presenting with diverse range of concerns including mood disorders, anxiety-based disorders, stress-related concerns, or life transitions and adjustment challenges.

Individual counselling services

Sophia Fajnerova offers counselling services to children, adolescents and adult clients. Her
treatment philosophy is client centred. She first works with you to establish a safe and comfortable
therapeutic relationship. The work then shifts to a more collaborative effort to determine your reasons for coming to counselling, set goals you would like to achieve, and work together to help you meet those goals. She draws on the following approaches in her practice, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, solution-focused therapy, narrative therapy, as well as play-based therapeutic approaches, depending on the best fit for each client’s unique needs.

Assessment services

Sophia provides comprehensive psycho-educational assessments for school aged children and adolescents who are experiencing challenges in the areas of learning, behaviour, and/or socio-emotional functioning. A psycho-educational assessment evaluates and identifies a client’s strengths and challenges, as well as helps to inform recommendations for both school and home. She strives to use her experience working in the public school system to provide recommendations that are both comprehensive and practical, to best support the client’s needs and success.

Training

Publications
Carsley, D., Heath, N. L., & Fajnerova, S. (2015). Effectiveness of a classroom mindfulness colouring activity for test anxiety in children. Journal of Applied School Psychology.

Conference Presentations
Fajnerova, S., Emery, A., Noble, R., & Heath, N. L. (February, 2015). Needs satisfaction and dropout prevention in high school students. Poster presented at the NASP 2015 Annual Convention, Orlando, Florida.
Fajnerova, S., De Riggi, M. E., Heath, N. L., Bloom, E., & Roberts, E. (February, 2015). School personnel’s understanding and managing of students’ anxiety and depression. Poster presented at the NASP 2015 Annual Convention, Orlando, Florida.
Carsley, D., Heath, N. L., & Fajnerova, S. (February, 2015). Mindfulness-based art reduces children’s test anxiety: Fact or fiction. Poster presented at the NASP 2015 Annual Convention, Orlando, Florida.
Fajnerova, S., Gholamrezaei, M., De Riggi, M., & Heath, N. L. (May, 2014). Navigating multiple cultures in adolescence: Relation between culture, stress and well-being during adjustment to high school. Poster presented at the Development 2014: A Canadian Conference on Developmental Psychology, Ottawa, ON.
Fajnerova, S., Gholamrezaei, M., De Riggi, M., & Heath, N. L. (March, 2014). Relation between culture, stress and well-being during adjustment to high school. Paper presented at the 13th Annual EGSS Conference, Montreal, QC.
Joly, M., Heath, N. L., Noble, R. N, & Fajnerova, S. (March, 2014). Self-Injury in Young Adolescents: Trust, Communication, and Alienation Difficulties with Peers. Poster Session presented at the 36th Annual Conference of the Société Québécoise pour la Recherche en Psychologie (SQRP), Montreal, QC.
Fajnerova, S., Quigley, L., Dobson, K. S., & Fedorek, C. (November, 2013). Does self-focus orientation influence recall of autobiographical memories and subsequent mood in dysphoria?
Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, ABCT, Nashville, Tennessee.

Areas of Focus: Child | Adolescent | Adults