Our Team

Joseph M. Klancnik, PhD, RPsych #01286; Director. Dr. Klancnik obtained a BA in psychology and a PhD in neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. After postdoctoral fellowships at the Brain Research Institute of the University of Zurich and the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University, Dr. Klancnik completed an APA-accredited postdoctoral clinical specialization at the University of Arizona, and an APA/CPA-accredited clinical internship at the Toronto Hospital. Dr. Klancnik spent many years teaching, presenting at local and international conferences, and publishing in the field. In the early 1990’s, he began to work directly with clients. In 1999, Dr. Klancnik founded West Coast Psychological Services. He has been intensively involved with vocational rehabilitation for persons with disabilities, and has conducted and supervised thousands of neuropsychological, psychovocational, and psychoeducational assessments. Dr. Klancnik has been accepted as an expert witness in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Dr. Blackburn

James R. Blackburn, PhD, RPsych #01514. Dr. Blackburn completed a BSc in psychology at McGill University, and MA and PhD degrees in psychology at the University of British Columbia. After a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health in Washington, DC, he was an Assistant Professor of Psychology at McMaster University. He then completed an APA/CPA-accredited postdoctoral clinical specialization at Dalhousie University and an internship in neuropsychology at the Ottawa Hospital. He joined WCPS in 2000, and he has since conducted neuropsychological, psychovocational, and learning disabilities assessments on persons with a wide variety of disabilities.

Dr. Brandlmayr

Dawn Brandlmayr, PhD, RPsych #01982. Dr. Brandlmayr completed her BA in psychology at the University of British Columbia, and her MA and PhD in adult clinical psychology in a CPA-accredited program at York University. Her pre-doctoral internship was completed at Fraser Health’s Burnaby Mental Health Offices and at West Coast Psychological Services (WCPS). She has been a member of the WCPS team since 2004, performing psychovocational, psychoeducational, and developmental disability / CLBC assessments; and supervising the psychometry team. Additional areas of clinical and research experience include multi-cultural assessment, individual and group therapy, value systems, interpersonal relationships, and social perception.

Dr. Giesbrecht

Chantelle Giesbrecht, PhD, RPsych #02356. Dr. Giesbrecht obtained her BSc in psychology at the University of Manitoba, followed by completion of a MSc in Pharmacology from the University of Alberta. She completed her PhD in clinical psychology (neuropsychology track) at Simon Fraser University. She completed a CPA-accredited pre-doctoral clinical internship in the neuropsychology track at the Edmonton Consortium Residency Program. She has experience in neuropsychological assessment of adults with varied conditions, including acquired brain injuries and dementia. In terms of research, she is interested in understanding how viral infections (e.g., HIV) affect cognition and brain functioning. She has published several first author and co-authored papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. McGuire

Kimberly G. McGuire, PhD, RPsych #01349. Dr. McGuire completed her training in clinical psychology (neuropsychology specialty) at the University of Victoria. Her master’s level training focused on child development and psychobiology. She has conducted more than 2000 comprehensive neuropsychological, clinical, vocational, and psycho-educational assessments for federal and provincial government ministries, law firms, rehabilitation and long-term disability insurance providers, and private clients. She was a consultant to WorkSafeBC and the Workers’ Compensation Board of Saskatchewan. She has been accepted as an expert witness in both BC and Alberta. She works with children, teens, and adults of all ages.

Dr. Yu

Soomin Yu, Psy. D. Soomin Yu obtained her B.Sc. in psychology and B.A. in political science at the University of British Columbia, and her M.A. in counselling psychology and Psy.D. in clinical psychology at Adler University. She completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship at Fraser Health, providing both assessment and therapy services through clinical rotations located at multiple Fraser Health sites, including Royal Columbian Hospital, Acquired Brain Injury Services, Burnaby Mental Health, and Surrey Mental Health. She has experience in psychodiagnostic, neuropsychological, psychoeducational, and psychovocational assessments. She is registered with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors and has applied for registration with the College of Psychologists of BC. As a post-doctoral neuropsychology intern at West Coast Psychological Services, she is supervised by Dr. Joe Klancnik, R. Psych.