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Marissa Bowsfield, M.A

Marissa is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program. Her research, which is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), focuses on associations between body image variables (e.g., body satisfaction) and sexual satisfaction over time in mixed-sex couples and how sexual anxiety mediates these associations. Marissa is particularly interested in the dyadic effects of body image and sexual anxiety on sexual satisfaction, including how individuals’ perceptions of their romantic partner’s satisfaction with their body may positively influence their body satisfaction and sexual satisfaction, and the implications these effects have for couples seeking treatment for sexual challenges.  

Clinical Profiles:

Jessica Ferreira, M.A.

Jessica is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program. Her MA research, which was funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), examined how spouses’ difficulties with emotion regulation moderated the associations between daily negative behaviours and daily relationship satisfaction over 21 days in a community sample of 125 mixed-sex married couples. Jessica is particularly interested in the dyadic effects of emotion regulation on relationship and sexual satisfaction, and the implications these effects have for individuals and couples seeking treatment.

Richard Rigby, M.A.

Richard is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program. He received his BSc. in Psychology (Behavioural Neuroscience) from the University of British Columbia in 2015. He completed his master’s thesis on how positive illusions buffer the association between attachment insecurity and relationship satisfaction in newlywed couples in Summer 2020.

His PhD project is now underway; he will be examining the themes present in couples discussion about their sexual problems. Currently, Richard is completing two additional qualitative projects. The first explores how COVID-19 has impacted British Columbians in romantic relationships. The second examines the themes of newlywed narratives of couples with stable and declining marital satisfaction.

Lauren McRae, M.A.

Lauren is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. She completed her honours research project under the mentorship of Dr. Cobb in 2017, graduated with her B.A. (Hons) in 2018, and her M.A. in 2020. 

Lauren is broadly interested in how individuals construct boundaries and communicate about sexual issues in their intimate relationships. Lauren’s PhD research is focused on better understanding individuals’ motivations for initiating open relationships (i.e., a form of non-monogamy), how individuals maintain their open relationships, and what they perceive the primary challenges of their relationships are. Lauren’s research is funded by a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship. 

Clinical profiles:

Maron Demecillo, B.Sc

Maron is a first-year master’s student in the Clinical Psychology Program (General Track). He completed his Bachelor of Science in Honours Psychology at MacEwan University in 2023. For his undergraduate honours thesis, he investigated how pet pictures, specifically dogs, impact online dating selection in mobile dating apps.

Maron is broadly interested in understanding the influence of relationships on the emotional well-being of culturally diverse individuals (e.g., mixed race couples) and how different aspects of culture influence relationships processes. He is also passionate about minority mental health and providing evidence-based interventions that are culturally responsive and appropriate to a diverse population, especially to members of visible minority groups.

Outside of school, Maron spends his free time binge-watching Korean dramas and watching streamers play video games on Twitch.