Dr. Colleen Cannon, R.Psych. - Co-founder of Craving Change™

Colleen is passionate about health psychology!  She graduated from Queen’s University with a Ph.D. in  Clinical Psychology and has been exploring the dance between psychological wellbeing and physical wellbeing ever since.  

Colleen has worked in various health care settings including diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac rehabilitation clinics.  Colleen is currently a member of the heart transplantation team in Vancouver, B.C.  In addition to direct clinical service, Colleen’s role for over a decade has included multidisciplinary collaboration, consultation, and training.  She was instrumental in implementing the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program throughout the Calgary Health Region during the launch of the groundbreaking Chronic Disease Management initiative.  Colleen also ran a highly successful private practice in Calgry for 5 years that included individual and group clinical services, professional speaking, and the co-development of Craving Change Inc.    

Colleen has pursued an interest in eating disorders for almost 20 years. While recognizing the critical nature of eating disorders, she is strongly committed to addressing the unmet needs of a significant portion of clients in health care settings with "subclinical" disordered eating.  That is, people struggling in their relationship with food and how they use food, who do not meet diagnostic criteria for an "eating disorder".  The demand for timely, effective services greatly outstrips the supply of psychologists and other therapists available.  Colleen believes in the wisdom of the stepped-care approach to address this overwhelming demand.  This involves teaching nontherapist professionals to responsibly and effectively offer general information and skills to help their clients have a healthier relationship with food.   She is thrilled to have partnered with Wendy Shah to pursue this passion.

Colleen is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary.  She has been a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders since 1999, and is a registered psychologist with the both the British Columbia and the Alberta College of Psychologists.