Psychology student follows in mother's footsteps

By Costa Maragos Posted: August 12, 2015 6:00 a.m.

Victoria Owens (L) and Dr. Katherine Owens (R)
Victoria Owens (L) and Dr. Katherine Owens (R) (Photo courtesy of Travis Owens).

Psychology student Victoria Owens does not have to go far to find inspiration for her studies. She simply turns to her mother, Dr. Katherine Owens, who completed her Honours, Masters and PhD program with the University of Regina’s Psychology Department.

Victoria who was awarded a $7,000 Mental Health Undergraduate Award from the Department of Psychology, was recently accepted into the University’s Clinical Psychology Graduate Program.
 
“I couldn’t be more proud. Psychology is an amazing field with great opportunities,” says Dr. Owens who is a Senior Psychologist with the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region.

We spoke with Victoria and Katherine about their parallel career paths.

“I recall as a child when my mom was in the Masters program, she dragged me to her classes when I had the day off school and years later when she was teaching classes at the university, my dad and I would sit in the front row to observe," says Victoria.

“While I have always been registered as a psychology major, I began my university career on the pre-medicine path. In my second year of university, I decided to see whether I would be happy in psychology. I volunteered in Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos’ lab. After this, I quickly became set on psychology. My experience in this lab really sparked my interest in researching internet therapy options for anxiety and depression, which will likely be my focus at the Masters’ level.”

Dr. Owens says she’s thrilled her daughter has chosen to attend the University of Regina.

“The education I received was top-notch and opened door after door for me,” says Dr. Owens. “The training I received has allowed me to practice with confidence as a clinician, researcher, writer, and supervisor. The success I’ve had speaks directly to the quality of my education at the U of R and is a huge reason I am so pleased Tori has chosen to remain in Regina”.

Victoria is continuing her studies in the fall semester. She says the money from the research award will be put to good use.

“Of course like your average student, most of these funds will be used towards my tuition at the Masters’ level. The funds will also allow me to attend conferences through my graduate career,” says Owens.

The University of Regina's Psychology Department is known for excellence in teaching and research.
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