Thomas Wen-Chi Chao
Ph.D, C. Psych.
Dr. Chao is a registered clinical psychologist. He earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the New School for Social Research and currently serves as a postdoctoral research affiliate at the University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry.
With a dedicated focus on adult populations, Dr. Chao focuses his clinical work on treating a wide range of conditions including obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety, major depression, panic attacks, social anxiety disorder, illness anxiety disorder, somatic symptom disorder, attention deficit-/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, borderline personality disorder, relationship problems, and substance use.
His therapeutic approach is grounded in an adaptive blend of evidence-based techniques primarily from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). Where relevant, Dr. Chao may incorporate principles from psychodynamic therapy to provide his clients with a nuanced exploration of the complexities and meanings underlying their personal experiences and challenges.
At FTPS, Dr. Chao focuses on treating OCD using approaches such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Inference-based CBT (I-CBT). He has extensive experience working with individuals across a spectrum of OCD symptoms, including contamination fears, sexuality-related concerns, harm obsessions, perfectionism, relationship-focused issues, moral and religious scrupulosity, just-right feelings, and other core areas. Dr. Chao prioritizes creating a supportive, comfortable and encouraging environment to facilitate effective engagement in OCD treatment.
In addition to OCD, Dr. Chao works with individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, attentional difficulties, life transitions, and interpersonal issues. He also provides parent coaching for parents of young adults facing various mental health challenges.
Dr.Chao completed his predoctoral residency at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) following training at various hospitals across New York City, including a federally funded fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Chao also received training at the NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University, Department of Neurology, and the New York Institute for Family Health.
Dr. Chao is committed to inclusive and comprehensive care, having successfully worked with individuals, couples, and families from diverse socioeconomic, cultural, racial/ethnic, and social identity backgrounds. He remains actively engaged in research to ensure his clinical practice is informed by the latest scientific knowledge.
Thomas Wen-Chi Chao’s practice includes the following services:
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Recent Scientific Publications
Luciani, K. R., Johal, P., Chao, T., Thiessen, K. A., & Schütz, C. (2024). Adult Self-Reported Childhood Maltreatment Types are Associated With Treatment Satisfaction and Alcohol Relapse in Patients With Comorbid Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders. The American Journal on Addiction.
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Chao, T., Todman, M., Foltin, R., & Bedi, G. (2023). Laboratory Method to Induce State Boredom Increases Impulsive Choice in People Who Use Cocaine and Controls. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
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Epp, T., Skrenes, A., Chao, T., & Krigolson, O. E. 2, & Schütz, C. (2023). Associations of the P300 Event-Related Potentials and Self-Reported Craving in Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review European Addiction Research
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Koshimori, Y., Cusimano, M. D., Vieira, E. L., Rusjan, P. M., Kish, S. J., Vasdev, N., Moriguchi, S., Boileau, I., Chao, T., Nasser, Z., Husain, I., Fraiz, K., Braga, J., & Meyer, J. H. Astrogliosis marker 11C-SL2511.88 PET in Traumatic Brain Injury With Persistent Symptoms. (2023). Brain.
Braga, J., Lepra, M., Kish, S. J., Rusjan, P. M. Nasser, Z., Verhoeff, N., Vasdev, N., Bagby, M., Boileau, I., Husain, I. M., Kolla, N., Garcia, A., Chao, T., Mizrahi, R., Vieira, E. L., & Meyer, J. H. Neuroinflammation After COVID-19 With Persistent Depressive and Cognitive Symptoms. (2023). JAMA Psychiatry.
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Bauer, A., Ruglass, L., Shevorykin, A., Saraiya, T., Robinson, G., Cadet, K., Julien, L., Chao, T., & Hien, D. (2022). Predictors of Therapeutic Alliance, Treatment Feedback, and Clinical Outcomes Among African American Women in Treatment for Co-occurring PTSD and SUD. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 139,108766.
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Todesco, S., Chao, T., Schmid, L., Thiessen, K. A., & Schütz, C. (2022). Changes in Loss Sensitivity During Treatment in Inpatients with Concurrent Disorders: A Computational Model Approach to Assessing Risky Decision Making and Treatment Outcome. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12.
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Brandt, L., Chao, T., Comer, S. D., & Levin, F. R. (2021). How Can We Optimally Channel Therapeutic Optimism to Advance Pharmacotherapy Research on Cocaine use Disorder? Addiction.
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Recent Presentations
Shirvani, M., Liu, J., Chao, T., Martinez, S., Brandt, L., & Yoon, D. (2024). Externalizing Inner Dialogue through AI: Exploring Design Considerations of Self-Clone Chatbots for Personalized Mental Health Support. Association of Computing Machinery Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Oʻahu, HI.
Dunn, R., Chao, T., & Schütz, C. (April 2023). Exploring the Relationship Between Psychedelic Use and Childhood Trauma: A Survey-Based Study. UBC Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference (PURC) 25th Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC.
Chao, T., Schmid, L., Khehra, J., Hajirawala, S., & Schütz, C. (June 2022). Action-Tendency Retraining in Severe Psychiatric Inpatients With Stimulant Use Disorder: A Preliminary Analysis on Stimulant Craving and Treatment Outcomes. College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 84th Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Todesco, S., Chao, T., Scheef, L., & Schütz, C. (June 2022). Stress- and Cue-Induced Brain Activation and Relapse in Cigarette Smokers Undergoing Smoking Cessation Treatment: A Prospective fMRI Study. College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 84th Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Chao, T., Xia, R., & Bedi, G. (June 2020). Reinforcement Learning in Aging Cocaine Smokers. College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 82nd Annual Scientific Meeting, Virtual Meeting.