Meet the
Brainworks Team

Sarah Vernon-Scott, Ph.D., C. Psych.

Clinical Psychologist

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Image of Sarah Vernon-Scott Psychologist Sarah Vernon-Scott Ph.D., C.Psych. joined Brainworks in September 2007. Her interest in rehabilitation was sparked in her undergraduate years during a co-op placement at a vocational counselling centre. There, as an employment counsellor Sarah worked with individual clients to facilitate their return to work. “Hearing people’s stories of frustration, sadness, grief and loss about their jobs and all the needs that having a job meets helped me to understand that having meaningful activity (paid work or otherwise) in one’s life was really a necessity for mental health.” And it was this realization that led her to consider areas of psychology that could incorporate this understanding into clinical practice. Sarah was thrilled to discover psychologists play an important role in rehabilitation.

Sarah’s client centered approach to therapy reflects the client focused values of Brainworks, “No one knows the client’s life and needs better than the client, no matter how much professional knowledge one has. The key is to use that professional knowledge to work towards the goals that the client has, not to tell the client which goal he/she should pursue. The goal is to support the client’s growth in self-efficacy.” Sarah believes teaching clients to be successful and building on success is a vital part of her work. “If you teach clients how to be successful and give them every ounce of credit for that success (because they deserve it), they are more likely to learn that they have what it takes to succeed in the future.”

Sarah’s warm demeanor has made her recent connection with fellow staff at Brainworks an instantaneous one. That same warmth brings comfort to her clients. A previous supervisor said of Sarah, “She has an easy, professional manner that allows patients to feel comfortable and at ease while describing their highly personal and distressing feelings and symptoms to someone that they didn’t know.” As the psychologist at Brainworks, Sarah has set a professional goal to maintain excellence in clinical skills and to remain at the forefront of innovation for the treatment of Brainworks clients.

Sarah has significant experience working with those who are living with the effects of brain injury and chronic pain. This includes experience in the area of chronic pain management. As a valued member of an interdisciplinary Chronic Pain Management Program, Sarah provided assessment, consultation, and cognitive-behavioural treatment for patients who live with chronic pain due to injuries; including motor vehicle accidents.

Sarah has received several awards and distinctions throughout her career. Her resume includes research contributions and she continues to enhance her skills with on-going professional development. Sarah is registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and her Professional memberships include:

London Regional Psychological Association
Canadian Psychological Association

Sarah is a committed professional but she is also a loving wife to her husband, Sean. The two enjoy time together spoiling their pets, Bear and Tiger. In her down time Sarah enjoys working out, participating in a book club, singing in the choir and relaxing to music. She’s a huge fan of the Food Network and likes to entertain her loved ones with great meals.