Tell us a bit about yourself
I received my B.A. Honours from the University of Winnipeg, then my Masters in Clinical Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan. After an internship at what was then the Clarke Institute in Toronto (now CAMH), I completed my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Concordia University in 1997. Following my training, my husband and I moved home to Winnipeg with our infant son.
Unlike most psychologists in Manitoba, I did not train here so when we moved back, I wanted to get to know the professional psychology community. A friend, another Past MPS President, Dr. Debbie Whitney, said I could get to know people by joining the MPS Board of Directors and so I did.
I have worked as a psychologist in social services in Winnipeg for my entire career and since 2006 have been the Chief Executive Officer of New Directions for Children, Youth, Adults and Families. This organization has grown significantly over the years and now provides services to over 2000 Manitobans and has an operating budget of 58 million dollars with nearly 1000 staff.
I have been married for 40 years to Dr. Matthew Decter, getting together with him WAY before we both became psychologists! Our son is currently completing his Ph.D. at Cornell in Public Policy and Management. He was recently married, and we have been blessed by his choice as we now have a wonderful daughter-in-law too!
What influenced your decision to seek out and accept the position of MPS President?
I was President twice (2002-2003 and 2005-2006) and I don’t recall seeking out the Presidency the first time! Instead I learned a life lesson that if you attend meetings and participate enthusiastically you might be given more to do! The second time around I decided to run for election because of unfinished business with the Province of Manitoba concerning our licensure.
What experiences stand out as particularly positive during your term?
My first time as MPS President was life changing. Early into my presidency the Province of Manitoba issued a Discussion Paper that proposed lowering the standard for registration from a Ph.D. to a Masters degree. I was the first psychologist to get this news as my presidential year had just started, so it fell to me to mobilize our community to provide feedback to the Province. That was an amazing experience and taught me a great deal about how government works, how critical a solid professional community is, and started me on the path to becoming an advocate.
What challenges did you encounter?
So many! We had a short turn around to make comment on the Discussion Paper and technology was not as it is today so no way to scan a document and distribute quickly and the government would not give me an electronic copy! So, I used at least a whole tree making copies and getting those distributed throughout the Winnipeg community as well as mailing to John Service, the then head of The Canadian Psychological Association. Just getting the Discussion Paper available to others was the first hurdle. There were many subsequent challenges that we overcame during this campaign and I was so grateful for the many psychologists that stepped forward to help. I recall when we would get tired, that Dr. Len Greenwood, the Executive Director of MPS, would say “but we HAVE to keep going to save Psychology”! Hyperbole, but it worked on me!
Were there any skills, in particular, you felt this experience enabled you to develop or enhance?
Advocacy skills! How to present a position professionally but clearly, with tempered feelings and steadfast resolve. I learned to adjust my approach depending on the audience. I learned how to be strategic.
I also learned how to chair a meeting, how to motivate others and delegate tasks to accomplish strategic goals. I further honed these skills by becoming the MPS delegate to the Council of Professional Associations of Psychologists (CPAP), serving as the Chair of that organization for 6 years and then as the CPAP representative to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Psychological Association where I served for 9 years (President 2012-2013).
In what ways did your experience as MPS President influence your career?
As I said above, my time at MPS changed the trajectory of my career. I am not sure I would have applied to be the CEO of New Directions if I hadn’t got the bug for advocacy and experienced firsthand how professional psychology training provides the skills necessary to make systemic change and lead teams. I certainly would not have had the opportunity to connect with other psychology advocates from across Canada and the United States, nor is it likely I would have joined the CPA Board of Directors. So many amazing experiences and opportunities were brought into my life by MPS and serving as its President.