32nd Annual Summer Program
May 4 - June 26, 2026
REGISTER ONLINE BY CLICKING HERE |
Download the 2026 McGill Summer School Program
General information
Registration information
Courses and workshops
- Cultural Psychiatry
- Research Methods in Social and Cultural Psychiatry
- Working with Culture
- Art and Healing
- Contemplative Studies
- Global Mental Health
- Indigenous Mental Health
Guest Faculty
McGill Faculty
Also see Advanced Study Institute.
In 1995, the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, inaugurated an annual summer school in social and cultural psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology. The program provides the conceptual background for research and clinical work in social and cultural psychiatry and will be of interest to:
- postdoctoral trainees and researchers in psychiatry, psychology, and other mental health disciplines
- graduate students in health and social sciences
- physicians, psychologists, social workers, and other health professionals
The summer program forms part of the training activities of the Montréal WHO Collaborating Centre and is endorsed by the Canadian Academy of Psychiatric Epidemiology.
General information
Director: Laurence J. Kirmayer, MD
Interim Administrator: Kwesiga Kahigi
Administrative Office:
Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry
Department of Psychiatry
McGill University
1033 Pine Avenue West
Montréal (Québec) Canada H3A 1A1
Tel.: 514-398-7302
Fax: 514-398-3282
Email: tcpsych [at] mcgill.ca
https://www.mcgill.ca/tcpsych
Registration Information
Courses may be taken for academic credit or for professional interest. Workshops and the Advanced Study Institute may only be taken for professional interest.
Application for the Summer School is now ONLINE.
- You will be asked to select the courses/workshops and submit your CV.
- You will be contacted when your application has been processed.
If you have specific questions not answered on the website, you can contact the Division Summer Program Coordinator at tcpsych [at] mcgill.ca.
Enrolment for courses and workshops is limited and early application is strongly advised. Please note the application deadlines in order to submit your application.
Professional Interest
Canadian and International students and professionals applying to the Summer School for professional interest can do so through the Division of Social & Transcultural Psychiatry by following the instructions above. On successful completion of the course or workshop, a certificate of attendance will be provided by the Division. This does not confer formal academic credit, for which a separate application is required (see below). Registration for professional interest is accepted as long as space is available in the course or workshop.
Academic credit
The following courses may be taken for academic credit by students enrolled in a graduate program at McGill or another university: Cultural Psychiatry (PSYT711), Psychiatric Epidemiology (PSYT713) [not offered in 2026], and Research Methods in Social and Cultural Psychiatry (PSYT633).
All applicants for academic credit must submit their CV and register online as indicated above to obtain permission to attend the course(s).
McGill Graduate Students
Please apply online as indicated above. After receiving permission to attend the course(s), McGill students should register on Minerva once the summer registration period for graduate students begins. Detailed registration information for students enrolled in a McGill graduate program will be available on March 12, 2026 (for more information see: www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/registration/dates). Students are billed by McGill Student Accounts.
McGill Double Program Students and McGill Psychiatry Residents
Please apply online as indicated above. After receiving permission to attend the course(s), double program students may go to the following link to register: https://www.mcgill.ca/student-records/request-registrationcourse-changes. After receiving permission from the coordinator of the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry to attend the course(s), Psychiatry residents who want to take the courses for credit must obtain permission from the Graduate Program Director (graduate.psychiatry [at] mcgill.ca) and from the Faculty of Medicine. McGill double program students and McGill psychiatry residents are billed by McGill Student Accounts. If you applied for professional interest, you will receive an e-mail confirming your application.
Visiting, Exchange and Special Students
Applications for these categories are handled by the Office of Graduate Studies. After receiving permission to attend the courses from the Division, please visit the McGill Graduate Studies website to review the application deadlines (https://www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/you-apply-mcgill/application-deadlines) and to verify which student category applies to you (https://www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/visiting).
Please observe the following application deadlines:
- October 1, 2025 – Deadline for international special students to apply to take an academic course.
- February 15, 2026 – Deadline for Canadian special students and visiting students to apply to take an academic course.
For Canadian exchange students, please review the registration routes mentioned below and select the one that applies to you. Official notification of acceptance is issued by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Non-McGill, Québec University Students
Please apply online as indicated. After receiving permission to attend the course(s) from your home University and from the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, you must initiate an online application to request the required authorizations at www.mcgill.ca/students/iut. Refer to your home university website for regulations on the number of credits allowed, as well as policies for transferring credits. Note: Once the Québec Inter-University Transfer (IUT) application is approved by both the home and host universities, you remain responsible for registering in the course that was approved. At McGill, you must register on Minerva (www.mcgill.ca/minerva).
Students from University of Toronto and University of British Columbia
Please apply online as indicated. After receiving permission to attend the course(s) from your home university and from the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, students must submit a Graduate Exchange Agreement form (available from your home institution website) to your home university and to the Division coordinator: tcpsych [at] mcgill.ca.
Students from other Universities in Canada (Inter University Credit Transfer)
Please apply online as indicated. After receiving permission to attend the course(s) from your home University and from the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, please verify the registration procedure by visiting the following link: https://www.mcgill.ca/transfercredit/iut. The application fee cannot be applied toward course/workshop fees. Official notification of acceptance is issued by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Students obtain a McGill student identity number when applying and use this to register for the course(s) on Minerva. Transfer of academic credits should be arranged with the applicant’s home university.
M.Sc. & PhD Program in Mental Health
Students who wish to apply for the MSc or PhD program in the Department of Psychiatry (with concentration in Social and Transcultural Psychiatry) should direct inquiries to:
Graduate Program Coordinator
Department of Psychiatry
McGill University
1033 Pine Avenue West, Room 103
Montréal (Québec) Canada H3A 1A1
Tel.: 514-398-4176
Email: graduate.psychiatry [at] mcgill.ca
Website: https://www.mcgill.ca/psychiatry/
The deadlines for applications to the MSc or PhD program for International or Canadian students are:
MSc in Mental Health
- August 1: entry in January for International applicants
- November 1: entry in January for Canadian applicants
- January 15: entry in September for International applicants
- January 25: entry in September for Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s (CGSM) applicants
- June 21: entry in September for Canadian applicants
PhD in Mental Health
- August 1: entry in January for International applicants
- November 1: entry in January for Canadian applicants
- January 15: entry in September for International applicants
- June 21: entry in September for Canadian applicants
For more information please visit: http://www.mcgill.ca/psychiatry/education/graduate-program
Courses and workshop
Courses
- Click here for a list of Required and Recommended readings for these courses.
PSYT711 Cultural Psychiatry
L. Kirmayer & Faculty
This course surveys recent theory and research on the interaction of culture and psychiatric disorders. Topics to be covered include: the history of cultural psychiatry; cross-national epidemiological and ethnographic research on major and minor psychiatric disorders; culture-bound syndromes and idioms of distress; culture, emotion and social interaction; somatization and dissociation; psychosis; ritual and symbolic healing, and psychotherapy; mental health of Indigenous peoples; mental health of immigrants and refugees; psychiatric theory and practice as cultural constructions; methods of cross-cultural research; models of mental health care for multicultural societies; globalization and the future of cultural psychiatry.
Prerequisites: Courses in abnormal psychology, psychiatry, or medical anthropology and permission of the instructor.
Text: Course readings will be available online.
Date: May 5-28, 2026 (36 hours) T•Th 13:00-17:00 & W 9:00-12:00
PSYT633 Research Methods in Social and Cultural Psychiatry
R. Whitley, A. Ryder & Faculty
This workshop will introduce participants to research methods in cultural and social psychiatry in a stepwise manner. The course consists of three modules: (1) introduction to qualitative research; (2) introduction to quantitative research; and (3) introduction to mixed-methods studies. Modules 1 and 2 will focus on methodologies, study design, execution, analysis, and dissemination. In Module 3, students will learn how and when to integrate qualitative and quantitative approaches in a mixed-method study. Ample time will be given for questions and discussion of participants’ projects.
Text: Course readings will be available online.
Date: May 4-29, 2026 (36 hours) M•W•F 13:30-17:00
Workshops
Working with Culture: Clinical Methods in Cultural Psychiatry
C. Rousseau, J. Guzder & Guest Faculty
This workshop for mental health practitioners provides an overview of clinical models, methods, and approaches in cultural psychiatry. Invited lecturers will frame the basic issues of clinical intervention with individuals, families, and communities through sessions focused on: Cultural formulation; families and systemic approaches; working with interpreters and culture brokers; cultural safety, cultural humility, structural competency and institutional racism; trauma-informed care with refugees and racialized groups; working with Indigenous communities; intercultural work with multidisciplinary teams and health care institutions; integrating advocacy in mental health care.
Text: Course readings will be available online.
Date: May 5-28, 2026 (24 hours) T•Th 9:00-12:00
Art and Healing
J. Guzder & Guest Faculty
This workshop will focus on clinical, theoretical, research, and community engagement issues on the use of art in transcultural psychiatry. Invited faculty will elaborate on clinically relevant theory, creative arts practice and experiential learning on topics including: historical intersections of the arts and psychiatry; poiesis, improvisation, and healing; theatre, music and embodiment; the psycho-historiographic group therapy approach; research methods and ethics; project development in global health contexts. Presentations will promote reflection on arts—including theatre, visual arts, music, and dance—as applied and emerging aspects of healing both historically and in contemporary contexts relevant to clinical practice and research in social and cultural psychiatry and global mental health. Faculty will include an international roster of clinicians from Brazil, Canada, India, Jamaica, and the U.S., working with people with severe mental illness, youth at risk, immigrant and refugee groups, as well as Indigenous communities.
Text: Course readings will be available online.
Date: June 8-12, 2026 (30 hours) M•T•W•Th•F 9:00-17:00
Contemplative Studies
M. Lifshitz, E. Solomonova & Guest Faculty
This two-day workshop will explore emerging topics in the field of Contemplative Studies. Faculty will present from diverse disciplinary perspectives including neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology, anthropology, philosophy, and religious studies. Our focus will be on the concept of the self and its many transformations. We will explore the self as a multidimensional process and discuss how it may be dissolved, simulated, possessed, and transmitted through practices of meditation, prayer, dreaming, and psychedelic ritual. Each day will include in-depth presentations from faculty along with ample time for group discussion. Together, we will consider ongoing debates in the field with a focus on tracing the dynamic relationships between individual experience, brain function, and the social and cultural contexts in which these practices are embedded and enacted.
Date: June 15-16, 2026 (14 hours) M•T 10:00 -17:00
Indigenous Mental Health Research
L. Kirmayer & Guest Faculty
This workshop will survey recent work on the social determinants of mental health and discuss issues in the design and implementation of culturally appropriate mixed-methods research with Indigenous communities and populations. The emphasis will be on conceptual issues and the development of research methodology to address both common and severe mental health problems and interventions. Specific topics will include: ethical issues in Indigenous health research; social, historical, and transgenerational determinants of mental health; the role of Indigenous identity in mental health, resilience and well-being; suicide prevention and mental health promotion; participatory research methods; evaluation of community-based mental health services; culturally adapted interventions; and indigenous approaches to wellness and healing.
Text: Kirmayer, L. J., & Valaskakis, G. G. (2009). Healing traditions: The mental health of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Vancouver: UBC Press. Course readings will be available online.
Date: June 17-19, 2026 (21 hours) W•Th•F 10:00-17:00
Global Mental Health Research
R. Rosner & Guest Faculty
This two-day workshop will examine the long history of the 20th-century globalization of western concepts of mental health. Using short readings, informal lectures and discussions, we will consider the multiple waves of globalizing extending from Weir Mitchell’s “Rest Cure" at the turn of the century, to Adolf Meyer’s concepts of psychobiological psychiatry and mental hygiene in the 1920s and 1930s, to Margaret Mead's anthropological work mid-century, to the rise of psychopharmacology and the cognitive-behavior therapy revolution, and finally the recent movement for global mental health. Throughout, we'll examine these histories both from the perspectives of the groups these clinicians were attempting to colonize and the difficulties these clinicians faced in grasping the “otherness” of other cultures. Finally, we will consider how these histories deepen our understanding of contemporary challenges in social and transcultural psychiatry.
Text: Course readings will be available online.
Date: June 22-23, 2026 (14 hours) M•T 09:00-17:00
Guest Faculty
Neil Aggarwal, MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University
Jean Louis Aillon, MD, PhD, University of Torino
Doerte Bemme, PhD, Lecturer in Global Health & Social Medicine, King's College London
Debbie-Ann Chambers, PhD, Head University Counselling Service, University of the West Indies, Mona
Axel Constant, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex
Guillaume Dumas, PhD, Associate Professor of Computational Psychiatry, Université de Montreal
Sara Fraser, PhD, Professor, School of Psycheducation, Université de Montréal
Dominique Gaulin, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Université de Montréal
Joseph P. Gone, PhD, Professor of Anthropology, Global Health & Social Medicine, & Social and Behavioral Sciences; Faculty Director, Native American Program, Harvard University
Gilah Yelin Hirsch, MFA, Professor of Art, Emerita, California State University, Los Angeles
Suzanne N. Hollman, PhD, PsyD, Director, Student Mental Health, The Catholic University of America; Assistant Clinical Professor of Clinical Psychology, George Washington University
Susan Lamb, PhD, Jason A. Hannah Chair in History of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, and Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Ottawa
Kristine Langhoff, PhD, Professor of Social Work, University of Sussex
Diana Miconi, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychopedagogy and Andragogy, Université de Montréal
Wade Pickren, PhD, former editor of History of Psychology and Historian of the American Psychological Association (ret)
Vitor Pordeus, MD, Founder of DyoNises Theater, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rachael I. Rosner, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Mónica Ruiz-Casares, PhD, Professor, School of Child and Youth Care, Toronto Metropolitan University
Andrew Ryder, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychology., Concordia University
Stijn Sieckelinck, PhD, Professor, University of Applied Sciences of Amsterdam
Geoffrey Walcott, MB, Bs, DM Psychiatry, Clinical Director, Psychotherapy Associates, & CARIMENSA, University of West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
McGill Faculty
Please see our Faculty web page for more information.
Samuele Collu, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology
Myriam Denov, PhD, Professor & Canada Research Chair in Canada Research Chair in Youth, Gender and Armed Conflict, School of Social Work
Treena Delormier, Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Nutirtion, Director, Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition & Environment (CINE),
Ian Gold, PhD, Professor of Philosophy and Psychiatry, Chair Department of Philosophy
Ana Gómez-Carillo, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Social & Transcultural Psychiatry
Nathan Fisher, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Social & Transcultural Psychiatry
Phoebe Friesen, PhD, Assistant Professor, Departments of Equity, Ethics and Policy & Social Studies of Medicine
Kyle Greenway, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Danielle Groleau, PhD, Professor, Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry; Research Associate, Culture and Mental Health Research Unit, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital
Jaswant Guzder, MD, Professor Emerita, Department of Psychiatry; Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry and Division of Child Psychiatry
G. Eric Jarvis, MD, MSc, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry; Director, Cultural Consultation Service, Jewish General Hospital
Janique Johnson-Lafleur, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Social & Transcultural Psychiatry
Laurence J. Kirmayer, MD, FRCPC, FCAHS, FRSC, Distinguished James McGill Professor; Director, Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry; Director, Culture and Mental Health Research Unit, Institute of Community & Family Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital
Rachel Kronick, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor, Division of Children Psychiatry & Division of Social & Transcultural Psychiatry
Vincent Laliberté, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, & Jewish General Hospital Department of Psychiatry
Myrna Lashley, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry; Researcher, Culture & Mental Health Research Unit, Lady Davis Institute
Michael Lifshitz, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry.
Toby Measham, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor, Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry
Lucie Nadeau, MD, MSc, Associate Professor, Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry
Vincent Paquin, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor, Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry
Melissa Park, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy
Cécile Rousseau, MD, MSc, Professor, Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry; Canada Research Chair in Preventing Violent Radicalization
Elizaveta Solomonova, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Philosophy
Denis Wendt, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology
Robert Whitley, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute