Headshot of Agata Kasprzyk.

Agata Kasprzyk, MA

PhD in Counselling Psychology, Year 2

Research Interests: Transgender and gender diverse mental health; Minority stress; Substance use; Mindfulness and compassion-based interventions

Biography: Agata Kasprzyk is an PhD2 student in the Counselling Psychology program. Over the course of her undergraduate studies, Agata worked in several research laboratories, specializing in substance use and mental health, and is passionate about mindfulness-based interventions. She volunteered for an active listening and crisis intervention line during her BA, where she worked as a training coordinator. She is also trained in administering naloxone in case of opioid overdose, high-lethality suicide intervention, mindfulness meditation, conducting interviews for community program amendment, and administering intake assessments. Agata has completed a practicum at the McGill Psychoeducational and Counselling clinic. She will be starting a practicum at the Emotional Health CBT Clinic in September 2025. Agata is passionate about improving access to mental health services for marginalized groups and plans to practice as a clinician upon completing a PhD.

Supervisor: Dr. Bassam Khoury

  • MA Counselling Psychology (Project Stream), McGill, 2024

    BA Honours Psychology, Minor in Human Relations, Concordia University

  • Prada, K., Kwarko-Fozu, A., Kaprzyk, A., Rigas, C., Manova, V., Khoury, B. (Accepted, 2025). The Associations Between Dispositional Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Clinical Outcomes. In Beshai, S., Dispositional Mindfulness and Self-Compassion: Clinical Implementation and Controversies, Springer Nature.

    Khoury, B., Lesage, M., Kasprzyk, A., Sadowski, I., Manova, V., Benchimol-Elkaim, B., Martins, C. D., Rigas, C., & Rej, S. (2025). Embodied and Embedded Mindfulness and Compassion Framework. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-025-02561-4

    Kasprzyk, A., Santaguida, M., Kennedy-Turner, K. (2022). Cannabis and Sexual Behavior: Focus on Men Who Have Sex with Men. In: Lykins, A.D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sexuality and Gender. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59531-3_106-1

     

    Kasprzyk, A., & O’Connor, R. (2021). Social anxiety and coping motivated cannabis use: The moderating effect of negative urgency. Concordia Journal of Psychology and Neuroscience. https://www.concordiapsychjournals.ca/cjpn/back_issues/issue1/

  • Kasprzyk, A., Kwarko-Fosu, A., & Khoury, B. (2025, June). Gender minority stress, mindfulness, rumination, and mental health outcomes: A moderated mediation among transgender and gender diverse adults [Poster presentation]. International Conference on Mindfulness-Asia Pacific, Hong Kong, China.

    Kwarko-Fosu, A., Kasprzyk, A., Dias Martins, C., & Khoury, B. (2025, June). Depression as a moderator of mindfulness in couples and sexual satisfaction among adults in committed relationships [Poster presentation]. International Conference on Mindfulness-Asia Pacific, Hong Kong, China.

    Dias Martins, C., Kasprzyk, A., Kwarko-Fosu, A., & Khoury, B. (2025, June). Sexual satisfaction as a mediator on mindfulness in couples & relationship satisfaction [Poster presentation]. Canadian Psychological Association Convention, St. John’s, NL, Canada.

    Kasprzyk, A., Giaccari, L., Zhu, C. Y., Cormier, G., Hu, R., Williams, M., Dubé, S., & Santaguida, M. (2021, August). Erobotics and mental health: The relation between depression, anxiety, stress, and the willingness to engage with sexbots as a function of their perceived nature. Presentation, International Congress on Love & Sex with Robots, Montreal, Canada (Virtual).

     

    Williams, M., Kasprzyk, A., Cormier, G., Hu, R., Giaccari, L., Zhu, C. Y., Santaguida, M., & Dubé, S. (2021, August). Social intelligence and willingness to engage erotically with sex robots across cisgender women and men: An exploratory study. Presentation, International Congress on Love & Sex with Robots, Montreal, Canada (Virtual).

     

    Hu, R., Zhu, C. Y., Williams, M., Kasprzyk, A., Cormier, G., Giaccari, L., Santaguida, M., & Dubé, S. (2021, August). Erobotics and the Big-5: An exploration of the relationship between personality traits, perceived appropriateness of sex robot use, and willingness to engage erotically with machines. Presentation, International Congress on Love & Sex with Robots, Virtual.

     

    Kasprzyk, A., Corran, C., & O’Connor, R. (2021, June). Social anxiety and coping motivated cannabis use: The moderating effect of negative urgency. Poster presentation, CPA’s 82nd Annual National Convention, Virtual.

     

    Kasprzyk, A., Corran, C., & O’Connor, R. (2021, Jan.). Social anxiety and coping motivated cannabis use: The moderating effect of negative urgency. Poster presentation, Centre for Clinical Research in Health’s (CCRH’s) 8th Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada (Virtual).

     

    Kasprzyk, A., & O’Connor, R. (2019, Sept.). Effects of social anxiety on marijuana use and attitudes. Poster presentation, Concordia’s Undergraduate Research Showcase, Montreal, Canada

  • Funding:

    • Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral, SSHRC, 2025-2028, $120,000
       

    • PhD Graduate Excellence Fellowship (preferential), 2024-2025, $35,000

    • McGill Graduate Excellence Fellowship (2022) - $10,000

    • CGS-M CIRH (2022-2023) - $17,500

    • FRQ-S (2022-2024; declined) - $35,000

    Awards:

    • V-TRaC Lab summer scholarship - $2,000 July 2021 – Oct. 2021

    • Runner up for Best Presentation - International Congress on Love & Sex with Robots Aug. 2021

    • Graduated with Distinction June 2021

    • Semi-Finalist – McCall MacBain Scholarship Nov. 2020

    • Dean’s List - Concordia University Fall 2017 – Winter 2020

    • Concordia Undergraduate Research Award (CUSRA) - $5,760 May 2019 – August 2019

  • Email: agata.kasprzyk@mail.mcgill.ca