After graduating from the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry in 1990, with a fascination of the mind, I specialized in Psychiatry and have been practicing for over 28 years. I have channeled my love of teaching towards an academic posting as a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Alberta and act as a preceptor for students and residents. Furthermore, I have actively contributed to the research world with my involvement in numerous clinical trials that have paved the way for progressive treatments of various mental health disorders. Ten years ago, I formed the Chokka Center For Integrative Health with a central purpose to help people achieve better functioning and quality of life. I have had the privilege of bringing like minded clinicians with unique experiences, expertise and insight, under the umbrella of an integrated, multi-faceted approach for treatment of the whole person. I have witnessed various combinations of medications, psychotherapy, exercise, diet and other complimentary treatments help people get better and return to a more functional and meaningful life. I consider it the ultimate privilege to do what I do, and continue to uphold the integrity of the Chokka Center For Integrative Health and help our patients BECOME.
Our Team
MEET OUR TEAM
Dedicated to your well-being
Dr. Jonathan Hamill is a general adult psychiatrist who specially trained at the University of Alberta. His two areas of interests are adult ADHD and psychotherapy. His approach is to thoroughly inform his patients about the evidence-based psychological and medication treatment options for any of their mental health concerns.
Dr. Krista Leicht is a psychiatrist specializing in developmentally handicapped patients. She has practices in this area since 2002. She focuses on general adult patients, primarily those with anxiety and mood presentations. She also has an extensive background in child psychiatry and can work with children with ADHD.
Dr. Alisha Sabourin’s philosophy and approach to therapy is action-oriented, collaborative, and authentic. She is skillfully trained to work with people experiencing grief, loss, and trauma (PTSD/C-PTSD). She uses integrative therapeutic modalities including The Grief Recovery Method and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Dr. David Sinclair brings over 20 years of experience from hospital to private practice in every session. His approach is of a “hard head” (science-based) and “soft heart” (caring, compassionate, and non-judgemental). He focuses on a wide range of psychological treatments and mental health issues.
Since 1998, Dr. Ghalib Ahmed has been a practicing family physician. He has been dedicated to treating patients with addictions and mental health. He specializes in adult mental health including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Alberta and the departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry.
Dr. Gurpaul Bara is a family physician with a special interest in mental health here at the Chokka Center. He was born and raised in Edmonton and decided to stay despite the cold weather. When not with patients, Dr. Bara spends most of his time watching our beloved Oilers and spending time with his family and friends. Dr. Bara was trained in Psychiatry by Dr. Chokka during medical school and looks forward to helping his patients live life to their true potential.
Dr. Yang Liu is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta, Department of Psychiatry, funded through Chokka Center and MITACS Accelerate. Dr. Liu is working on various research projects at the Chokka Center, including developing the EarlyDetect program and it’s associated predictive models. He received his PhD in psychology from UofA, with a cognitive and computational behavioural psychology background, and is currently expanding his research scope to digital psychiatry.
With over 17 years of experience in healthcare, Kirsten plays a critical role in the development of the collaborative treatment approaches at the Chokka Center. She works with the team to make positive impacts on the mental health treatment of the centre’s patients.
Cynthia brings over 6 years of health care experience to The Chokka Center. She is an integral part of our multidisciplinary team as one of our TMS operators, as well as one of the faces you will be greeted with when you come to The Chokka Center. Cynthia has a knack for being extremely organized, and enjoys scrapbooking on her free time.
Alicia is one of the smiling faces that you will see when you come to The Chokka Center. Alicia has several years of experience in the health field. Alicia works as a TMS operator as well as a psychiatric coordinator. She enjoys helping people, likes hiking and spending time with her family.
Diana another part of the multidisciplinary team at The Chokka Center. She is trained as one of our TMS operators, as well as a psychiatric coordinator. She enjoys being able to help make a difference in people’s lives. During her free time she enjoys camping, crocheting and her dogs.