I have conducted approximately 500 Parenting Capacity Assessments for various Children’s Aid Societies across Ontario since 2001. My professional experiences and expertise have led to my being declared an expert witness in Ontario courts with respect to Psychological/Personality/Intelligence/Parenting Capacity Assessments since 2009.

I have also been sought out by virtually every major TV, radio and newspaper outlet in Canada for hundreds of issues and stories. Various other media, government and private companies/organizations have hired me for my ability to communicate complex issues in a very engaging and dynamic manner in “plain English.”


Media Appearances

  • Global News
  • Global TV – “The Morning Show”
  • Global TV – “E.T. Canada”
  • TVO — “The Agenda”
  • TVO – “Your Voice”
  • CBC News
  • CBC News Network
  • CBC – “Steven & Chris Show”
  • City-TV CityNews
  • CHCH-TV “Square off”
  • CTV – “Canada AM”
  • CTV News
  • Discovery Channel – “The Daily Planet”
  • Teletoon – Teletoon Retro’s Rebranding Campaign
  • Slice Network – “Plastic Makes Perfect”
  • Sun TV – “The Source”
  • SunTV – “Straight Talk”
  • Rogers TV – “Bringing Sexy Back”
  • Rogers TV – “In the Loop”
  • Newstalk 1010 – (and various affiliates across Canada)
  • Newstalk 1010 – Hosted “Bell Canada’s Let’s Talk Day”
  • Newstalk 1010 – Jerry Agar Show
  • Newstalk 1010 – Jim Richards Showgram
  • Newstalk 1010 – Live Drive with John Tory
  • Newstalk 1010 – Beyond the Mic with Mike Bullard
  • Newstalk 1010 – Saturdays with Ted Woloshyn
  • Newstalk 1010 – Live Drive with Ryan Doyle
  • Newstalk 1010 – The Nightside with Barb DiGiulio
  • Newstalk 1010 – The Morning Show with Larry Fedoruk
  • Newstalk 1010 – Many other programs past and present
  • Talk Radio AM640 – Jeff McArthur
  • Talk Radio AM640 – Charles Adler
  • CBC Radio
  • Zoomer Radio – Zoomer Week in Review with Libby Znaimer
  • Zoomer Radio – Goldhawk Fights Back
  • 93.5 Flow – JJ & Melanie in the Morning
  • “The Motts”
  • Global News.ca
  • The Star
  • CBC.ca
  • Globe and Mail
  • Toronto Sun/Canoe
  • Epoch Times
  • Hiragana Times
  • The New Canadian
  • Mental Notes

Public/Professionally Related Presentations and Seminars:

  • ACTRA, 2015
    “Staying Connected in an Increasingly Disconnected World”
  • Canada School of Public Service/Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2015
    “Proactive Management Strategies for Helping Employees Facing Mental Health
    Challenges”
  • Ryerson University’s Psychology Students Association & Sociology Students Association, 2014
    “Stigma: A Panel Discussion on Mental Illness, Addiction and Homelessness”
  • Jean Tweed Centre, 2014
    Parenting Capacity Assessments
  • iabCanada 2014 Fall MIXX Conference
    “Connected or Addicted?”
  • The Joy of Aging, 2014
    “What Your Mother Never Told You”
  • Ontario Federal Council and Ontario Workplace Wellbeing Network, 2013, 2014
    “Psychopathy in the Workplace”
  • Ontario Psychological Association Public Education Committee, 2011, 2012
    Anxiety Presentation with Kendra Fisher (former goalie for Team Canada)
  • Catholic Children’s Aid Society, 2010
    Parenting Capacity Assessments
  • Molson Canada Advertising/Branding Department, 2009
  • Ryerson University’s Living Well Series, 2008 – Continuing Education into the Senior Years
    “Coping with Depression”
  • Children’s Aid Society of Owen Sound, 2007
    Parenting Capacity Assessments
  • The Canadian Federation of University Women, 2004
    “Sexuality Across the Ages”

Scholarly Publications & Presentations:

  • Amitay, O.A. (2009). Parenting and early experiences influence present functioning. Mental Notes, 2, 22-23.
  • Amitay, O.A., & Mongrain, M. (2007). From emotional intelligence to intelligent choice of partners. The Journal of Social Psychology, 147, 325-343.
  • Amitay, O.A., Mongrain, M., & Fazaa, N. (2007). Love and control: Self-Criticism in parents and daughters and perceptions of relationship partners. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 75-85.
  • Amitay, O. (2006). Supportive and undermining relational patterns in individuals vulnerable to major depression. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation.
  • Janus, C., D’Amelio, S., Amitay, O., Chishti, M. A., Strome, R., Fraser, P., Carlson, G.A., Roder, J.C., St. George-Hyslop, P., & Westaway, D. (2000). Spatial learning in transgenic mice expressing human presenilin 1 (PS1) transgenes. Neurobiology of Aging, 21, 541-549.
  • Amitay, O., & Mongrain, M. (1999, August). Introjected parental perceptions and choice of romantic partners in dependents and self-critics. Poster session presented at the 107th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Boston, MA.
  • Warner, J., Albanes, R., & Amitay, O.A. (1999). High school teachers as enforcers in the war on drugs. What their students see and say. Journal of School Health, 69, 243-246.
  • Warner, J., Fisher, B., Albanes, R., & Amitay, O.A. (1998). Marijuana, juveniles, and the police: What high school students believe about detection and enforcement. Canadian Journal of Criminology, 40, 401-420.
  • Mann, R. E., Stoduto, G., Anglin, L., Pavic, B., Fallon, F., Lauzon, R., & Amitay, O.A. (1997). Graduated licensing in Ontario: Impact of the 0 BAL provision on adolescents’ drinking-driving. In C. Mercier-Guyon (Ed.), The 14th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety – T97 (pp. 1055-1060). Annecy, France: Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche en Medicin du Traffic.

A Sampling of Dr. Amitay’s Contributions to GlobalNews.ca and other Print/Internet Media