Dr. Drexler Ortiz (he/him) received his Masters of Science and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Victoria and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC # 19016) in BC. He is an accomplished researcher and advocate for those who identify as a minority and has been awarded three research fellowships, co-authored several peer-reviewed scientific publications, and contributed to numerous academic conference presentations — all focusing on the experiences and mental health of immigrant communities. Dr. Ortiz is also a member of the Integrating Mobile Police and Crisis Team where he works with the Victoria Police Department to evaluate the effectiveness of police officers in reducing criminality within the context of mental health calls. In his clinical practice, Dr. Ortiz primarily works with marginalized communities such as in immigrants, Indigenous Peoples, and queer-identifying individuals.

Through his role as a Research lead in a non-profit community organization for BIPOC folks (the Table), and through his work providing pre-school support services with the Edmonton School Board, Dr. Ortiz has extensive experience delivering workshops and presentations to teachers and parents discussing parenting and child development from a culturally sensitive lens. He has also provided speaking and consulting services for UBC’s Alpha Delta Pi sorority, been featured on news outlets, and more. Dr. Ortiz is a member of the Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Program’s (CCPPP) Anti-Racism Task Force, where he mobilizes his expertise of anti-racism, anti-oppression, discrimination, reconciliation, and solidarity to create frameworks and protocols for other mental health clinicians to follow in their clinical practice.