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Desmond Buhagar S.J.

Desmond C. Buhagar, SJ

B.Mus,: S.T.B.; M.Div.; Th.M,; RP; RMFT, LCMFT-S, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychotherapy and Spiritual Care Education

desmond.buhagar@utoronto.ca
Room 206; ext. 243

Teaching Level: Basic and Advanced Degree, GCTS Associate (Regular Faculty)
Specializations: Psychotherapy and Spiritual Care Education
Department: Practical Theology

  • Research Interests and Expertise

    • Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and Clinical Supervisor, College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario  (CRPO)
    • Licensed Clinical Marriage & Family Therapist & Supervisor (LCMFT), Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH)
    • Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor, Canadian, American, and Ontario Associations for Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT, AAMFT, OAMFT)
    • Certified Psycho-Spiritual Therapist and Supervisor-Educator (PCE), Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC)
    • Clinical Fellow and Diplomate (Teaching Supervisor), American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC)

  • Courses

    • RGP3561 Postmodern-Constructivist Psychotherapies and Spiritual Care
    • RGP6561 Postmodern-Constructivist Psychotherapies and Spiritual Care
    • RGP3564 Professional Ethics in Psychotherapy & Spiritual Care
    • RGP6564 Professional Ethics in Psychotherapy & Spiritual Care
    • RGP3565 Contemporary Family Therapy & Spiritual Care
    • RGP6565 Contemporary Family Therapy & Spiritual Care
    • RGP3535 Integrative Approaches to Trauma in Psychotherapy and Spiritual Care
    • RGP6535 Integrative Approaches to Trauma in Psychotherapy and Spiritual Care

  • Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

    • “A Tripartite Model of Evaluation for Forgiveness: A Commentary on the Definitional Drift within the Science of Forgiveness.” Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology 45, no. 1 (2025): 56–64. https://doi.org/10.1037/teo0000307
    • Thomas, Carla, M.; Buhagar, Desmond C. (2024) “The Satir Model of Family Therapy and Amoris Laetitia: Extending the Horizon of the Family as Domestic Church,” Gregorianum, Spring, 2024. https://doi.org/10.69080/Gregorianum.105/2.2024.325-349
    • Way-Skinner, C. & Buhagar, Desmond. (2024). “Traumatized and Traumatizing: Understanding Clerical Abuse through the Lens of Bowenian Systemic Family Therapy,” Integratus: Journal of Catholic Psychotherapy. 2(1), 37–63. https://doi.org/10.1521/intg.2024.2.1.37
    • Desmond Buhagar, “The Attachment Mapping Protocol (AMP): An Assessment and Treatment Tool for General Psychotherapy, Systemic Family Therapy and Multifaith Spiritual Care,” Journal of Religion and Health, vol. 62 (2023): 4112-57, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01881-w
    • Desmond Buhagar, Ralph Piedmont, and Kari O’Grady, “The virtue of religious faith and its relationship to posttraumatic stress disorder in victims of torture: the unique outcomes of men and women,” Mental Health, Religion & Culture, vol. 25, no. 10 (2022): 991-1011, https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2022.2149718
    • Desmond Buhagar, “The Forgiveness Interview Protocol: A narrative therapy writing-process model for the treatment of moral injury,” Journal of Religion and Health, vol. 60, no. 5 (2021): 3100-3129, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01395-3
    • Desmond Buhagar, “Cheston’s “Ways Paradigm” applied to pastoral counseling supervision,” Reflective Practice: Formation and Supervision in Ministry, vol. 31 (2011): 245–262, https://journals.sfu.ca/rpfs/index.php/rpfs/article/view/119