Kelly Mandarino

PhD Smith College
MSW University of Toronto
BSW McGill University
BA University of Guelph

Kelly Mandarino is a registered social worker with over 18 years of clinical practice. She began teaching at the FIFSW as a sessional lecturer in 2013 and previously taught in the MSW program at Smith College from 2011 – 2015.  Dr. Mandarino has taught a variety of courses spanning clinical practice, theoretical modalities, research and foundational knowledge.

Dr. Mandarino began her private practice in 2013 where she sees individuals, couples and families with diverse and complex needs, using a variety of approaches adapted to fit the individual needs and sociocultural aspects of her clients.  Some of the therapeutic modalities she incorporates into her clinical therapy are contemporary psychodynamic practice, EFT, CBT, narrative and solution focused.  Dr. Mandarino began her career in children’s mental health working as a frontline social worker providing clinical therapy to children, adolescents and families and as a service coordinator of a day treatment (section 23) program. She is also currently an outside service provider to the BOOST Internet Child Exploitation program and to the Non-Insured Health Benefits program.

Dr. Mandarino has a wide variety of supervision and consultation experience.  She has clinically supervised a Multisystemic Therapy program, many MSW students and currently provides clinical consultation to other social workers through her private practice.  At Smith College, she supervised various MSW thesis students in their research and served as a mentor to doctoral students facilitating seminars in preparation for clinical qualifying examinations.

Dr. Mandarino has engaged in research on high conflict separation/divorce, transitional age youth, doctoral mentoring, cyberbullying and Triple P implementation.  She has presented at conferences, mental health agencies and schools on topics such as high conflict separation/divorce, stress/anxiety, trauma and attachment.