Michelle Massunken, MSW, RSW has been working with the team at the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families on a new project, one we’re not quite ready to unveil, but we couldn’t wait to tell you it’s on the way.
While details stay under wraps until it releases in January, here’s what we can share: the project centers on veterans and mental health, a subject close to Michelle’s own clinical background. Before founding MindSpa, Michelle worked at the Operational Traumatic Stress Support Centre at the Department of National Defence and the Operational Stress Injury Clinic at The Royal Ottawa Hospital, giving her firsthand clinical experience supporting veterans navigating trauma, transition, and mental health recovery. That background is what makes this collaboration with Atlas such a meaningful one for both her and the MindSpa community.
Who is the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families?
The Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families (formerly known as the Centre of Excellence on PTSD and Related Mental Health Conditions) exists to bridge the gap between research and practice. It’s a trusted national organization funded by Veterans Affairs Canada, created to ensure Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP veterans, their families, and the health care providers who care for them have direct access to the best possible evidence-based mental health resources and supports.
Atlas doesn’t provide direct clinical care itself, instead, it acts as a national intermediary, building easy-to-access online toolkits, suicide prevention resources, and no-cost cultural competence training for health care professionals working with the veteran community.
Leadership at Atlas includes:
- Fardous Hosseiny — President and CEO
- MaryAnn Notarianni — Deputy CEO and Executive Vice-President, Knowledge Mobilization
- Joy Pavelich — Executive Vice-President, Communications and Public Affairs
- Andrew Nicholson — Vice President, Research
- Ashlee Mulligan — Director, Partnerships and Community Engagement
- Andrew Lloyd — Lived Expertise Lead, Veterans
- Andrea Librado and Ashley Charbonneau — Senior Implementation Specialists
- Alex Kollo — Senior Knowledge Mobilization Specialist
Key Resources & Support Available Through Atlas
- Easy-to-access online toolkits for veterans, families, and providers
- Suicide prevention resources built specifically for the veteran community
- No-cost cultural competence training for health care professionals working with veterans
- Research and knowledge mobilization connecting the latest evidence to real-world care
Michelle isn’t the only clinician involved. Dr. Karis Callaway, Ph.D., C.Psych, a Clinical Psychologist, has also been sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of her own work on this project with the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, see her LinkedIn post here. It’s a good sign of just how many voices are coming together for this one
Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families — Social Media
- Website: atlasveterans.ca
- Facebook: facebook.com/atlasveteransca
- X (Twitter): x.com/atlasveteransca
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/atlasveteransca
- YouTube: youtube.com/@atlasveteransca
How The MindSpa Helps Veterans & Families
Atlas’s mission, connecting veterans and their families to the best possible mental health support, is exactly the kind of work MindSpa’s clinicians do every day. If you’re a veteran, service member, or family member looking for veteran mental health services in Ottawa, MindSpa’s clinical team offers trauma-focused, evidence-based care including EMDR, CPT, Prolonged Exposure (PE), and CBT, the same modalities Michelle relied on during her time at the Operational Traumatic Stress Support Centre and the Royal Ottawa’s Operational Stress Injury Clinic.
Learn more about our Military & Veteran Mental Health Services, or explore specific approaches like EMDR, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Neurofeedback & Biofeedback. If you’re not sure what’s covered through Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) or where to start, our intake team can walk you through your options.
About Michelle Massunken & MindSpa
Michelle Massunken is the founder and Clinical Director of MindSpa Mental Health Centre, based in Gloucester (Ottawa), Ontario. She holds a Master of Social Work from York University (2009) and specializes in mood and anxiety disorders, PTSD, depression, and addictions, using evidence-based approaches including EMDR, CPT, PE, and CBT.
She’s also the host of The MindSpa Podcast, where she brings conversations about mental health, from clinical topics like therapy to lived-experience stories, to a wider audience.
Michelle Massunken & MindSpa — Links
- Michelle’s team bio: themindspa.ca/our-team/michelle-massunken
- Michelle’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michelle-massunken-msw-rsw
- Michelle’s Facebook: facebook.com/MindSpaKanata
- Michelle’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellemassunken.therapy/
- The MindSpa Podcast (Buzzsprout): buzzsprout.com/2464628
- The MindSpa Podcast (Apple Podcasts): podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-mindspa-podcast
- The MindSpa Podcast (Spotify): open.spotify.com/show/1W1Lm675vkkVaBreCDzTg6
Stay Tuned
We can’t say more just yet, but this is a conversation about veterans and mental health that Michelle is genuinely excited to bring you, and it’ll be worth the wait when it releases this January. Follow MindSpa and the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families on social media (linked above) to be the first to know when it drops.
Watch & Follow the Story
- YouTube Short: youtube.com/shorts/2Mb2O2HCVo0
- Instagram Reel: instagram.com/reel/DcT0r7IRXX-
- LinkedIn Post: lnkd.in/p/gEPC43Zk
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1EySrtMoWK/