{"id":45467,"date":"2026-06-23T09:11:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T13:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/?post_type=cu_people&p=45467"},"modified":"2026-06-23T09:11:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T13:11:19","slug":"megan-wagstaff","status":"publish","type":"cu_people","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/people\/megan-wagstaff\/","title":{"rendered":"Megan Wagstaff"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Megan<\/strong> earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2018, with a minor in Business and a concentration in Forensic Psychology, followed by a Master of Arts in Psychology with a specialization in Forensic Psychology in 2020. After graduating from Carleton University, she went on to complete a second Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology in 2023. She is currently working as a Registered Psychotherapist<\/strong> at Brown Counselling & Therapy Services<\/strong>, where she supports clients through evidence-based therapeutic practice.<\/p>\n\n\n

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“I would tell students that it\u2019s okay not to have everything figured out right away. Some of the most meaningful opportunities come from being open to experiences you didn\u2019t originally plan for. My own path changed multiple times throughout university and after graduation. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think there can be a lot of pressure to have a perfectly linear career path, but growth often comes from exploring different interests, gaining experience, and learning more about yourself over time. Be curious, ask questions, seek out opportunities, and trust that your path can evolve. Skills and experiences are rarely wasted, even if they lead you somewhere unexpected.<\/strong>“<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Brief description of what I do!<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I am a Registered Psychotherapist <\/strong>in private practice with a background in psychology, forensic psychology, research, and counselling. I work primarily with children, teens, and adults, supporting clients through challenges such as anxiety, emotion regulation, relationships, self-esteem, life transitions, and trauma. My work focuses on creating a warm, collaborative space where clients feel understood and supported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What inspired your career path after graduation?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

My career path was not a straight line, which I\u2019ve actually come to really value. I initially started university in business before discovering psychology through a forensic psychology course in my third year at Carleton. That course completely shifted my interests and led me to pursue a BA in Psychology, followed by a Master\u2019s specializing in Forensic Psychology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduation, I worked as a Research Analyst with Public Safety Canada<\/a> in the Corrections Research Unit. While I thoroughly enjoyed the research and systems-level work, I realized I was most drawn to the human side of psychology and direct client connection. That ultimately inspired me to return to school for a Master\u2019s in Counselling Psychology and pursue psychotherapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did your experience in the psychology program shape your journey?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

My psychology education shaped both how I think and how I work with people. Both the undergrad and masters program taught me to think critically, understand human behaviour from multiple perspectives, and appreciate the importance of evidence-based practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also exposed me to many different career paths within psychology. My forensic psychology courses sparked an interest in the intersection of mental health, behaviour, and the legal system, while my research experience strengthened my analytical and communication skills. Over time, those experiences helped me recognize that I felt most fulfilled working directly with individuals and supporting them in meaningful change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What skills or experiences were most valuable after graduation?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One of the most valuable experiences was working as a Research Analyst with Public Safety Canada. It strengthened my skills in research, writing, critical thinking, and collaboration, while also teaching me how to communicate complex information clearly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equally valuable was realizing that career paths do not have to be linear. Being open to changing directions allowed me to pursue work that felt more aligned with my strengths and values. The combination of research experience and clinical training has helped me become both analytical and compassionate in my work as a psychotherapist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there specific Psychology courses, professors, or experiences that stood out during your time at Carleton?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One person who had an incredibly significant impact on me was Dr. Shelley Brown<\/a> at Carleton. I first met her while taking a course on women involved in the justice system during my third year of my BA, and that class completely changed the direction of my studies and career path. I was later fortunate enough to complete my honours thesis under her supervision, and she was a major reason why I chose to continue my Master\u2019s at Carleton with her as my supervisor again. What stood out most about Dr. Brown was her ability to balance excellence with humanity. She challenged her students to work hard and think critically, while also leading with warmth, compassion, humour, and kindness. She created an environment where students felt both supported and inspired to grow. I still keep in touch with her today and hope I always will. She will always be an important person and influence in my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What has been a highlight or proud moment in your career so far?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The most rewarding part of my work has been getting to witness change and growth in my clients. Positive feedback is always meaningful, but what stands out most to me are the moments when a client feels safe enough to share something deeply vulnerable or meaningful for the first time. There is something incredibly powerful about being able to offer a space where someone feels truly seen, heard, and accepted. Often those moments are quiet and subtle, but you can feel how important they are for the person sitting across from you. Seeing clients become more open, self-aware, confident, or connected to themselves over time is what makes this work so meaningful to me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":328,"featured_media":45327,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cu_people_first_name":"Megan ","cu_people_last_name":"Wagstaff","cu_people_initials":"MW","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_people_type":[55],"cu_people_expertise":[],"class_list":["post-45467","cu_people","type-cu_people","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_people_type-alumni-profiles"],"acf":{"cu_people_job_title":"","cu_people_degree":"M.A. in Counselling Psychology (2023), M.A. in Psychology + Specialization in Forensic Psychology (2020), B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in Business + Concentration in Forensic Psychology (2018)","cu_building":"","cu_people_office_num":"","cu_people_pronoun":"","cu_people_designation":"","cu_people_email":"","cu_people_phone":"","cu_people_phone_ext":"","cu_people_linkedin":"","cu_people_bluesky":"","cu_people_twitter":"","cu_people_instagram":"","cu_people_facebook":"","cu_people_website":"","cu_people_orcid":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people\/45467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_people"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/328"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people\/45467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45477,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people\/45467\/revisions\/45477"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_people_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people_type?post=45467"},{"taxonomy":"cu_people_expertise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people_expertise?post=45467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}