Risa Mallory, MEd
Ottawa, ON
Retired Psychotherapist
Person with Lived Experience, SCAD
Women’s Heart Health Community Advocate and Patient Advisor
Canadian Women's Heart Health Centre
Ottawa, ON
CWHHA member since 2022
Biography
As a woman with lived experience, Risa has become passionate about patient advocacy and dedicates her time volunteering to increase knowledge and awareness of women’s heart health and heart disease.
She is a retired psychotherapist who spent her paid career in a variety of professional roles which included;
- Clinical therapist with a diverse caseload of children, adults, couples and groups
- Co-Author, coordinator and therapist on several Randomized Controlled Research Trials including:
- Attention Deficit Disordered children
- Smoking Cessation
- Depressed Adolescents
- Obese pre-adolescents
- Developing and delivering a variety of mental health intervention programs for populations including:
- Attention Deficit Disordered children,
- Post Traumatic Stress Disordered active and retired military members
- Smoking cessation
- Stress Management
In 2018, after suffering a massive heart attack caused by Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD), Risa began to research her diagnosis and heart disease in general and was alarmed by the large gaps which exist in the knowledge around the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of women with heart disease. After participating in the University of Ottawa Heart Institute’s (UOHI) Women@Heart Peer Support Program, she was invited to train as a peer facilitator and thus began her volunteer career.
Currently, and in addition to facilitating the UOHI’s Women@Heart Program, Risa volunteers as a patient advocate and patient advisor in other capacities with the UOHI, the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre, the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance, Heart & Stroke Canada and Global Heart Hub. She co-administers a Facebook group for men and women with SCAD. As well, she participates in clinical research trials to further scientific knowledge around women and their heart disease and health.
When Risa is not engaged in community advocacy and patient advisory volunteer endeavours, she spends her summers golfing, her winters traveling and as much time with her new granddaughter as she can.
