Dr. McDermott has been a practicing Clinical Psychologist since 1978. He earned his A.B. Psychology at College of the Holy Cross, his M.A. Psychology at Temple University, and his Ph.D. Clinical Psychology at the University of Windsor. He holds certification by the Province of Ontario, the States of Michigan and Louisiana, the Canadian Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, the Ontario Society of Clinical Hypnosis, the American Red Cross (Disaster Mental Health Specialist), and the National Organization for Victim Assistance (Certified Crisis Responder, Certified Trauma Trainer). Dr. McDermott was an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of Windsor and was the Executive Director of a children’s mental health center for fourteen years.

Dr. McDermott carries out a general clinical practice providing assessment and treatment of adults, adolescents, children, and families as well as mediation services. Additionally, he consults with organizations in the areas of critical incident management, peer support programs, workplace violence, conflict resolution systems, and pre-employment evaluation.

Dr. McDermott practices extensively in the areas of diagnosis and treatment of traumatized persons, caregivers, emergency services- and military personnel. His clinical activities in the areas of traumatization, Critical Incident Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorders, criminal victimization, motor vehicle injuries, and workplace violence have led to associations with the Windsor Police Service (Peer Counselling Program, Crisis Negotiator) and several other municipal police agencies, the Ontario Provincial Police, the RCMP, the Ontario Police College, the New Orleans Police Department Crisis Unit, the Windsor Professional Firefighters Association, both the Windsor and Waterloo EMS, the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, and several Victim Services agencies throughout the Province of Ontario.

Dr. McDermott is a member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists, the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress (Diplomate), the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology, and the National Organization for Victim Assistance, for whose Crisis Team he has served at airline crashes, various felonious line-of-duty deaths, the Lucasville Prison uprising, the Kobe, Japan earthquake, Rwanda and the World Trade Center attacks. He has also served with Citizen Ambassador as a Delegate in trauma in South Africa, Cambodia, and Viet Nam.

Dr. McDermott has consulted and taught internationally in the areas of Police- and Emergency Services Stress, Trauma, PTSD, Vicarious Traumatization, Peer Support Programs, Workplace Violence & Response Systems, and Organizational Crisis Management.

Dr. McDermott has been awarded citations by the RCMP and Ontario Provincial Police for “exemplary service” at critical incidents, the Morton Bard Award for “outstanding contributions to the Victims’ Movement”, and the University of Windsor’s “Distinguished Alumnus” Award.