Finding your Fit: Ida’s Journey to Clinical Psychology

Written by: Cameryn Hauck

Meet Ida

Our latest guest on the Inside Clinical blog series is Ida Demair, an incoming SSHRC-funded graduate student in the Clinical and Counselling Psychology program at the University of Toronto (OISE). Ida completed a BA in Psychology with a minor in Family and Child Studies at the University of Guelph, during which she spent time building extensive research and clinical experience that helped shape her path to graduate school. Ida’s journey reflects how it is okay for your interests and goals to change over time, and that early undergraduate grades do not have to define your future opportunities.

From a young age, Ida knew she wanted a career where she could work closely with others, particularly within forensic and legal contexts. However, it was not until taking a psychology course in high school that she learnt how those interests could translate into a meaningful academic and professional path. The course introduced her to the field of clinical psychology and provided a framework for questions she had long been drawn to. From that point forward, pursuing clinical psychology became a clear and lasting goal.

“I think taking that course in high school put a name to what I wanted to do: the role of a clinical psychologist. It allowed me to combine my curiosity, my desire to work with people in forensic contexts, as well as to be a part of a very, as I'm sure you know, vibrant and tight-knit academic community.”

Evolving Interests in Undergrad Studies

While studying at the University of Guelph, Ida came to recognize how strongly a university’s graduate research strengths can shape the types of opportunities, mentorship, and experiences available to students. Looking back, she emphasizes the importance of exploring not only undergraduate programs, but also the broader research areas emphasized within a school’s graduate department.

“I would recommend that students in high school take look at the graduate department of the university that they are applying to, because that can really shape the experiences made available to you during your time there.”

Given the strong focus on child and adolescent development at Guelph, Ida always assumed she would pursue a career working primarily with younger populations. However, throughout her undergraduate degree, she found herself increasingly drawn to topics related to adult psychology. Over time, she realized her evolving interests did not fit neatly within the child and. youth framework she had originally envisioned for herself.

“I really felt myself twisting my research interests to fit into a developmental framework.”

Wanting to explore these interests further, Ida applied to an adult forensic psychology lab despite having limited direct experience in the area. Although she initially doubted whether she would be considered a strong candidate, her supervisor recognized her enthusiasm and potential, ultimately giving her the opportunity to grow within the field. That experience became a major turning point in her academic journey and reinforced the value of pursuing work that genuinely aligns with your interests and long-term goals.

“I had done some work on childhood exposure to IPV and incarceration, but I was

definitely concerned that the child and adolescent focus of that work would put me at a disadvantage.”

Why the University of Toronto?

Idas’s decision to accept her offer at the University of Toronto in their counselling and clinical psychology program (OISE) was heavily based on the strong alignment between her research interests and her supervisors.

“I think well, what drew me to the program was primarily the opportunity to work with my supervisor. That was my main priority when applying to schools, because I’ve been told about how important that supervisor and trainee relationship is. Also, being invited to meet my supervisor in-person was major for me in confirming that, yes, I am definitely making the right decision.”

Beyond the lab, Ida was drawn to the University of Toronto for its strong research training, collaborative environment, and the opportunities that come with studying in Toronto. Together, these factors made it the ideal fit for her graduate studies.

“I had the opportunity to speak with students there, and they all consistently emphasized the quality of the research and training opportunities there, as well as being located in the heart of Toronto. That's where the opportunities are, so that's where I want to be. On that same note, it was also very important to me to be going to school somewhere that I could actually grow personally, not just academically. Grad school spans most of your 20s, and it's a period where many major life events happen, so Toronto really feels like a city where I can grow professionally and personally.”

Breaking Into Research

Through experiences at The Hospital for Sick Children, CAMH, Grand River Hospital, and Homewood, along with being a co-author on a published manuscript before graduating, Ida gained a lot of insight into how meaningful experiences are built gradually over time. One of Ida’s biggest pieces of advice is simple yet often overlooked: start earlier then you think you need to. Research opportunities, thesis positions and internships often require applying several months, sometimes up to a year, in advance. To stay competitive, she emphasizes that foundational volunteer and entry level research experiences are often what lead to more advanced opportunities, such as working on independent research projects, contributing to manuscripts, completing an undergraduate thesis, and securing competitive internships and graduate school placements. According to Ida, these experiences build on one another over time.

Ida also strongly emphasized the importance of advocating for yourself and your research interests when it comes to your thesis and not being afraid to go all in. She encourages students to push for opportunities that allow for greater ownership, such as not working from a pre- existing dataset and rather filling a knowledge gap in the literature so that your thesis can be published. Although this path can be challenging, Ida highlighted how valuable it is to lead research at the undergrad level, and how it helps you to stand out in grad school applications and job interviews.

“It was a lot of work, but I would 100% recommend doing your “own” thesis. I loved every second of it. Taking the harder route made my life so much easier down the road.”

The Importance of Cold Emails

For Ida, cold emailing became one of the most effective ways she secured research opportunities throughout her undergraduate degree, particularly when approached thoughtfully and professionally. In her experience, the opportunities you ask for are the ones you are more likely to be considered for.

“I don't know if that's the advice that you guys hear a lot, but I really don’t know where I’d be in my academic career without doing that. Only two of my experiences have come from applying to an actual posting online. Even my current full-time position came from emailing a PI that I worked with already, to say like, “Hey, I am looking for work. If you know of anything, I would love to talk about it”. She generously connected me with her colleague, who I now work with full-time before starting graduate school.”

Redefining Academic Success

Ida’s academic journey wasn't linear. In fact, her early grades were far from perfect.

“I was never a traditional student. I went from doing very little in my first two years to then doing everything at once. I got like a 65 in Intro to Psych in my first year and that was the first thing that you saw on the top of my transcript. I had to overcompensate in

other ways.”

By her third year of undergraduate study, Ida had begun investing heavily in research experience and volunteer work, with a particular focus on building strong mentorship relationships, gaining research experience, and contributing to publications. In her third year, she completed her first independent research project course, which confirmed how much she

enjoyed conducting research. From that point forward, she became more intentional about selecting courses aligned with her strengths, including seminar-style classes, independent studies, and research-focused coursework. This shift allowed her to improve both her academic performance and confidence in her abilities.

“I don't regret any time spent in a lab that probably should’ve been at a desk studying.”

Grad School Preparation

Ida emphasizes that preparing for graduate school interviews should be treated as a priority rather than an afterthought. In her experience, simply knowing your CV is not enough; strong interviews require intentional preparation, practice, and the ability to thoughtfully answer common questions.

"You need to prepare. I treated interview prepping like a full-time job. I canceled my meetings, I took some days off work, I was prepping 24/7. I would tell myself these interviews were going to determine the next 6 years of my life, so I went all in and I’ll probably never forget the emotional intensity of that time in my life. I had my friends prep with me and I was like, “I need you to really pick my responses apart.”

Ida began preparing for graduate school applications well before interviews invites were sent out. During the summer, she started identifying professors whose research aligned with her own and reached out to ask if they would be accepting students; recognizing that generally knowing

where you will be applying to and getting your name out there early is valuable even if professors are less responsive during the summer months. She also developed a detailed system to track application deadlines, program requirements, and reference submissions to avoid leaving anything until the last minute. Another major part of her preparation involved communicating proactively with her referees by providing clear timelines, expectations, and supporting materials well in advance.

“In the summer, I kind of informally asked my supervisors if they would be a referee for me in the fall. I reached out to my referees again sometime in July, sending them this table that had the programs, deadlines, how to submit the letters, everything -- and being like, “Hey, this is how many schools I want to apply to and this is the amount of letters I would love for you to write. Is this number feasible? Are you able to write me a strong, positive letter of reference?”. I really wanted to get ahead of that and make sure everyone's expectations were aligned because references are kind of the only thing that's out of your control.”

Standing Out in a Competitive Field

Throughout Ida’s application journey, she realized that some aspects she once believed were essential, were actually less important than she had thought. For example, she found that having a direct connection with a potential supervisor was not as essential as many students may assume. Additionally, rather than focusing on quantity of experiences, she emphasizes how quality and impact can help you stand out. She believes that having leadership experience within relevant areas of research was likely one of the biggest factors contributing to her receiving five interview invitations in her first application cycle.

Final Words

Ida’s journey highlights that there is no single right path to clinical psychology. Her success came from following her genuine interests, taking initiative early, embracing challenges instead of avoiding them and being intentional with every opportunity. Most importantly, she encourages students to take ownership of their journey, even when it feels uncertain, because sometimes the most impactful paths are the ones you build yourself.