CAN +1 343-887-3871 USA +1 860-830-7838 Online Payments Take the OCD Test
CAN +1 343-887-3871 USA +1 860-830-7838 Online Payments Take the OCD Test
Dr. Monnica Williams is a board-certified licensed clinical psychologist and Clinical Director of the Behavioural Wellness Clinic in Tolland, Connecticut, and Ottawa, Ontario. She provides psychotherapy, consultation, supervision, and advanced training in evidence-based mental health treatments. Her work bridges clinical expertise with research, cultural awareness, and a deep commitment to helping individuals and clinicians alike.
Dr. Williams treats and specializes in a broad range of mental health concerns and treatment types, including:
Dr. Williams is internationally recognized for her pioneering work on misunderstood and frequently misdiagnosed presentations of OCD, including taboo symptoms related to sexual fears, harm obsessions, and scrupulosity. She was the first to publish research on sexual obsessions in OCD and developed clinical tools to help differentiate intrusive sexual fears from genuine identity exploration in LGBTQ individuals. Her treatment manual on sexual worries in OCD, published by Oxford University Press, is widely regarded as a cornerstone resource for clinicians.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Williams is a Canada Research Chair and faculty member at the University of Ottawa’s School of Psychology. She previously directed the Center for Mental Health Disparities at the University of Louisville and trained under the renowned psychologist Dr. Edna Foa at the University of Pennsylvania.
Her research has focused on obsessive-compulsive disorder, race-based trauma, cultural competence in therapy, and strategies to reduce clinical bias. She has authored more than 200 scientific publications and three books, with additional titles in development. Dr. Williams also served as principal investigator for a multisite clinical trial on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD at the University of Connecticut Health Center.
Dr. Williams contributes to the mental health field through multiple leadership roles. She serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation and is an associate editor for Behavior Therapy and New Ideas in Psychology. She also holds editorial board positions with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and the Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders.
Her influence extends to professional organizations such as the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), where she has held leadership roles and advanced initiatives supporting diversity and inclusion.
Dr. Williams’ expertise has been featured in major media outlets, including NPR, USA Today, CNN, Huffington Post, and The New York Times, where she has helped raise awareness about OCD, racial trauma, and evidence-based therapies.
Williams, M. T. (in press). A Clinician’s Guide to Healing the Wounds of Racial Trauma: A 12-Session CBT-Based Protocol. Wisconsin: PESI Publishing.
Dames, S., Penn, A., Williams, M., Zamaria, J., Vaz, A., & Rousmaniere, T. (2024). Deliberate Practice in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy. Washington DC: American Psychological Association. ISBN: 978-1-4338-4171-2
Williams, M. T. (2020). Managing Microaggressions: Addressing Everyday Racism in Therapeutic Spaces. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780190875237 [intro and contents]
Williams, M. T., Rosen, D. C., & Kanter, J. W. (2019). Eliminating Race-Based Mental Health Disparities: Promoting Equity and Culturally Responsive Care Across Settings. New Harbinger Books. ISBN: 978-1-68403-196-2
Williams, M. T. & Wetterneck, C. T. (2019). Sexual Obsessions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Step-by-Step, Definitive Guide to Understanding, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780190624798. https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780190624798.001.0001
Pinciotti, C. M., Smith, Z., Singh, S., Wetterneck, C. T., & Williams, M. T. (2022). Call to action: Recommendations for justice-based treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder with sexual orientation and gender themes. Behavior Therapy, 53(2), 153-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2021.11.001
Wetterneck, C. T., Williams, M. T., Tellawi, G., & Bruce, S. (2016). Treatment of suicide obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder with comorbid major depressive disorder. In E. Storch & A. Lewin (Eds.), Clinical Handbook of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders: A Case-Based Approach to Treating Pediatric and Adult Populations (pp. 431-445). Springer.
Williams, M. T., Farris, S. G., Turkheimer, E., Franklin, M. E., Simpson, H. B., Liebowitz, M., & Foa, E. B. (2014). The Impact of Symptom Dimensions on Outcomes for Exposure and Ritual Prevention Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 28 (6), 553-558. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.06.001
Williams, M. T., & Viscusi, J. A. (2016). Hoarding disorder and a systematic review of treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 45(2), 93-110. doi: 10.1080/16506073.2015.1133697
Singh, R., Wetterneck, C. T., Williams, M. T., & Knott, L. E. (2016). The role of shame and symptom severity on quality of life in obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Journal of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders, 11, 49-55.
Williams, M. T., Sawyer, B., Ellsworth, M., Singh, R., & Tellawi, G. (2017). Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders in ethnoracial minorities: Attitudes, stigma, and barriers to treatment. In J. Abramowitz, D. McKay, & E. Storch (Eds.), The Wiley Handbook of Obsessive-Compulsive Related Disorders, (p. 847-872). Wiley. ISBN: 978-1-118-88964-0
Williams, M. T., Reed, S., & Aggarwal, R. (2020). Culturally-informed research design issues in a study for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 4(1), 40–50. doi: 10.1556/2054.2019.016
Williams, M. T., Printz, D., Ching, T. & Wetterneck, C. T. (2018). Assessing PTSD in ethnic and racial minorities: Trauma and racial trauma. Directions in Psychiatry, 38(3), 179-196.
Williams, M. T., Pena, A., & Mier-Chairez, O. (2017). Assessing and Treating Racism-Related Stress and Trauma among Latinos. In L. T. Benuto (Ed.), Toolkit for Counseling Spanish-Speaking Clients. Springer. ISBN: 978-3-319-64880-4
Malcoun, E., Williams, M. T., & Bahojb-Nouri, L. V. (2015). Assessment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in African Americans. In L. T. Benuto & B. D. Leany (Eds.), Guide to Psychological Assessment with African Americans, New York: Springer. ISBN: 978-1-4939-1003-8.
Williams, M. T., Capozzoli, M., Buckner, E., & Yusko, D. (2015). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of social anxiety disorder with comorbid schizophrenia. Clinical Case Studies, 14(5), 323-341. doi: 10.1177/1534650114559717
Chapman, L. K., DeLapp, R.C.T., & Williams, M. T. (2013). Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Social Anxiety among Ethnic Minority Patients, Part 1: Understanding Differences. Directions in Psychiatry, 33(3), 151-162.
Michaels, T. I., Lester, L., de la Salle, S., & Williams, M. T. (2022). Ethnoracial inclusion in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of ketamine in the treatment of mood disorders. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 83(4), 596–607. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2022.83.596
Michaels, T. I., Purdon, J., Collins, A. & Williams, M. T. (2018). Inclusion of people of color in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: A review of the literature. BMC Psychiatry, 18(245), 1-9. doi: 10.1186/s12888-018-1824-6.
Sims, T. (2023, February 26). What is racial trauma? Clinical psychologist breaks down what it means and how it impacts people. LiveNOW from FOX.
Rogers, K. (2023, February 16). Understanding racial trauma, the mental and emotional injury of racism. CNN.
Hynes, M. (2023, February 12). Psychedelic healing and trauma. Tapestry with Mary Hynes. CBC Radio.
Hughes, V. (2022, November 21). With Anxiety on the Rise, Some Children Try ‘Exposure Therapy’. New York Times.