Education

Ph.D – McMaster University, Social Work (2019-Present)

M.A – McMaster University, Gender Studies and Feminist Research (2019)

B.A (with Distinction) – Athabasca University, Human Services (2017)

Diploma (Honors) – Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology, Social Service Worker (2004)

Credentials

2025 Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers

I hold both RSW and RSSW registrations in good standing

2025 Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals

General Membership

Awards

Ontario Graduate Fellowship

McMaster University

2023

 Ontario Graduate Scholarship

McMaster University

2021

Dr. Richard Splane PhD Scholarship

McMaster University

2021

Honor Roll

Athabasca University       

 2016

Training

Trauma Specialist in Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapy

Day Break Therapy/Toronto

2023

Moving Clients through Grief and Loss into Growth and Resilience with Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)

Envision Counselling and Consulting INC/Calgary, Alberta

2023

Introduction to Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Therapy

OAMHP/Toronto

2021

Working with Institutional Ethnography Workshop

OISE/University of Toronto 

2019

Research Experience

School of Social Work, McMaster University (2019-Present)

Doctoral thesis research with Dr. Christina Sinding

It’s Not a Headache: Understanding Women’s Experience of Migraine Care in Ontario Canada

My research provides an ethnographic account of how care unfolds for women who have been diagnosed with chronic migraine.  I am exploring how women come to understand something is “wrong”, the work they do to acquire treatment and a diagnosis for migraine disease, and the challenges they encounter throughout that journey, paying particular attention to themes of patient dismissal, medical gaslighting and the impact those experiences have on women seeking care.  I am additionally interested in working collaboratively with participants towards reimagining how care could be provided in ways that might meet their needs more effectively.

School of Social Work, McMaster University (2020-2021)                                          

Research Assistant, End of Life Care in Pandemic Collaboration (ELIPC)

Supervisor: Dr. Christina Sinding

This project seeks to understand – through interviews/conversations with healthcare providers – how front-line work in long term care settings has been impacted by measures taken during COVID-19 in order to slow the spread of infection.

Gender Studies and Feminist Research, McMaster University (2019)

M.A Independent Research Project with Dr. Christina Sinding

No Abnormality Detected: An Exploration of Migraine Patients’ Paths to Care

Research Interests

My research seeks to explore – from the standpoint of women diagnosed with migraine – how diagnoses and treatments are socially organized within clinical medical settings in Ontario.  My research sets out to explicate in detail how frontline care practices are connected to institutional systems and the influences those systems – in turn – have on care.  My hope is that uncovering these processes contributes to our understanding of how to improve care for patients with chronic, difficult to treat and often contested illnesses.

University Teaching Experience

Department of Health Aging and Society, McMaster University (2024)

Sessional Instructor – 3D03 Perspectives on Disability, Chronic Illness and Aging

Redesigned and delivered course content and weekly lectures

Evaluated student assignments.

Department of Health, Aging and Society, McMaster University (2024-present)

Senior Teaching assistant for a fourth year course – Narratives of Illness (4J03)

Developed and provided lectures for 50% of the course, co-developed course assignments and co-evaluated student assignments.

Social Work Doctoral Teaching Internship (Evaluated)

McMaster University School of Health, Aging and Society

Supervisor: Dr. Christina Sinding

Representations of health and illness across the life course (4C03)

Narratives of Illness (4J03)

Worked with Dr. Chris Sinding during 2022-2023 reviewing and revamping both of these courses, contributing to assignment and lecture development.  As well, I provided guest lectures for both of these courses.

School of Social Work, McMaster University (2019-2025)

Teaching Assistant for a second level course Theory Process and Communication

Lead weekly tutorials that support students in applying theory to practice within the context of social work interview practice. Evaluate student practice skills, written assignments and presentations. Facilitate small and large group discussions during lecture as needed.

School of Social Work, McMaster University (2021, 2025)

Teaching Assistant for a third level course Individual Practice Across the Lifespan

Lead weekly tutorials that support students in applying commonly used social work theory to practice. Evaluate student practice skills, writing assignments, and presentations. Facilitate discussion around lecture material and assignments.

School of Social Work, McMaster University (2021, 2022)

Teaching assistant for a third level course Working with Groups in Social Work

Lead weekly tutorials that support students in applying theory to practice within the context of creating and conducting therapeutic groups. Evaluate student practice skills, writing assignments and presentations. Facilitate discussion around lecture material and assignments.

Women and Gender Studies, McMaster University (2019)

Teaching Assistant for a first-year course Women who Transform the World

Led Weekly tutorials that supported students theoretical learning.  Facilitated group discussion and activities that enhanced learning and understanding of material. Evaluated student assignments.

Women and Gender Studies, McMaster University (2018)

Teaching assistant for a first-year course Women, Culture and Power

Led Weekly tutorials that supported students theoretical learning.  Facilitated group discussion and activities that enhanced learning and understanding of material. Evaluated student assignments.

Employment

Registered Social Worker, Mending Minds Private Practice (2020-Present)               

I operate my own private practice in the Hamilton Community. My work with clients is eclectic as I use a variety of treatment approaches to meet their therapeutic needs such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Psychodynamic, Solution Focused, Trauma Informed and Feminist Approaches. 

Addictions Counsellor Salvation Army Homestead (2006-2014)

Worked with women recovering from substances as well as concurrent disorders in an abstinence-based treatment setting. Effectively delivered program components including: facilitating group therapy, teaching life skill and relapse prevention classes, conducting one on one sessions and other activities as required. Effectively used various counselling modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Brief Solution Focused Therapy and Motivational Interviewing Provided support, counsel, advocacy, referrals, and crisis intervention to clients as needed. Created and delivered Medication Administration workshop to staff at current agency. Proven one on one and group counselling skills with excellent communication and customer service skills Ability to develop rapport, problem solve, and deal with crisis under tight time constraints

Case Manager Good Shepherd Martha House (2004-2005)

Worked with women (and children) who would access the shelter either due to homelessness or for fleeing domestic abuse situations. Worked with women from diverse backgrounds including clients dealing with issues such as mental health, homelessness, physical and emotional abuse, and unemployment. Provided one on one counselling, advocacy and referrals based on clients individual needs. Maintained up keep of women’s residence and saw to clients practical needs.

Student Summer Contract St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (2003)

Worked as an assistant to social work staff in all 3 wards that comprised Schizophrenia Services

Community and Volunteer Activities

Council Member, Global Healthy Living Foundation (2022-Present)

Member of the Migraine Canada Patient Council

AbbVie

Took part as a patient informant in the General Managers meeting on migraine awareness (2022)

Took part in a short film focused on spreading awareness about migraine disease (2022)

Volunteer, Migraine Canada (2021 – Present)

Member of the Patient Expert Committee

Consultant on various migraine awareness and patient advocacy/support initiatives

Facilitator, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (2019 – Present)

Co-creator and facilitator of a volunteer peer support group for migraine patients Associated with Dr. Rose Giammarco (neurologist) and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton Group meets both/either in person and online.

Presentations

(March 2025) Disability and Self Care (Guest Lecture) McMaster University Department of Health, Aging and Society 4C03: Representations of Health and Illness Across the LifeCourse. Hamilton, Ontario, CA

(March 2025) Brain Retraining: Utilizing Neuroplasticity in Therapeutic Practice (Guest Lecture) McMaster University School of Social Work 2A06: Theory, Process and Communication. Hamilton, Ontario, CA

(Feb 2025) Feminist Counselling (Guest Lecture) McMaster University School of Social Work 2A06: Theory, Process and Communication. Hamilton, Ontario, CA.

(March 12^th 2024) Clinical Hypnosis as Migraine treatment Webinar (Invited Speaker)

This webinar will focus on explaining the tenets of Clinical Hypnotherapy, how it could be useful as part of a migraine treatment plan. A live group demonstration will be provided as well as a Q&A

 (Feb 2024) Women’s dismissal in healthcare settings, It’s origins and What do we do about it? (Guest Lecturer)

McMaster School of Social Work 4J03: Social Change: Social Movements and Advocacy, Hamilton, Canada

(Jan 2024) Representing Illness and Disability (Guest Lecture). McMaster School of Health, Aging and Society (4C03) Representations of Health and Illness Across the Lifescourse

 (Oct 18, 2023) Feminist Counselling (Guest Lecture). McMaster School of Social Work 3E03: Individual Practice Across the Lifespan, Hamilton, Ontario CA.

(Jan 2023) My Migraine Story (Guest Lecture). McMaster School of Health, Aging and Society (4J03) Narratives of Illness

(Jan 2023) Representing Illness and Disability (Guest Lecture). McMaster School of Health, Aging and Society (4C03) Representations of Health and Illness Across the Lifescourse

 (November 21^st 2022) Working Towards Better Communication: Living with Migraine (Webinar, Invited Speaker) Migraine Canada

(September 27^th 2022) Women’s dismissal in healthcare settings, It’s origins and What do we do about it? (Guest Lecturer)

McMaster School of Social Work 4J03: Social Change: Social Movements and Advocacy, Hamilton, Canada

(November 2021) Psychodynamic Theory and Attachment Theory in Practice (Guest Co-lecturer)

McMaster School of Social Work 3E03: Individual Practice Across the Lifespan, Hamilton, Canada

(May 2021) Let’s Talk about Migraine Virtual Event (Invited Speaker)

Collaborative event by Migraine Canada and the Pain Society of Alberta

This talk highlights the tensions I have often felt as I attempted to secure a diagnosis and treatment for disabling symptoms (that subsequently became known as migraine) and how I transformed feelings of dismissal into empowerment by launching a new career path focused on examining migraine care policy in Ontario, CA.

 (March 2021) Managing Migraine and Mental Health Webinar (Invited Speaker)

Migraine Canada

This webinar discussed the connection between migraine, various mental health challenges and how to cope with them.

(March 2021, March 2022, March 2023) Feminist Counselling: From Theory to Practice (Guest Lecture)

McMaster School of Social Work 2A06: Theory, Process and Communication, Hamilton Canada

 (2020). Shifts in Ontological Thought (Conference Presentation)

Qualitative Analysis Conference (Cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic, rescheduled for June 2021), London, Canada Main Audience: Researcher, Competitive

(2020). Migraine, Social Work and the Importance of Self Care (Guest Lecture)

McMaster School of Social Work 2A06: Theory, Process and Communication, Hamilton, Canada

This presentation had 2 parts: 1. An overview of my research 2. Discussed the importance of self care in the field of social work

(2019). Understanding the Research Process (Guest Speaker)

School of Social Work MSW Research Forum, Hamilton, Canada

Participation in this research forum as a speaker exemplifies my commitment to scholarship in this area, my peers, and provides an opportunity for ongoing training. I was invited to speak directly about the research process I experienced during my Master’s which is directly connected to the work I will undertake as a PhD. Student.

(2019). Migraine and Mental Illness: How to Regain Control Over Your Life Post Migraine (Guest Speaker).

Migraine Forum, Hamilton, Canada 

Participation in this public event demonstrates my involvement with the migraine community both as a peer and as a researcher, my commitment to scholarship as well as my commitment to improving conditions for individuals coping with this illness. This forum is an ideal way to reach out to the public, migraine patients and others in healthcare positions.

Media Appearances/Interviews

(2025) Bottaro, A.  Hysteria: A history of healthcare bias against women. Interview 

(2022) Abbvie & Migraine Canada Partnership: In Sickness and in Health: Susan’s Migraine Story (awareness video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOfmaSfqdW0

(2021) Hello Magazine (English) and Chatelaine (French) Interview/Article for the “Women’s Brain Health Campaign”

(2021) “Chronically Meh” Podcast (Guest)

(2021). “Migraine Talks” Migraine Canada Podcast (Guest)

(2021). “Vestibular Talks” Youtube Channel Interview (Guest)

(2021) “Living with an Invisible Injury” Podcast (Guest)

Publications

Submitted to “Health” Sage Journals

Cape, S. (2025). It’s not a Headache! It’s a Migraine: Exploring Women’s Experiences of Medical Gaslighting in Ontario Canada

Cape, S. (2024, July 29). Disney’s new disability access policy risks excluding some disabled visitors. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/disneys-new-disability-access-policy-risks-excluding-some-disabled-visitors-233419

Sinding, C., Cape, S., Charles, L., Gosselin, C., Kettings, M., Taniguchi, A., Willison, K.B., (2021). When ‘being there’ is disallowed: Disruptions to knowing and caring during COVID-19 visitor restrictions. Journal of Social Work in End of Life and Palliative Care.

Cape, S. (2020). Access to Migraine Treatments in Ontario, Canada: A Review of the Ontario Drug Benefit Program. Journal of Headache and Face Pain. 60(9): 1888-1900. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/head.13918.