With the passing of Dr. Danielle Nahon, members of the Faculty of Medicine reflect on a remarkable individual who inspired others with her dedication to the paradigm of honouring one’s values in daily life, which she modelled both in her own life and in her therapeutic work.
Danielle Nahon of the Department of Psychiatry joined the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine in 1993 as a lecturer, becoming assistant professor in 1994 and promoted to associate professor of psychiatry in 2013. She served as co-chair of the Women Faculty Mentoring Program, and was a valued member of the Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity and Gender Issues.
Dr. Nahon was an esteemed mentor and educator at the Faculty of Medicine, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate learners in psychology, medicine, counselling and other health care disciplines at the Faculty and at The Ottawa Hospital. She mentored medical students, residents and faculty members in areas of wellness, fostering in them a harmony between work and home life.
Praised as a wonderful colleague and a caring and loyal friend, Dr. Nahon is fondly remembered as a warm, funny and generous individual. Her outgoing personality and her willingness to offer suggestions helped to facilitate numerous rewarding collaborations with colleagues in the Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Nahon was widely respected and highly regarded at the Department of Psychiatry and throughout the Faculty, striving to do what was right even if not the popular choice.
Colleagues describe Dr. Nahon as a positive, upbeat person, with a flair for making people feel welcome and comfortable, and a knack for getting people talking and sharing their ideas. She was noted as a tireless supporter of female faculty, regularly hosting them for evenings of information, friendship and networking on topics of particular interest to them, such as the promotion process for women and work-life balance. It is felt she played a tremendous role in changing the climate of support for women faculty.
Together with a close colleague, Dr. Nahon developed the Integrity Model, which served as a foundation for the services she provided in her practice in clinical and counselling psychology. In a series of lectures, the two shared the model with first-year medical students to teach them how to integrate their personal values into their role as physicians-to-be. To the everyday individual, the model highlighted the importance of values, courage, responsibility, meaningfulness and “mindfulness with a twist” in mental health and wellness.
The Faculty of Medicine will be ever grateful for the commitment and contributions that Dr. Danielle Nahon has made to its initiatives, priorities – and wellness. She will be deeply missed.
