Marina Gérard

Psy. (psychologist), Regular member

Expertise
Psychology

Principal Interest
Sex and hormones

Secondary Interest
Rehabilitation

Primary Affiliation

Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Secondary Affiliation
Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain (CRIR)

Biography

Marina Gérard is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sexology at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). She is a clinical psychologist working with adults in individual and couples therapy and is involved in the clinical training of 3 psychology interns. She teaches theoretical and clinical content related to biomedical sexology at both the undergraduate and graduate levels within sexology programs. After an initial academic path in literature (Sorbonne, McGill University), she pursued training in psychology (McGill University), leading to the completion of her PhD at UQAM. Informed by her clinical practice, her research focuses on the multiple facets of adaptation and identity transitions among populations from physical rehabilitation and perinatal care contexts, as well as among individuals facing sexual health concerns. Issues related to well-being, the pain–pleasure continuum, and the role of the body are central to her current projects. Through her work, she is also committed to giving voice to healthcare professionals across these care settings, contributing to the development of reflexive research and clinical practices.

What excites you most about your research program or field?

What fascinates me most about my research program are the stories people share with me: stories of bodies transformed by pain, illness, hormonal changes, or life transitions, but also by bursts of creativity, desire, and resilience. Whether it's people living with neurological damage, young people struggling with pelvic pain, or perinatal experiences marked by profound bodily transformations, I am struck by individuals' ability to reinvent their relationship with their bodies. My work aims to gradually shift the focus from deficit to well-being (sexual, psychological, etc.), exploring the continuum between pain and pleasure, bodily presence, and adaptation processes. Giving voice to these experiences—as well as to the caregivers who support them—is essential for me in order to foster clinical practices that are more humane, reflective, and sensitive to lived experience.