The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

Welcome! My name is Zainab (She/Her), Pronounced Zay-Nub. You can call me Zay (it rhymes with day). I am a Registered Psychotherapist licensed with the College of Registered Psychotherapists Ontario. License number: #10440. I am licensed to work with clients in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia via tele health 🇨🇦. I am also a a Canadian Certified Counsellor, certified with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), licence number #10008082.

I work from a trauma-educated, anti-oppressive, culturally informed lens. I use an array of therapeutic modalities to help my client’s accomplish their individual goals. I honor diversity in all its forms, and endeavor to genuinely uphold everyone’s rights, autonomy, and dignity. I tailor my therapeutic approach to fit the unique needs of each client. I believe in practicing with empathy, kindness, and respect for folks who come from all walks of life. 

I identify as bicultural (my mother had a Portuguese heritage, and my father was a Muslim man). I believe being bicultural gives me an understanding of both individualistic ( North American) and collectivist (East Indian, Asian and alike) communities. Hence, being bicultural, a first generation Canadian and on the cusp of Gen X and Y are qualities that I am appreciative of. 

I have helped clients navigate life transitions such as divorce, ageing, retirement, moving out of home, first year at university and adjusting to a new job or city. I have also assisted clients with enhancing their relationship with themselves be it working on their self esteem, identity, boundary setting, perfectionism or procrastination. I am well versed with assisting clients who have been diagnosed to be on the autism spectrum, with borderline personality disorder and adult ADHD. Some of the clients I have helped and continue to work with have struggles with panic attacks, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, a lack of boundaries, deal with familial conflict, codependency, complex post trauma, emotional dysregulation, emotional flashbacks, marital dysfunction, and depression. 

I am trained by the Beck Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Philadelphia 🇺🇸 to offer CBT for anxiety, social anxiety, social phobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and depression. 

The therapeutic modalities I use include and are not limited to:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Psychodynamic therapy with specific focus on early attachment theory

Person centered therapy

Solution focused brief therapy (SFBT)

Emotion focused therapy (EFT)

Narrative therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) 

Family systems therapy

If you feel you are ready to press reset and live the life you always knew you were worthy of, click on the link below to contact me and let us begin your journey towards healing. 

Sincerely,

Zay.