Trauma-Informed | Anti-Oppressive | Holistic | Compassionate| Relational Counselling For Adults
Trauma Counselling for Transformation, Healing & Growth
Internal Family Systems (IFS), Online EMDR & Psychedelic Integration Therapy for Vancouver Island, BC and across Ontario
Feeling lost & disconnected?
Despite all you’ve done to feel better, you find yourself filled with self-doubt, self-criticism, and this feeling that you can’t quite get comfortable or safe in your skin.
Perhaps the spaces around you and within you feel unkind, unwelcoming, unsafe—and you’re not sure how to navigate it all.
You’re tired of feeling disconnected and unsafe. You’re overwhelmed by a world that feels like it wasn’t exactly built for you. You’re sure there is another way to live—you know this isn’t how it has to be.
Reconnection starts here
The journey toward healing is challenging at times, and it takes strength and courage to be here.
I see that strength and courage in you.
There are times when life brings about a lot of turbulence and we struggle to find an anchor.
As your counsellor, I am honoured to help you cast your anchor into calmer waters.
You might be here because there are parts of you that feel anxious, alone, rejected or afraid.
You may be feeling overwhelmed by it all and finding it hard to balance all of life’s challenges.
You might not know where to start, but know that you don’t have to do it alone.
As your counsellor, my goal is to support you however you show up.
I will hold space for you while you reconnect with your embodied self.
I will be right here with you on your journey of healing, transformation and liberation, and I will hold space while you build a sense of safety and wholeness within yourself.
Aziza Ahmed | msw, rsw
human, being | registered social worker | pronouns she/her
Creating & holding space to explore all parts of you.
Hey, I’m Aziza. I’m a Vancouver Island therapist providing online trauma therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, psychedelic integration therapy, and EMDR therapy online.
I am so glad your path has landed you here, and I am honoured to walk with you on your journey toward a more whole and embodied life.
My practice is rooted in the belief that inside every person there is a deep source of wisdom, creativity, and innate capacity for healing. Together, we can harness this wisdom to support you on your healing journey.
Ready? Let’s begin.
Services & Therapeutic Specialities
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Discover personal growth and emotional well-being through tailored 1:1 sessions designed to support your unique journey.
Individual counselling is designed to be specific to you and your particular areas of challenge, as well as the strengths you possess. As your counsellor, I support you in deepening your self-awareness, learning how to effectively manage stress and difficult emotions, identify and shift patterns to live in alignment with your values, and be more connected to yourself and others.
Schedule Your First Appointment
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Are there parts of you that just feel…stuck? Hidden? Unsafe? You may find yourself at odds when those parts are conflicted or polarized. It might even feel loud or busy internally, and it’s hard to know how to get all these different parts to calm down.
Internal Family Systems (IFS), operates from the premise that the mind is naturally multiple (that is, we all have different “parts”) and that this is a good thing. IFS helps you gently explore your inner system of parts, and provides you with an empowering opportunity to cultivate self-compassion, self-acceptance, and resolve inner conflicts between the parts that are at odds with each other
Schedule Your First IFS Appointment
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Eye Movement Desensitization + Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an evidence- based form of trauma therapy, which is effective in treating symptoms of PTSD and trauma. Traumatic events sometimes have a way of sticking with people, and can make it difficult to function. EMDR can help when traditional talk therapies aren't effective—and for many folks, EMDR helps them get “unstuck” and move toward a more integrated, whole sense of self.
Schedule a Consultation for EMDR Therapy
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I am passionate about creating a safe space for individuals to openly explore their intentions, expectations, and concerns surrounding psychedelic medicines. My hope is to support you in navigating these experiences with greater intention, care, and respect in order to mitigate risks and maximize potential benefits. Through exploration we can bring more profound clarity and deeper understanding of insights gained from non-ordinary states of consciousness into one's life in a meaningful and embodied way.
Areas of Training & Interest:
Life is a playground and I’m here for the magic of continuous learning, growth, and change.
Here are a few (but not all) of the areas that spark my interest as a counsellor, for which I’ve received additional training or consultation:
developmental Trauma | anxiety & depression | relational difficulties | people pleasing & boundaries | perfectionism | reparenting & parts work (internal family systems) | women’s issues | psychedelic preparation, harm reduction & integration | mindfulness & meditation | shame & resilience | embodiment | Somatic Relational Therapy | self-compassion & self-worth | EMDR therapy for trauma & PTSD
FAQs
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The short answer is yes! According to the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), online EMDR therapy can be just as effective for patients as in-office EMDR. Of course, your experience with it will depend greatly on how you experience online therapy in general, and no two people will experience EMDR exactly the same. I am more than happy to talk through the online EMDR therapy process with you, to help you get a better understanding of whether this type of therapy is best fit for your situation.
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The main idea behind IFS is that each of us contains a constellation of different “parts” that make up our internal family system. Some parts work to protect us, some parts work to manage our lives, and some parts are tucked away because they can feel painful, embarrassing, or overwhelming to experience, or to let others witness.
Additionally, we all have a “Self” part that is inherent (meaning we don’t have to build or create it). This Self part embodies a sense of connection, curiosity, compassion, and calm.
IFS therapy works to strengthen and bring forward our Self energy, while building trust and acceptance amongst our other parts. This helps all the other parts feel safer and less burdened by painful past memories or current insecurities. When the various parts of our internal system feel safer and less burdened, we’re able to pursue a more integrated, self-compassionate, Self-led experience. -
Psychedelics have been used for generations as potent vehicles for internal change, growth, and insight. Psychedelic integration therapy exists as a support for those who are pursuing healing and change through psychedelic experiences. In therapy, we’ll work to set your psychedelic intentions with the care and respect needed to mitigate risks and maximize potential benefits.
Psychedelic integration therapy also provides a place for post-experience exploration. This is where we find clarity and deeper understanding of the insights you’ve gained, and integrate them into your life in a meaningful and embodied way. -
As with most types of therapy, the effectiveness of online trauma therapy is highly dependent on how safe and comfortable you feel, both in the space you’re joining from, and in the relationship with your provider.
Whether online trauma therapy is effective for you will depend on a number of factors, which I am happy to discuss with you in a consultation or during our first appointment. However, for many people, the ability to join therapy sessions from a space that feels safe to them, on a schedule that works for their lifestyle, is incredibly supportive of a positive online trauma therapy experience.
Engaging in online therapy also means you have more options when it comes to selecting your provider, as you aren’t limited to only the therapists who practice in your city/town.
With these elements combined—joining from a comfortable space, at a time that works for you, with a provider you feel safe with—you’re more likely to have a healing, beneficial online trauma therapy experience.
Curious to learn whether you might benefit from online trauma therapy? Reach out for a free consultation today.
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Of course! While EMDR therapy and IFS therapy are often used for folks who have experienced trauma, those aren’t the only people who can access and benefit from these incredible types of therapy. Both EMDR and IFS have been shown to help improve anxiety and depression, and can be helpful tools in helping you manage a variety of life’s daily stressors.
Reach out for your free consultation call, and we can talk about how EMDR or IFS might benefit you in managing your stress, anxiety, or depression.
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Yes! I am able to work with anyone located within BC for online therapy. All services are currently online, as I don’t have a physical office where I see clients.
Additionally, I am also able to work virtually with clients who live in Ontario.
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Therapy sessions are typically 60 minutes in length, and are usually scheduled once weekly or once every other weekly.
I also offer 75 minutes and 1.5 hour sessions. If you are interested in booking additional time we can discuss these options during a session.
The length of treatment will depend on the level of support you’re seeking and the type of therapy we engage in. Don’t hesitate to reach out for a consultation to discuss your options.
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A 60-minute therapy session is $160. Longer sessions (75-90 minutes) will be charged at a prorated rate.
For those with insurance: many extended health benefit plans cover Registered Social Workers. Please check your plan to see if you are covered.
I am also a provider with the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA)
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I’m so excited to meet you!
To get started, you can fill out an interest form; I will follow up within 48 hours with the next steps.
If you are already a client you can schedule directly with me using my online scheduler.
Ready to begin? Feeling Curious?
Work with an online therapist here to celebrate, uplift, and hold space for all the parts that make you, you. I cannot wait to meet you!
