Hey! I’m Aziza
I am a Vancouver Island based therapist, and I am here to welcome and support ALL of your parts!
My goal is to support the parts of you that feel despair, anxiety, or disconnection—those parts that may feel unseen or alone. Healing begins with embracing all of who you are, especially the parts that are hurting. Together, we’ll create a compassionate space where you can reconnect with yourself and find the peace and balance you’ve been missing.
We’ll work to help each part of you feel seen, heard, and understood. By honouring and nurturing these parts, you’ll move toward living with greater purpose, authenticity, and fulfillment.
You already have the strength and tools for healing within you. My role is to help bring them into conscious awareness, so you can tap into your inner wisdom and begin your journey toward wholeness.
My promise to you is that I will show up in my authenticity and humanness to support you in your process, so you don’t have to take it all on alone.
Who am I?
I’m a Registered Social Worker in good standing with both the British Columbia College of Social Workers (BCCSW) and the Ontario College of Social Workers & Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). I hold a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Calgary (Clinical Specializaiton).
Over the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege of working in mental health, supporting adults and youth from all walks of life as they navigate life’s challenges. My experience spans a variety of community mental health settings across Alberta and British Columbia, where I’ve had the honour of witnessing the incredible resilience and strength people carry, even in their darkest moments.
I came to this work out of a deep desire to connect with others on their healing journeys. Like many, I’ve experienced times of loneliness, despair, and uncertainty. These moments have shaped my understanding of what it truly means to be human. I’ve always been drawn to the deeper questions of life—what it means to live fully, to grow, and to heal. Over the past decade, I’ve dedicated myself to my own healing and self-discovery. This personal journey continues to fuel my passion for supporting others as they navigate their own paths toward growth and transformation.
In my practice, I honour the full range of human experience—joy and sorrow, success and struggle, beauty and heartbreak. I believe that even our most difficult emotions hold wisdom, and I aim to create a space where every part of you feels seen and accepted. Together, we’ll explore these tender places with curiosity and compassion, uncovering the strength and insight that already live within you.
Wherever you are on your journey, I’m here to walk alongside you.
I wish someone had told me early on that I didn’t need to do it alone.
I spent many years existing in disconnection. Opening up to others felt impossible, because they just wouldn’t understand. I endured a lot of sleepless nights, navigating anxiety, and feeling lost, and hopeless. It didn’t help that I grew up in a system, era and culture in which addressing your mental health needs was non-existent.
I finally reached out, and in doing so, the fragmented parts of myself began to heal and come together. That moment of seeking help was the beginning of a journey toward feeling whole again.
My Approach
I want to help you to feel more connected
One of the many ways that healing occurs is through awareness and meaningful connection. In counselling, we can nurture your self-awareness so that you may recognize your patterns and transform
I hope to help you find the path that is right for you
Change can look different for everyone, and I will meet you wherever you are.
I understand that sometimes, just "talking it through" isn't enough.
Healing occurs in mind, body and spirit.With this understanding at the forefront, I integrate somatic (body-based) therapies, cognitive (mind-based) therapies, and relational-cultural-spiritual practices. This combination of supports provide a trauma-informed approach to gently guide your exploration.
We will bring awareness to the narratives and patterns that prevent you from making a change and in turn begin the process of moving in a healthier direction.
Values that I bring to this work
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Curiosity
I work from the stance that there is always more to learn + understand. There are a multitude of different perspectives and ways of knowing. I leave assumption and judgment at the door, and invite curiosity in at every step of the process.
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Collaboration
I will work collaboratively with you to help develop and deepen an awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that keep you feeling stuck. This means I work with you, blending the wisdom of your Self knowledge and my clinical understanding, in order to co-create a path forward that works for you.
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Evidence-Based Practice
Using evidence-based practices, I will support and guide you through a process of change. We will bring awareness to the narratives and patterns that prevent you from making a change and, in turn, begin the process of moving in a healthier direction.
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Harmony
Harmony is at the heart of my approach to therapy. I believe in creating a balance between doing and being, thinking and feeling, working and resting. In our work together, I’ll ensure that you feel a sense of safety and ease—a foundation for meaningful growth. My aim is to build a trusting and supportive relationship where we can explore your experiences with care and curiosity, creating a space that feels grounded and in tune with your needs.
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Embodiment
Grounding ourselves in our bodily experiences allows us to nurture a deeper connection between mind, body, and spirit. Our bodies are always communicating—expressing our needs, emotions, and desires through sensations. By learning to tune in and listen to this language, we can cultivate greater self-awareness and foster a more meaningful relationship with ourselves.
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Magic & Play
In West African Mythology, Aziza is a supernatural being that lives in the forest. They provide good magic for hunters and act as catalysts for a hunter’s journey from mediocrity to mastery. They are also known to have given practical and spiritual knowledge to people. I believe that there is a shared magic in how we heal together, and find it important to sprinkle a little magic and play into this work and my life.
My Values
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I aim to be anti-oppressive and anti-racist in my approach. I recognize the importance of our context in shaping who we become, and therefore practice approaching my work with you from a decolonized perspective. I will walk alongside you in allyship and with humility and openness.
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I understand all-too-well the pervasive, devastating nature of trauma. I work to promote an environment of healing that is mindful of not creating spaces for retraumatization to occur.
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Healing is a personal journey that embraces the whole self—mind, body, and spirit. Your emotional and physical experiences are deeply connected to your relationships, culture, and sense of meaning.
With a compassionate, holistic approach, I’ll support you in exploring these connections, navigating challenges, and reconnecting with what feels authentic. Together, we’ll create space for healing that honors all of who you are, empowering you to live in alignment with your truest self.
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Life can often feel isolating and overwhelming, but I believe we aren’t meant to face it alone. Healing happens through awareness and meaningful connection—with ourselves, others, and the world around us. Together, we’ll create a space where you feel seen, supported, and empowered to reconnect with what matters most.
I am a cis-gendered, heterosexual settler woman raised in a South Asian immigrant family.
I believe that "the personal is political"—our personal experiences are deeply intertwined with the larger systems and structures in society. My own place within these systems has given me a unique perspective, one that shapes my sensitivity to how our individual identities and beliefs are influenced by the world around us. I approach my work with the understanding that the personal stories we carry are not separate from the societal contexts we navigate. By recognizing and honoring these intersections, I can offer a space that validates both the personal and the broader forces at play in shaping who we are.
Beyond my work as a therapist,
I enjoy wandering around in the forests of the west coast of British Columbia.
Nature has been, and continues to be, one of my biggest teachers - constantly reminding me to honour the seasons and cycles within myself, and all of life. I feel most connected to myself when I am in the forest, by the ocean, or in the mountains. I am grateful every day to live and play on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Hul’qumi’num and SENĆOŦEN-speaking peoples.
I love to go on adventures with my two buddies, Dexter and Oki.
Beyond my work as a therapist, I nurture a deep connection to the rhythms of life that sustain and inspire me. I find peace in the presence of plants, seeing them as wise companions that help me slow down, listen, and reconnect. Rest, for me, is a form of resistance—a way of honoring my body and spirit in a world that demands constant doing.
I’m drawn to the beauty of new places, the joy of meeting kindred spirits, the warmth of animals and the simple pleasure of sharing nourishing food with others. Writing, singing, and dancing are ways I return to my body and express the thoughts and feelings that live there.
I also love learning through hands-on practices like basket weaving and sewing, where the gentle repetition of making invites me into presence. Skiing and camping remind me of nature's expansive peace and aliveness, and I feel deeply grateful to live in a place that offers such natural beauty and abundance for me to experience this often.
These practices and passions shape the way I show up as a therapist—deeply rooted, present, and committed to supporting you on your journey.
PROFESSIONAL TRAININGS
Narrative Therapy
Internal Family Systems (Level 1, IFS Institute)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Basic Training
Psilocybin Assisted Therapy Foundations (Therapsil)
Introduction to Psychedelic Assisted Therapy & Integration
Systemic Family Therapy (8-month Internship)
Dialectial Behavioural Therapy (DBT) Skills Training
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Trauma-Focused & Anxiety Disorders
Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
Family-Based Treatment (FBT)
San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training
12- week Ketamine Assisted Therapy Preceptor Training
EDUCATION & REGISTRATION
Master of Social Work, Clinical Specialization University of Calgary
Registered Social Worker, BC College of Social Workers
Registered Social Worker, Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Graduate Certificate, Vancouver Island University*
