Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy Therapists

Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

Hi, I’m Cordelia and I’m honoured that you are here. I desire to provide gentle and compassionate care, empathy and a safe place as I believe that we as humans have longings to feel seen, heard, known, understood, felt, accepted, and cared for, especially in difficult moments. The one thing that remained constant throughout my life is that I have always found meaning in connecting with others on an authentic, deep, heart level and in making meaningful impact in the lives of others. A longing to lead a life in alignment with who I am at the core of my being led me to pursue counselling not just as a profession, but as a calling and passion. I love what I do and am honoured that I get to hold space for my clients and see transformation happen in their lives. It makes my heart full to know that I am making a daily difference, one person at a time. I consider it an honour to walk alongside you and to meet you where you are at – be it a time when you are navigating everyday difficulties, a time when you feel lost, a time of grief, loss and transitions, a time when hope feels out of reach, or a time when you find that you are desiring growth and change within yourself and in your relationships. Although I am experienced in my work a generalist, I have specialized training and extensive experience in the area of grief and loss. Additionally, I have special training and extensive experience in various areas of concern. My personal experience of grief and painful loss of my family member’s death led to my deep devotion and passion to people who are grieving a death and/or non-death losses. Through my own journey of integrating grief into my life story, I developed a strong desire to support others in carrying their grief, remembering their person and integrating their grief into their life story. As one who grew up in a multicultural community, I have strong cultural awareness and strive to provide culturally sensitive therapy from a place of cultural humility. I value holding space for your story to be told and acknowledged in a supportive space where your experiences are validated, honoured, processed and integrated into your life story in a way that is fitting for you. In sharing your stories and allowing them to be witnessed in the presence and safety of a therapeutic relationship, it is my hope that what may have once felt unbearable becomes less heavy and eventually more bearable. On A Personal Note As one who is nearing my mid-30s, I have navigated various challenges, including life transitions, chronic pain, endometriosis and grief of all kinds (death and non-death losses). I cherish beautiful moments that unfold in life while also seeing the value of holding space for feelings that emerge from the difficult places of life. It is from my lived experiences and my own human-ness that I draw my compassion for each person I encounter in the therapy room. I live in beautiful British Columbia with my husband whom I have been married to for almost a decade. I treasure spending quality time with my family and friends. I am an avid reader, and am most fulfilled when I am outdoors in nature. I enjoy hiking, biking, playing the piano, listening to music and visiting new places around the world. I look forward to getting to know you and to connecting with you. It is my honour to meet you. Warmly, Cordelia

Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Starting therapy is daunting. Existing in this world is not easy! There is much uncertainty and hurt. I congratulate you for taking the initial steps to find the right fit for you. I believe that everyone has the right to healing and community. We heal in community. The work I do with my clients in essence is relational. The work you will do in therapy is a radical act of self-advocacy in a world that often demands from us productivity and perfectionism. As a social justice activist, yogi, and post-modernist my approach to healing work is holistic. I aspire to go beyond the medical model and do not conform to what the norm demands from us. As your therapist, I engage with you curiously to go deeper, exploring many aspects as you unpack the layers of your narratives. Healing can only begin when we separate who we are from our problems. Coming from a bi-cultural background, I believe the narratives we have to speak to our individualistic and collective experience of events. It is vital to look within and around the communities to which we belong. I can provide services in Hindi, Punjabi, and English. My goal as a therapist is to facilitate mindful exploration of your trauma in a safe, collaborative, and open space. I want to hear your stories. Revisiting painful, challenging, and stressful stories can be a complex process. You are not alone! We work at your pace to restore your agency so that you can reclaim the narratives that serve your interpersonal growth and well-being. Through a trauma-informed lens, together, we can unpack: Anxiety and Low Moods Addictions Abuse Sexuality Social Anxiety Self-esteem and self-worth Burnout Challenges around social justice advocacy and activism Fear and hopelessness Body Image Self-Care Chronic Illness Ableism Navigating bi-cultural reality and expectations Relationships Perfectionism ADHD Feelings of isolation My approach is multi-faceted, and I will be combining traditional talk therapy with somatic psychology practices. I believe movement is essential for our healing and self-regulation. With virtual sessions, I want us to acknowledge that we are present with each other in our whole bodies and not just our floating heads. Therefore, I invite you to get in touch with your senses and body through practices such as tapping exercises or body scans. I will also lean on my mindfulness philosophy to help guide a process through which you can access inner wisdom, be present in the here and now, to release your traumas, and narratives which no longer serve you. My mental health work background is grounded in traditional Vedic-Yoga practices, Buddhist psychology, and Western psychology. Over the last decade, I have strived to do collective healing work through my activism and mental health aid for community members. I am committed to supporting you on your healing journey with great compassion. At this time, I can only see clients that are currently residing in Canada. I wish to express gratitude, and acknowledgment that I currently live, work and play in the ancestral, traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Tsleil-waututh Nations.

Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

Hello, I am Ayesha Azfar, a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and I have my Master of Counselling Psychology from Adler University. My practice is located in Coquitlam BC and I provide Individual, Couples, and Relationship Counselling services. When we experience traumas or life stressors it can be not only overwhelming, but also very isolating as it often feels like no one can understand what you are going through. Without having a space to explore and unpack these stressors in a meaningful way, we often turn those thoughts and feelings inwards, internalize our issues and experience guilt and shame. This can also lead to negative interactions with our loved ones and can adversely impact our relationship with them. I am passionate about working with clients who feel like they are "not good enough" or who worry about living up to the expectations of others. I help them to develop self-acceptance, reduce people-pleasing behaviours, and learn how to establish and maintain boundaries. In all my experiences of providing therapy, I firmly believe that clients hold within themselves the key to unlocking the tools to help overcome their challenges. My passion lies in helping clients access their strengths, provide an understanding of their own agency and facilitate their journey towards change. My focus is to help individuals grow from their struggles, heal from their pain and move forward to where they want to be in life so that they can thrive. As an immigrant to Canada and a member of the BIPOC community, I have an understanding of the diverse and multicultural impacts on therapy and how they intersect. I have over 10 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families with a special focus on South Asian and Muslim communities.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Julie has Master’s Degrees in Clinical Psychology and Clinical Counselling and is currently finishing her doctorate’s degree in clinical psychology. In addition to professional training and experiences in psychotherapy and treatment, clinical counselling, behavioural intervention, and neuropsychological assessments, Julie also has a background in psychological research at the doctoral level and uses the empirical insights gained from previous studies to supplement her current clinical practice, making her unique as a practitioner of both clinical-scientist and scientist-practitioner models. Julie has worked with BC Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse (BCSMSSA), Family Services of Greater Vancouver (FSGV), Chimo Community Services, and local medical clinics and healthcare centres. She has provided individual and couple/family therapy, treatments, and assessments to individuals for disorders and issues including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, feeding and eating disorders, trauma- and stressor-related disorders, neurocognitive disorders, affect management, self-regulation, stress management, sexual/physical abuse and violence, crisis intervention and stabilization, couple/marital/parenting conflicts, academic/work stress, identity crisis/exploration, self-introspective needs, loneliness, and relationship difficulties. She identifies as a cisgender female who is open to clients belonging to the LGBTQIA2S+ communities. Julie applies an integrated theoretical framework informed by trauma theory, understanding of behavioral and neuropsychology, and multicultural sensitivity to her eclectic therapeutic approach. As an advocate of positive psychology who understands that mental health is more than the absence of illness, she focuses on building success and helping clients flourish rather than merely reducing distress. Her clinical repertoire includes Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), CASE Approach for Risk/Suicide Assessment, Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), Motivational Interviewing, Somatic Experiencing/Body Awareness Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Clinical Hypnosis. Owning to her mixed ethnic heritage, she is a native speaker of English, Mandarin, and Hokkien, and has conversational-level skills in Japanese and Cantonese.