MEET AUDREY KODYE, REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST
Where therapy is tender, islamically-aligned, and truly transformative.
Muslim Psychologist in Edmonton, AB, offering virtual therapy across Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Nunavut and Quebec, Canada
for Muslim women struggling with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and trauma
You seem fine on the outside, but inside, you feel anxious, sad, and tired.
You’ve tried to feel better, but nothing really helps.
You’re juggling so much, and pretending to be okay is exhausting.
You know your past pain plays a part, and you’re ready to truly heal and feel happy.
The time has come to speak your heart out with a Muslim Psychologist who’s safe, and to see the real, tangible, long-term change you’ve been waiting for, In Sha Allah.
You’ve already attempted to think your way out of this – let’s try something different together!
MY APPROACH
I know it is hard to admit to yourself, let alone to someone else, that you are struggling and need help. I’ve been there and I know that the stigma is real.
It can feel even worse when most therapists don’t share your religious or even your ethnic background, and do not truly get what you are going through.
This is why I launched Overcome Anxiety Psychological, as a Muslim Psychologist in Edmonton; to offer other Muslim women the validating, empathetic and accessible therapy experience that I so needed when I sought counselling for myself.
If you decide that I am the Psychologist you need, we will work together as a team; your goals will be my goals.
We will begin the process by discussing your current struggles, personal history, identities, relationships and goals, to paint a full picture of what it has been like to walk in your shoes and of where you would like this journey to take you.
I know it can be frustrating to spend the first few sessions talking about your story without jumping straight into solutions. I felt the same way when I saw my own therapist 7 years ago.
But healing that lasts takes both depth and care. That’s why, in my approach, we slow down at the beginning. This helps us go deeper, so that real change can happen faster later on. We don’t have to rush. We just have to begin.
In the next part of our work together, we’ll take a closer look at what happens for you in hard moments. We’ll analyze your emotions, your reactions, and the thoughts behind them. This will help us understand the deeper patterns at play.
I’ll help you see how even the habits or feelings that seem harmful make sense. As strange as this may sound, they often show what matters most to us, our values, beliefs, and inner strengths, even if they’ve been showing up in painful ways.
Knowing why we feel the way we do is important, but real healing happens when we also work on the things that are hurting us, in our mind, heart, and body.
When you’re ready, I’ll guide you through islamically informed and permissible strategies that match who you are and what you need. Together, we’ll work on shifting old patterns that do not or no longer serve you.
Registered Muslim psychologist in Edmonton, offering online therapy to muslim women in AB, NB, NS, NU and QC for anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and trauma therapy
Your path to real happiness starts here.
As Salaam Aleykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatouh. I am Audrey Kodye, B.A., M.Ed.
I am a Registered Psychologist with 13 years in the field, spent fine-tuning my extensive training in both secular and Islamic Psychology, and with lived experience of facing my own mental health difficulties.
I am fully registered and in good standing with the College of Alberta Psychologists.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree with majors in psychology and mathematics, from the University of Manitoba.
I completed my 2-year, thesis-based, Master’s degree in clinical psychology with a double specialization in research and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) at the Université Charles de Gaulle in France. During the 1st year of my Master’s degree, I majored in both clinical psychology and neuropsychology.
I have worked in various capacities both after completing my undergraduate and graduate degrees, from serving as a therapist for several private and public organizations to heading the counselling department of a post-secondary institution.
I had long desired to open my own private practice to fill in a gap that I experienced when I was seeking services for myself: culturally responsive, faith-informed and effective therapy for Muslim women.
After my first child was born, I contemplated the heart-wrenching prospect of going back to my full-time managerial position. I eventually decided to take the leap and resign from my job.
I envisioned a practice that would provide online therapy, long before virtual counselling was a thing; I really wanted to offer services that would allow my female clients to meet with me without the extra burden of commuting and making complex childcare arrangements. However, this was a novel idea and I eventually decided to go with a traditional brick-and-mortar clinic.
Subhan'Allah, a couple of weeks before I signed my office lease, the COVID lockdown came into effect and there was no choice but to work from home. This is how Overcome Anxiety Psychological, my fully virtual practice, was born.
Overcome Anxiety Psychological now serves Muslim women in 4 provinces and 1 territory.
I am a Muslim revert of almost 11 years. I have years of specialized training in Islamic psychology and therapy, which I have integrated into the secular therapy I am certified in, TEAM-CBT.
In order to further hone in on my skills and connect with like-minded Muslim therapists, I created a consultation space that gathers Muslim female mental health professionals based in various parts of Canada and who use Islamic teachings from the Qu’ran and Sunnah in their clinical work. We meet monthly to discuss ways to better assist our Muslim clients.
Self-care for me looks like spending time with my husband and daughters, watching documentaries, increasing my knowledge of the deen and putting into practice wellness strategies derived from the Qu’ran and Sunnah .
I have lived in Canada for 14 years, and for 11 of those, I have called Alberta home. I currently reside in Edmonton, but spent a number of years in rural, Northern Alberta.
I was born and raised in Mauritius, a small island off the southeastern coast of Africa, which is why I speak English, French and Mauritian Creole, fluently. And yes, the beaches in Mauritius are as beautiful as what you see in the pictures, Subhan'Allah.
As a Muslim psychologist, I am passionate about offering you the very best therapy and counselling experience possible:
- A caring space where you can be your true self and never feel alone in your experience.
Because of everything you are going through, you may feel ‘not normal’ or even ‘crazy’ at times.
In my work with Muslim women, I use self-disclosure about my past struggles as needed. While no two stories are ever exactly the same, my goal in sharing elements of my journey is to demonstrate deep empathy with even these parts of your experience that feel alienating or are hard to put into words. I’m careful to share only what helps, so our time is focused on you.
This is what my clients have to say about therapy and counselling with me:
“The space that was created for me was safe and held with great honour…I liked that.”
“I felt truly heard and understood. Thank you!”
“What I liked the best about my session is how much Audrey understands me and can make sense of what I am saying on a very deep level.”
“I was able to fully express myself knowing how comfortable Audrey makes me feel. She validated me and affirmed my feelings. She always shows so much care and empathy.”
“I received a lot of empathy and warmth as I was sharing my story, which made me even more emotional (in a good way) and open to speak more.”
2. Meaningful transformation at your own pace.
Therapy with me does not take years, because it does not have to and because I want you to experience your best life, as soon as possible In Sha Allah. A therapy course in my approach is typically between 12 and 24 sessions long. Usually, the more often we meet, the quicker the process.
We will accomplish significant work during our appointments, and I will assign to you some form of ‘homework’ every time we meet to help you continue working on your goals beyond our sessions.
In my experience, homework is key to lasting recovery. It helps you understand your challenges better and master tools that will help you overcome them.
Having a healthy therapeutic relationship is another important ingredient of successful therapy. A healthy relationship does not mean that there will never be disagreements between us; it does mean that I will work hard to create a safe environment in which you can feel comfortable discussing your concerns with me, and I will consider you choosing to do so, an honour.
At first, it might feel scary to be open like this. I know because I’ve been there. But after 13 years as a therapist, I’ve learned that those tough moments often lead to the biggest breakthroughs. I’m excited for you to experience that “aha” moment In Sha Allah!
3. Measurable change.
At every session, we’ll check in on how you’re feeling, before and after, so we can clearly track your progress over time.
Some of our sessions will leave you feeling great, and others, not so much. This makes sense as real change often comes from digging deep, which can sometimes be uncomfortable.
Therapy doesn’t always move in a straight line, but as your Psychologist, I will commit to doing my best to help you feel much better by the end In Sha Allah, and have the data to show how far you’ve come.
4. A highly personalized treatment plan.
In my approach to therapy and counselling, there are clear steps that we will go through together to get you to a place of healing, peace and happiness.
At the same time, this framework places you at the centre of our work together and we will sometimes go back to a step we had completed, as needed, to meet your needs; this will not mean that you’re going backward.
Healing isn’t a straight line, and every step counts.
Once we get to the active part of therapy or counselling, we will be able to choose from over 100 halal methods to find the formula that works best for you.
5. Evidence-based techniques.
As a Registered Psychologist with a post-secondary research and mathematics background, I value ensuring that the methods and tools that I use have been proven to bring positive results. I only use techniques that are islamically aligned. Although there is no one size fits all, and what works for you may not work for someone else, you can be confident that all the methods we will use together are backed by science, have been shown to help people feel better and most importantly, are halal.
In fact, the main modalities that I am thoroughly trained in and use in my approach, namely Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Prolonged exposure (PE), Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP) and Mindfulness, are some of the very few treatment modalities with strong research support, according to the American Psychological Association.
You can feel confident knowing that what we’re doing is proven to help.
6. Support that honors your identities and lived experience.
As a Muslim, Black woman and therapist, I know that our challenges also come from living in a world where inequity, racism, discrimination, microaggressions are very well alive.
Together, we will come up with halal solutions that give due consideration to the systemic factors that influence your current struggles, for meaningful, positive outcomes that will last In Sha Allah.
SPECIALTIES
Further information about
My Credentials
Education
M.Ed. in Clinical Psychology, Université Charles de Gaulle, France (2013)
- Specialization in cognitive behavioral therapy and research in Psychology, minor in neuropsychology
- Obtained with honours
B.A., major in Psychology, minor in Mathematics, University of Manitoba, Canada (2010)
- Obtained with distinction
- University gold medal
Certification in:
- TEAM-CBT, a cutting-edge therapy/counselling framework for:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Low self-esteem
- Trauma
- Procrastination
- Perfectionism
- Relationship issues, amongst others.
Additional specialized training in:
- Islamic Psychology (mainly through Al Balagh Academy, London, UK)
- Trauma therapy
- Online therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- OCD treatment [including through the Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI), a reputable, intensive training program offered by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)]
- ERP (exposure and response prevention therapy), one of only two methods that have strong research support for the successful treatment of Obsesssive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) according to the American Psychological Association.
- Indigenous counselling
amongst others.
Psychologist Registration
Registered Psychologist, College of Alberta Psychologists (#4872)
My registration :
- Allows me to provide therapy to clients who are physically located in Alberta at the time services are provided;
- Gives me special priviledges to provide online therapy to clients who are physically located in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, and Quebec.
Modalities
TEAM-CBT
Islamic Psychology
Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT)
Prolonged exposure therapy (PE) for trauma
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD
Solution-Focused therapy
Mindfulness
I also have some training in Somatic work and Psychodynamic therapy, and use elements of both modalities, based on my clients’ needs.
Memberships
- International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
- Alberta Black Therapists Network
Muslim Psychologist in Edmonton, AB, offering online sessions to muslim women across Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Nunavut and Quebec
It’s time to feel the peace and joy you deserve.
