Because of everything you are going through, you may feel ‘not normal’ or even crazy at times.

In my work with clients, I use self-disclosure 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 are hard to put into words, while being cautious of not taking up too much space in our sessions together.

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 honor...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.”

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. 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 get a lot of significant work done during our appointments in the active phase of therapy, and I will give you some form of ‘homework’ every time we meet so as to help you continue working on your goals, outside our sessions. 

In my experience, homework is one of the most important ingredients that bring about recovery in therapy; homework helps with developing a thorough understanding of one’s spiritual and/or mental health challenges, and with mastering the tools and techniques that will help you overcome these challenges. This is similar to the fact that we may learn to play a sport during lessons but will only master the skills necessary to be good at this sport if we practise the skills between classes.

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 to discuss them with me and I will consider you choosing to do so, an honour.  Now, I know that this can be somewhat nerve-racking and my former “anxious-and-people-pleasing” self did not like this prospect at all. However, after 12 years as a Psychologist, I have come to realize that uncomfortable moments in our relationship – when handled in a safe, healthy manner and with authenticity – can also be the moments when therapy breakthroughs happen and I cannot wait for you to experience that aha-moment!

We will track your progress toward recovery at every session, by assessing your emotional state and other relevant indicators of well-being before and after every appointment. Some of our sessions will leave you feeling great, and others not so much. This makes sense as deep conversations and work that make a meaningful difference in your life usually come with their share of pain. Therapy is non-linear that way. However, my goal is that your well-being will improve drastically – and that we’ll have the data to back it up – by the time we finish working together.

In my approach to therapy and counselling, there are steps that we will go through together in order to get you to a place of healing, peace and happiness. At the same time, this framework places you at the center 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 we are regressing – as progress can never be undone – but rather that we will always strive to meet you where you are at. Recovery is non-linear and that’s ok. Once we get to the active part of therapy or counselling, we will be able to choose from over 100 methods to find the formula that works best for you.

As a Psychologist with a Research and Mathematics background, I value making sure that the methods and tools that I use have been proven to bring positive results. 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 data. 

In fact, the main modalities that I 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 that have strong research support, according to the American Psychological Association. 

As a Muslim, Black woman and therapist, I know that our challenges also come from living in a world where inequity, racism and discrimination permeate our daily lives.

Together, we will come up with solutions that also give due consideration to the systemic origins of your current struggles, for meaningful, positive outcomes that last.