Where therapy is empathetic, Islamically aligned, and truly transformative
Meet Audrey Kodye | Registered 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
On the outside, you seem fine, 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’ve already attempted to think your way out of this; let’s try something different together!
If you’ve been overwhelmed, and feeling that struggling in silence is not an option anymore, you’re in the right place.
THIS IS A PLACE FOR MUSLIM WOMEN WHO ARE:
- Tired of overthinking
- The one people often rely on, while they are pouring from an empty cup
- Under the impression that there is something wrong with them, although their response is normal based on everything they’ve been and are going through
- Motivated to feel better, even if it takes work, with therapy that aligns with the Qur’an and Sunnah.
The time has come to speak your heart out with a Muslim Psychologist who’s safe and gets what it’s like, and to see the tangible, long-term change you’ve been waiting for, insha’Allah.
HOW I WORK
I know it is hard to admit to yourself, let alone to someone else, that you’ve been struggling and could use some support. I’ve been there. While mental health challenges are no different than a broken arm or a chronic physical illness, the stigma, especially in our community, is real.
Going the route of a non-muslim therapist may also feel daunting as the therapy room should not be a space where you need to explain, and maybe even defend, something that is as important and central as our faith.
With me as your Psychologist, this is not something you will ever need to worry about.
Let’s take more of the pressure off right away: this work will not be about me criticizing you for not doing everything perfectly according to the Deen.
Form our very first session, my priority is to ensure that you feel that this space is 100% emotionally safe and that the focus is truly your well-being in both this dunya and the akhirah. I will show up with a lot of compassion and provide a listening ear as we explore your story, to profoundly understand what led you to where you are at today. And I will not just guess that you’re feeling 100% safe; I will ask for your feedback to make sure you consistently feel seen, heard and understood, and I will course-correct as needed to make this the best experience possible for you.
You won’t have to repeat the same things over and over again for me to remember the big events you’ve experienced or even the little details in your life.
This isn’t a place where you will find yourself talking in circles; the next part of our work together is about making beneficial changes that will help you actually overcome your challenges insha’Allah, while strengthening your connection with Allah ﷻ. However, we will only enter this phase when you feel prepared to do so.
During this active phase, we’ll take these problems that seem too big and overwhelming to overcome, one at a time, and break them down into manageable steps for change. We’ll take a focused and closer look at the thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and spiritual struggles that come up in moments where you experience that specific problem and that may be contributing to it, helping us identify the patterns that are keeping you stuck.
I will then guide you through permissible and Islamically-informed strategies tailored to your unique needs. I’ll help you master them so you can confidently apply these techniques in your everyday life until they become second nature.
Conversations about ways to improve your Deen will be filled with empathy and non-judgment, while remaining authentic to the teachings of Islam. Our guide will always be the Qur’an and Sunnah, not cultural expectations, or watered-down interpretations of the faith.
Together, we’ll work on shifting old patterns, with our starting point being where you are at right now.
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, lasting happiness starts here, insha’Allah.
MY METHODS
MY SPECIALTIES
A Little Bit More About Me
I am Audrey Kodye, B.A., M.Ed., a Registered Psychologist with 13 years in the field, spent fine-tuning my extensive training, which includes Islamic Psychology and therapy, 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 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 managing the counselling department of a post-secondary institution.
In 2020, I founded Overcome Anxiety Psychological, my fully virtual Edmonton-based private practice, to offer other Muslim women the validating, faith-informed and effective therapy experience that I so needed when I sought psychological servives for myself. Overcome Anxiety Psychological now serves Muslim women in four provinces and one territory.
I am a Muslim revert of almost 11 years, and it has been my focus to learn more about the Deen in general, as well as Islamic perspectives on mental health and therapy through specialized training.
I am also passionate about advancing the quality of mental health care available to Muslims. To support this goal, I created a professional consultation group that brings together Muslim female mental health professionals from across Canada who integrate Islamic teachings into their clinical work. Together, we meet regularly to discuss how best to serve our clients in a manner that is both clinically effective and faithful to the guidance of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Originally from Mauritius, a beautiful island nation in the Indian Ocean, I have lived in Canada for 14 years and have called Alberta home for most of that time. I currently reside in Edmonton with my family.
Self-care for me looks like spending time with my husband and children, watching documentaries, increasing my knowledge of the Deen, and practicing the wellness habits and spiritual disciplines that I encourage my clients to cultivate in their own lives.
As a Muslim psychologist, I am passionate about offering you the very best psychological services 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.
After our very first appointment,
100%
of Muslim women who work with me said that they felt that I was very warm and supportive.
100%
of Muslim women who work with me said that they felt that I was very trustworthy.
100%
of Muslim women who work with me said that I did a very good job of listening.
93%
of Muslim women who work with me said that I very much understood how they felt inside, after only one session. The remaining 7% said that I moderately understood how they felt inside, following the initial session.
Data based on after-session surveys completed after regular first appointments (data doe snot include free consultations).
2. 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 insha’Allah, and have the data to show how far you’ve come.
Muslim women who work with me report an average of
32%
DECREASE in feelings of sadness.
12%
DECREASE in feelings of anxiety.
22%
INCREASE in positive feelings.
per session
Data based on before- and after-session surveys completed for regular appointments (data does not include free consultations).
3. A highly personalized treatment plan.
In my approach to therapy, 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, we will be able to choose from over 100 halal methods to find the formula that works best for you.
4. 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 also 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, aside from Islamic psychology, namely Cognitive Behavioural 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.
5. Support that honours your identities and lived experience.
As a Muslim woman and therapist of African descent, I know that our challenges also come from living in a world where inequity, racism, discrimination, and 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, insha’Allah.
Further information about
My Credentials
Education and Certifications
M.Ed. in Clinical Psychology, Université Charles de Gaulle, France (2013)
- Specialization in cognitive behavioural 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 and Therapy (mainly through Al Balagh Academy, London, UK)
- Trauma therapy
- Online therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- OCD treatment [including through the Behaviour 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 Obsessive 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 privileges to provide online therapy to clients who are physically located in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, and Quebec.
Modalities
Islamic Psychology
TEAM-CBT
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, Canada
It’s time to feel true peace and joy, that which comes from real closeness to Allah ﷻ
