Counselling during the Stress of Planning a Wedding or Commitment Ceremony
for Women, Queer folks, Neurodivergent people, BIPOC and Immigrants
in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Alberta
(especially people in Interracial, Interethnic, Interfaith or Queer Partnerships)
You’re supposed to feel joyful.
You’re supposed to be glowing.
You’re supposed to be celebrating love.
But somewhere between traditions, timelines, expectations and opinions — you’re exhausted AND you’re overwhelmed.
And you’re starting to wonder:
Where am I in all of this?
When Planning a Wedding Feels Like a Tangle of Expectations
Whether you’re organizing a wedding, commitment ceremony, cultural union, or chosen family celebration – the pressure can be intense!
The logistics. The families. The cultural differences. The sensory overwhelm.
The emotional labour of making something meaningful and safe for everyone, including yourself.
You might be:
Trying to merge or honour multiple cultural, religious or ancestral traditions
Navigating conflict with family about “how things should be”
Feeling pressure to accommodate people who may not fully affirm your relationship, queerness or values
Overwhelmed by decision fatigue, financial stress and perfectionism
Unsure how to balance being seen with staying grounded and authentic
Masking neurodivergent needs, while managing a high-demand social event
And maybe (quietly) you’re grieving something:
The parts of your love, identity or vision that don’t fully “fit” into the frameworks you’ve inherited or the circumstances you’ve been dealt.
At the Intersections: Why It Feels Even Heavier
You may be:
A queer person planning a ceremony that some family members refuse to attend
Neurodivergent and expected to manage overwhelming social dynamics without accommodations
A 1st or 2nd generation immigrant trying to honour different traditions and protect your mental health
In an interracial, interfaith or interethnic partnership, navigating clashing expectations about culture, spirituality, rituals or family roles
The emotional caretaker in your relationship, holding everyone else’s needs while your own go unmet
This isn’t “just stress.” This is identity, belonging, visibility and emotional survival, all under a spotlight.
What Therapy Can Offer
You don’t have to “get over it.”
You don’t have to pretend it’s all joyful.
You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Therapy can be a space where you:
Process the stress, grief and conflict that may come with wedding planning
Explore your needs, boundaries and values, as you prepare for this life transition
Get support for anxiety, perfectionism, sensory overload or burnout
Practice saying no, holding your truth, and reconnecting with joy
Unpack family dynamics, cultural guilt, or fears around visibility and rejection
Rebuild rituals that feel grounding, inclusive and true to you
This is not just a ceremony. This is a threshold – and you deserve to cross it with clarity and care.
Equitable Pricing
I am committed to offering counselling that is both ethically grounded and financially sustainable, particularly in the context of rising living costs and increasing financial strain for many people.
I offer a 3-tier Pricing Model for individual counselling sessions.
You are welcome to choose the rate that best reflects your current financial reality, without needing to provide additional explanations or documentation:
Accessible rate = $100 / hr
Intended for students, individuals who are unemployed, precariously employed, or experiencing financial instability.
Standard rate = $140 / hr
Intended for individuals with a steady income who are navigating increased cost-of-living pressures.
Resourced rate = $180 / hr
Intended for individuals with greater financial flexibility, extended health benefits, or higher income, who are able to contribute toward sustaining accessible care for others.
This tiered approach allows you to self-select a fee with dignity and autonomy, while helping to ensure that counselling remains accessible to those who need it most.
You may move between tiers over time, as your financial circumstances change.
If you have questions about this pricing model, please feel free to raise them during your 15-min FREE Phone Consult.
You’re Allowed to Feel All of It
You are allowed to celebrate.
You are allowed to feel anxious, resentful or numb.
You are allowed to protect your peace – even if it disappoints someone else.
You are allowed to want this day to feel like it belongs to you.
Your love is sacred.
Your needs are real.
Your presence – in all its complexity – is enough.
Ready to take a breath and get some support?
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I provide counselling to women, queer folks, neurodivergent people, and immigrants between the ages of 18 to 55.
If you see yourself reflected in these lived experiences, you're warmly welcome here.
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I’m a Registered Social Worker (RSW) in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Alberta, and can provide virtual counselling to residents of those provinces.
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I’m a white-passing, Middle Eastern / Southwest Asian, bisexual, cisgender, neurodivergent woman and a first-generation immigrant and settler who came to Canada as a refugee during childhood. I've personally lived through trauma, immigration and displacement, mental illness, divorce, chronic illness and chronic pain – all of that informs how I show up in my work.
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At its core, my approach is:
Trauma-Informed
Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive (ARAO)
Intersectionally Feminist
Neurodivergent-Affirming
Queer-Affirming
Sex Positive
Harm-Reduction-Based
Strengths-Based
That means I honour the ways people’s identities, lived experiences, and cultural contexts shape their needs, relationships and healing process. I centre your strengths, capacity, and values – and work towards change that is realistic, sustainable and grounded in your actual life.
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It means I don’t follow a one-size-fits-all model. I draw from various therapeutic modalities, schools of thought, and practical strategies – adapting them intuitively based on who you are and what you bring into each session.
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Yes – I speak, understand, and read Farsi fluently. My sessions are primarily in English, but I can offer language flexibility for Farsi-speaking clients.
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You get to decide what frequency works best for you. Most of my clients meet with me every 2 to 6 weeks. That gives you space to reflect, process and integrate what we talk about without feeling like therapy is “one more chore.”
In times of burnout, crisis or transition, we might meet weekly for 1–2 months, if that feels supportive for you. -
That’s completely okay. You set the pace. I won’t push you to talk about anything you’re not ready to explore. You’ll always have choice and control in our sessions.
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You can count on me to:
Be fully engaged, honest and compassionate
Share new perspectives and practical tools
Offer relevant books, articles, podcasts, videos and other resources
Encourage reflection and sustainable action
Bring warmth, humour and balance to our sessions
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You can book a free 15-minute phone consult to see if we’re a good fit. I’d be honoured to support you on your journey toward healing, clarity, and self-trust.