Counselling during the Stress of Planning a Wedding or Commitment Ceremony

for Women, Queer Folks, Neurodivergent People & Adult Children of Immigrants (18-55)

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.

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 tradition 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.

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?

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I provide counselling to women, queer folks, neurodivergent people, and adult children of immigrants between the ages of 18 to 55. If you see yourself reflected in these lived experiences, you're warmly welcome here.

  • I’m a Registered Social Worker (RSW) in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Alberta, and can provide virtual counselling to residents of those provinces.

  • My fee for individual counselling is $180/hr.

    This rate allows me to continuously offer $100 discounted spots to make therapy more accessible for students and folks who are unemployed or precariously employed.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Yes – I speak, understand, and read Farsi fluently. My sessions are primarily in English, but I can offer language flexibility for Farsi-speaking clients.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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.