Maryam Dada
Hi there, my name is Maryam, and I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). Thank you for taking the time to read through my profile, finding a good fit with your counsellor is the first and most important step in your healing journey.
My goal is to provide you a safe, non-judgemental space to express how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking and if you don’t always know, that’s okay too, we’ll figure it out together.
A bit about me
I am a second-generation South-Asian settler living, working, and playing, on the sacred, stolen, and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
From my lived-experiences I know how difficult it can be to feel like you belong, especially while struggling with the multiple pressures of culture, community, faith, family, and the expectations that we have for ourselves.
I think it’s important to honour these experiences and hold space for the journey back to healing and self-discovery. (Who am I without these pressures? Who do I want to be?)
What is it like working with me?
I take an intersectional, collaborative, approach while acknowledging that you are the expert of your own life. I remain committed to creating a safe, healing space for you to share your story and reflect on your experiences.
I believe in the power of the therapeutic relationship and once trust is established, I am not afraid to challenge you, your perspective, and/or hold you accountable. I also believe in the power of stories and storytelling. I’ll often bring in different forms of media, from books to movies to poetry to help you understand and navigate your narrative and life experiences; to help shed light about your story. This is a modality known as bibliotherapy.
I use humour in my sessions to ground back into the human experience and as that gentle reminder that it’s okay to laugh at ourselves and our experiences.
It is really important to me to cultivate an environment of respect, kindness, and safety during our sessions and three words I would use to describe my counselling style are: warm, inviting, and empathetic.
Who I work with?
I work with individuals and adolescents. Using narrative therapy, my goal is to empower my clients to work on becoming who they want to be and help them begin leading authentic lives. I specialize in addiction and recovery, grief and loss, trauma, life transitions, anxiety, depression, and relational and family concerns.
I work well with folks who are energized by inward reflection, those who tend to focus on their internal thoughts, feelings, and moods and are often energized by alone time.
Additionally, I am passionate about working with individuals impacted by systemic issues and work from a decolonial, anti-oppressive, and justice-oriented lens. I am often thinking (and writing) about systems and how they impact our daily lives on the micro and macro-level.
From a therapeutic perspective, it is crucial to acknowledge the ways systems impact our lives and how they can and do contribute to our mental health.
Fun facts!
You can always find my nose in a book (or two!), I love fall and spring equally – the transition from and to summer is always filled with so much anticipation and beauty. My favourite colour changes every few years… right now, I’ve been really vibing with orange!
I am a writer (or at least, working on calling myself that). Right now, I mostly write essays. I love expressing myself through the written form and find so much joy and beauty in language and literature.
Maryam has limited spots for new clients!
Online and in-person sessions upon request.
Session type:
Individuals, Teens/Adolescents, Young Adults, Adults
Approach:
Narrative Therapy, Existentialism, Trauma Informed, EMDR therapy, Internal Family Systems (Parts work), Bibliotherapy, Feminist Therapy, Anti-Oppressive
Specialties:
Addiction, Trauma, PTSD, Intergenerational Conflict, Men + Male Identifying, Life Transitions, Depression, Anxiety, Relationships, LGBTQ+ community, Racial Trauma, Multicultural Experiences, Ongoing Oppression + Injustice + Rage, Grief + Loss, Self-Harm
Languages:
English
Accepts insurance coverage, Autism Funding and Variety BC Heart Fund approved counsellor