Safia is a caring and empathetic therapist and social worker with a passion for fostering authentic relationships where clients feel understood, supported, and empowered. Her approach to therapy is client-focused, strengths-based, and anti-oppressive. She is committed to providing space for emotional vulnerability, while also helping clients to develop practical tools to cope with difficulties, grow, and heal. Safia helps clients to recognize their strengths and resiliency, while also cultivating the skills to work towards liberation. For Safia, resiliency involves harnessing our strengths, individually and collectively, in order to flourish under life’s complex and challenging circumstances. 

Safia specializes in providing therapy to children, youth, and adults utilizing elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness Therapies, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Safia has additional training in children’s mental health and behaviour therapies and brings over 10 years of experience working in social services and with vulnerable people combined with over 6 years of experience as a therapist.  With a Masters in Social Work and a Bachelors Degree in Developmental Psychology, Safia is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).

Safia's experiences include work in education, children's mental health, behaviour and play therapy, and clinical social work. Her roles have included providing educational support and therapy to neuro-diverse children and youth, and supporting Black and radicalized university students as a counsellor. She has extensive experience assisting clients in navigating systems of oppression, as well as with a variety of needs including anxiety, depression, grief, coping skills, confidence, self-esteem, relationship issues, emotional regulation, clarifying values, and fostering a sense of self.

Safia's work as a therapist, counsellor and social worker is centred in recognizing impacts of oppression, destigmatizing mental health, and promoting healing and liberation, particularly within communities of colour.  Safia is justice-oriented, and integrates anti-oppressive, radical forms of therapy into her work with clients. Having grown up as a first generation African and Black woman, Safia gained a deep understanding of the impacts of intersectionality, diversity and social issues from a young age. Safia brings this awareness of identity and cultural humility into her practice with clients. Safia’s love of being a counsellor stems from her passion to support clients in holding their stories, pain, emotions, and triumphs, while assisting them in navigating our social world.

Safia’s experiences also include work in academia and research. As a published researcher, Safia has completed work exploring the intersections of disability, race and poverty on youth mental health. She will be starting a new journey pursuing her doctorate in social work. She hopes to deepen social work’s understanding of intersectionality, anti-Black racism, poverty and diversity. 

Safia practices what she preaches by integrating the values of rest and relaxation into her daily life. You can often find her catching the latest Raptors game or trying out new vegetarian foods. She enjoys spending time outdoors, quality time with friends and family, and making the perfect homemade iced coffee!