about me
My Story
Deema Elkaswani
Counsellor
“If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can't survive.”
― Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
Hi, I'm Deema! I'm so glad you're here. Therapy is my favourite place to be and I hope we can make it be your favourite place, too.
The quick stuff - who am I?
I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC, #10005582) with a Masters in Counselling. I work with adults (ages 19+) who are looking for support with their mental health, personal and interpersonal concerns. I practice from a Trauma Informed, Person Centered and Intersectional Feminist approach. I weave in other approaches when they are useful, such as mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). People often describe me as inviting, compassionate, understanding and adaptable. My goal is to work in collaboration with you towards your goals and together we'll create a space you feel safe and welcomed into every time we meet.
What could we talk about?
Whatever you want, really. Friendships, relationships, work, family, stress, grief, loss, love, anxiety, depression, trust, self esteem, self worth…and so much more. Often in therapy we start somewhere and uncover new areas that deserve attention. We’ll do it together. We all have our own battles, some feel easier to deal with than others and you shouldn’t have to deal with them on your own.
“Remember that if you really want to motivate yourself, love is more powerful than fear.”
― Kristin Neff, Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself
I am a first generation Arab-Canadian and I acknowledge and appreciate the land in which I work, learn and play is the traditional and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Katzie, Kwantlen, and Semiahmoo First Nations.
Coming from a Lebanese and Palestinian background, I bring cultural awareness along with the understanding and familiarity of growing up in bicultural settings.
Experiencing my own mental health challenges has allowed me to connect, relate and understand more deeply to others while creating a safe and open space for clients to feel vulnerable, seen and understood. I have learned that for me to do my best and feel my best, I need to take care of myself in the same ways I advocate for my clients to do for themselves too.
Outside of therapy, I am a daughter, sister, aunt, friend, wife and I love spending quality time with my loved ones, experiencing new things, finding new hobbies (often ditching old ones for new ones, can you relate?), trying new restaurants (ask me about my Google Maps list of over 200 places I want to try), watching the sunset, dabbling in arts and crafts, reading my many already-started books and finding my next favourite cup of coffee.
Set up an appointment or send me an email to get started!
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they're never weakness.“
— Brené Brown