Email: marwa@lanternpsychology.ca
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As a clinician, I believe that people are the experts in their own lives and have within them the strength and the capacity to enact change. I see that my responsibility as a therapist is to first, create and hold space for people who are going through something that may feel vulnerable and difficult to experience. In this space, my intention is to sit with my clients as they share their stories, feel their feelings, and process their challenges. My role is to help empower people to explore their own values and beliefs and to begin making changes that will allow them to live in alignment with those values and beliefs. I hope to support my clients in writing their own life stories and developing authentic fulfilling relationships. I have over 18 years of experience working with children & youth and individuals & families around various issues including trauma, grief, family relationships/conflict, parenting support, depression and anxiety to name a few. I approach my work firstly through a trauma-informed lens. This means that I recognize the impact of trauma (intergeneration and/or present) on our daily lives and experiences, and I strive to ensure that my space is safe and that my work is collaborative and consensual. I also work from an attachment lens, meaning that I understand that we as humans are social beings, we exist in relationships, and as such, our relationships, good, bad, or ugly can have a profound impact on how we exist in and navigate our world. I draw on other treatment modalities as they fit with my clients. Finally and perhaps most importantly, I recognize the role that our identities play in how we experience life. As a Black, Muslim woman, I know that my identity impacts not only how I navigate the world but also how the world experiences me. My cultural background also influences the experiences I have and how I am impacted by the things that are happening around me, both locally and globally. In addition, I recognize that a lot of what we know about psychology is based on a Euro-Western lens, and that doesn’t always fit for all of us. So in my work with my clients, I am on a journey of decolonizing my approach to mental health. This simply means that I am integrating culture, community, and awareness of the systemic realities that impact our existence into the conversation. It means that I know that there are many different definitions of healing, and there are just as many paths to get there, and I am honoured to be on this journey with my clients.
18
As a clinician, I believe that people are the experts in their own lives and have within them the strength and the capacity to enact change. I see that my responsibility as a therapist is to first, create and hold space for people who are going through something that may feel vulnerable and difficult to experience. In this space, my intention is to sit with my clients as they share their stories, feel their feelings, and process their challenges. My role is to help empower people to explore their own values and beliefs and to begin making changes that will allow them to live in alignment with those values and beliefs. I hope to support my clients in writing their own life stories and developing authentic fulfilling relationships. I have over 18 years of experience working with children & youth and individuals & families around various issues including trauma, grief, family relationships/conflict, parenting support, depression and anxiety to name a few. I approach my work firstly through a trauma-informed lens. This means that I recognize the impact of trauma (intergeneration and/or present) on our daily lives and experiences, and I strive to ensure that my space is safe and that my work is collaborative and consensual. I also work from an attachment lens, meaning that I understand that we as humans are social beings, we exist in relationships, and as such, our relationships, good, bad, or ugly can have a profound impact on how we exist in and navigate our world. I draw on other treatment modalities as they fit with my clients. Finally and perhaps most importantly, I recognize the role that our identities play in how we experience life. As a Black, Muslim woman, I know that my identity impacts not only how I navigate the world but also how the world experiences me. My cultural background also influences the experiences I have and how I am impacted by the things that are happening around me, both locally and globally. In addition, I recognize that a lot of what we know about psychology is based on a Euro-Western lens, and that doesn’t always fit for all of us. So in my work with my clients, I am on a journey of decolonizing my approach to mental health. This simply means that I am integrating culture, community, and awareness of the systemic realities that impact our existence into the conversation. It means that I know that there are many different definitions of healing, and there are just as many paths to get there, and I am honoured to be on this journey with my clients.
