Nahal, MA, RP

I work with adults, seniors and youth dealing with different types of anxiety, depression, stress, obsessive compulsive behaviours, life transitions, behavioural problems, relationship issues, burnout, problematic family dynamics, and personality concerns. Some of the people I work with may overtly seem like they have it all figured out but they’re quietly unraveling on the inside. Others know exactly what they should be doing and still can't make themselves do it. Some feel everything too much. Some feel nothing at all and aren't sure when that started. If any of that sounds familiar, you're probably in the right place. Maybe you're a perfectionist who procrastinates. Maybe you overthink every interaction after it happens. Maybe you've been holding it together for so long that you forgot you were allowed to put it down. Therapy with me is collaborative, compassionate and warm. We'll look at how your past and present experiences shaped the way you move through the world, not to assign blame, but to understand the logic behind the patterns and develop insight. Once you see why you do what you do, it gets a lot easier to do something different. I pull from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Narrative Therapy. I have a few different toolkits, and we figure out together which ones actually work for you. I practice from a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and anti-oppressive lens. I hold a Master’s degree in Applied Psychology (Clinical), and before moving into practice at CBT Associates, I worked as a psychotherapist with organizations like Doctors Without Borders and UNICEF in Kashmir, as well as within an inpatient psychiatric unit at Youthdale Treatment Centres in Toronto. I encourage looking at struggles within the broader context of the systems, relationships, and environments we live in. A lot of pain becomes internalized as personal failure when it is also rooted in disconnection, isolation, family patterns, or the structures of society. Part of healing, in my view, is finding ways back to community, belonging, and relationships where people can exist in more authentic ways. Outside of the therapy room, you'll probably find me walking through neighbourhoods at sunset with a podcast or an audiobook in my ears, signing up for hobby classes I may or may not be good at, or watching a movie and completely failing to not psychoanalyze every character's attachment style. Clinician competencies: • Adjustment Disorder • Anger • Anxiety/Generalized Anxiety Disorder • Behavioural Management for Children • Bipolar Disorder • Body Image/ Body Dysmorphia • Borderline Personality Disorder • Burnout • Colitis/IBS • Depression/Major Depressive Disorder/Dysthymia • Dissociative Disorders • Eating Disorders • Emotion Regulation • Encopresis/Enuresis • Excoriation/Dermatillomania (Skin picking) • Generalized Anxiety Disorder • Grief/Loss • Health Anxiety • Hypertension • Insomnia/Sleep Problems • Internet Addiction • Migraines • Misophonia • Motor Vehicle Accidents • Non-Substance/Behavioural Addictions • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder • Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder • Panic Disorder • Parental Coaching/Support • Perfectionism • Performance Anxiety • Personality Disorders • Phobias • Premenstrual Syndrome • Pre-natal and Post-partum related issues • Procrastination • Religious/Spiritual Concerns • Relationship issues • Return to Work/WSIB • Seasonal Affective Disorder • Self-Esteem • Self-Harm • Sensory Sensitivity • Separation Anxiety for Children • Smoking Cessation • Social Anxiety • Somatoform Disorders • Stress • Substance Use • Suicidality • Test Anxiety • Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling) • Trauma/PTSD • Vocational interests/Coaching • Weight management • Anxiety/mood med withdrawal • Women's health Populations served: • Adolescents • Adults • Adults with physical impairments (hearing loss, vision loss, amputation etc...) • Caregivers • Children • Family Health Teams • First Responders • LGBTQIAS2+ community • Older Adults (65+) • Return to Work/WSIB Clients Treatment modalities: • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy • Behavioural Activation • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy • Compassion Therapy • Dialectical Behavior Therapy • Exposure and Response Prevention • Mindfulness Therapy • Narrative Therapy • Play Therapy • Solutions Focused Treatment • Trauma Informed Treatment • BIPOC Treatment Please note that our associates work with many presenting issues, some of which are not listed in this biography. Please speak with our intake team at 416-363-4228 for more information.