With 18 years of experience across Canada, Egypt and The Netherlands, I bring a warm, compassionate and culturally responsive approach to helping individuals, couples and families navigate some of life's most significant transitions.
Hi! I'm Heather Awad, Registered Clinical Counsellor specializing in Trauma, Depression and Anxiety with a subspecialty in Reproductive Mental Health (postpartum depression, and anxiety).
Individual Counselling - Trauma, Depression and Anxiety
We are all a by-product of our family, for better or for worse. With a more directive and structured approach to therapy, my goal for you is to leave each session having more clarity, and a deeper understanding of these patterns influenced by our past, to ultimately feel more grounded and more securely attached with yourself and others in the present.
Depression and anxiety can make you feel disconnected from yourself and people you love. You may be overwhelmed by your thoughts, constantly second-guessing yourself, struggling to find motivation, or simply feeling like you're going through the motions of life. As your therapist, I'll help you understand and identify where you're getting stuck and what to do about it.
Couples Counselling
Having children and navigating major life transitions can place significant pressure on a relationship. Maybe your partner is craving love, attention, or closeness, while you're simply trying to get through the day. It doesn't mean you love them any less, it may just mean you're overwhelmed and running on empty.
I support couples in communicating these complex emotions and help put words to emotions that seem to be all over the place. Together, we can slow things down, make space for what each of you are experiencing and reconnect with one another for a stronger sense of connection and partnership.
Pregnancy & Postpartum Mental Health
Pregnancy and becoming a parent can bring profound emotional, physical, and relational changes. Maybe you're wondering why this season feels harder than expected. There can be so much pressure to "get back to who you were," to feel confident again, and have your energy back, reconnect with your partner, and somehow find the time and desire for intimacy when you're already giving so much of yourself.
I support women experiencing postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, overwhelm, loss of identity, difficulty adjusting to motherhood, or feeling disconnected from herself, her baby or partner.
You don't have to wait until things become unbearable to seek support.
What You Can Expect from Our Work Together:
A warm yet directive approach to therapy where you don't have to have everything figured out. That's where I come in as your therapist. I am someone who listens deeply, while also providing practical tools you can use between sessions. I'll support you in understanding the patterns, thoughts and emotions that may be keeping you stuck. I approach my sessions with an approach that considers how your past may be affecting your present in different aspects of your life.
Therapeutic Approaches may include evidence-based trauma therapy, Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Solution-Focused Therapy.
Virtual counselling sessions are available in English and Arabic.
Interested to see if we're a good fit?
Contact me for a complimentary 20-min phone consultation! 
Heather Awad Reaches
Vancouver BC
Clients throughout Alberta
Clients throughout British Columbia
Clients throughout Saskatchewan