FOUNDERS

Rabia Ikram, M.Sc, RP

Hi, my name is Rabia. I am a proud immigrant - a product of three different cultures who speaks three different languages and a working professional. I hold a Master’s Degree in Psychology, and Registered to work as a Psychotherapist in Ontario.

If you are curious to know as to what stimulated me to pursue a career in Psychology rather than Shoe Designing, or how I manage to keep my composure after a decade of working with the most vulnerable: it’s because I have always been inspired by the people I meet in my everyday life. I think every person has their story of courage, faith and bravery. Our fundamental need to belong, form connections despite of all our fears and insecurities, and overcoming adversities of life with grace and humility is what I am in awe of.

“Life doesn’t make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that, the better for us all.” ~ Erik Erikson

I strongly believe we as humans need secure attachments to thrive. Therefore, my one free piece of advice to you would be to seek attachment, and not independence. The single most important factor in building resilience in life is by building strong relationships. What touches me the most is the compassion and unconditional love people have for their children and each other. As a mother I’m stirred by the resilience of my own child; she surely warms my heart and makes me want to leave this world a little less divided. She is my reason behind working hard, staying grounded in my present and grateful in tough moments.

“In my early professional years, I was asking the question: ‘How can I treat, or cure, or change this person?’ Now I would phrase the question in this way: ‘How can I provide a relationship which this person may use for their own personal growth?” ~ Carl Rogers

My practice would look like me showing up as my authentic self which holds warmth, curiosity and some humor. I acknowledge the privilege of being invited into your inner world and I take great responsibility in holding that space. My desire will be to get to know your true self by building a strong therapeutic relationship that foster hope and compassion for self.

Diane Cimetta, M.A, RP

Hello, my name is Diane. I am a Registered Psychotherapist registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). I completed a Master of Counselling Psychology degree through Athabasca University.

As a keen adventurer who enjoys extensive outdoor travel, I decided to study online to allow me to pursue both my passion for learning while exploring different parts of Canada and the Canadian wilderness. Studying online gave me the opportunity to travel and live in different parts of Western and Northwestern Canada and to explore places that as a child I dreamt of visiting. I think my fondest memories of the Canadian Northwest are hiking St. Elias and the Chilkoot Trails. As someone who enjoys travelling it wouldn’t be as fun without a companion and many of my outdoor excursions have included travel with my very fun fur friend Flora. Till this day, Flora and I put on lots of kilometers with our daily walks/hikes. In fact, daily walks are how I start each day.

You may be wondering, “What is someone with such an interest in travel and wilderness exploration doing in a counselling profession?” Well, my short answer is, it’s all about living, learning, and growth. Travel is a way to meet and connect with others. To learn about people and places. To develop an awareness and appreciation for culture. To travel and explore is to learn and to grow personally. We can spend many hours planning for a trip or expedition, but we can never truly plan for how we experience it. I believe that this is as true for travel as it is for our own personal growth. As Thich Nhat Hanh so eloquently stated:

Mental and physical health are important to me, and I view these as interconnected with all aspects of ourselves. I believe that we become our best selves when we learn to balance different aspects of our lives. Writing of this balance, my newest interest in my pursuit for improving mental and physical health is learning Tai Chi and Qi Gong. A form of martial arts, Tai Chi, has been referred to as “walking meditation” as it involves being mindful of our movements and how we engage internally to move externally. Starting this practice has helped to deepen my understanding of the mind body connection and has reinforced my belief in the importance of both in maintaining mental and physical health and wellbeing.