About Shala

Hello and Welcome!

I'm Shala (shay-la), counsellor and social worker located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem First Nation). I’m a Black femme of West African, Indigenous, and Western European descent. I’m also an aunty, sister, daughter, and close friend who would be honored to connect with you and support you along your healing journey.

I provide a warm and genuine space for you to show up authentically; whether you’re feeling down and demoralized, determined and energized, or somewhere in between, my intention is to engage with you where you're at.

I believe that wellness is holistic and involves healing for the mind, body, spirit, and broader community. I demonstrate my values of warmth, kindness, honesty, transparency, empathy, curiosity, reciprocity, and quality connection in my work with clients. My lived experience, research background, and social work practice make me well equipped to walk alongside folks struggling with:

- workplace burnout
- social isolation/ loneliness
- anxiety or depressive symptoms
- stressful life transitions
- discrimination and/or race-based trauma/ grief
- identity
- intergenerational trauma
- internalized-oppression

I view my clients as the experts of their own lives who, with a little support and guidance, can find balance and an enhanced sense of wellbeing. My practice is rooted anti-oppression, anti-racism, intersectional womanism, and decolonization frameworks. I draw on various evidence-based modalities to provide therapeutic support, some being:

- Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT)
- Strengths-based
- Person-centered
- Mindfulness Practice
- Narrative Therapy
- Trauma-informed
- Family Systems
- Solutions Focused Brief Therapy
- System-Navigation & Resource Linkage

I tailor my treatment to fit your unique needs and honor your inherent knowledge and lived experiences. Please contact me to book a free 20-minute consultation to see if we're a good fit.

Warmly,
Shala

More About Me:
https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/british-columbia/coquitlam/shala-symonds
https://www.blackhealingfund.com/healers/shala-symonds
https://www.openmindcounselling.com/

Issues

Specializes In