Counselling + Coaching + Consulting for

Women + Queer + Neurodivergent +

Adult Children of Immigrants

(18-55)

in Ontario + Nova Scotia + Alberta

Hi there,

I’m Forouz Salari (she/her)

Photo of Forouz Salari, MA, MSW, RSW by Moussa Faddoul, FotoReflection.com

I'm a Registered Social Worker (RSW) in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Alberta.

 

I specialize in providing online / virtual Counselling, Leadership Coaching, Clinical Consultation & Training Workshops to women, immigrants, queer, neurodivergent and chronically ill folks between the ages of 18 to 55 (including to professionals and organizations that serve these communities, particularly in the fields of social work, mental health, social services, community services, and advocacy).

I have a special interest in supporting Adult Children of Immigrants – that is, anyone who immigrated to Canada as a child or teenager, or who was born in Canada into an immigrant family.

 

My mission is to support marginalized and minoritized people to experience a sense of belonging and acceptance in a world and system that wasn't built for them and doesn't capture the intersections of their identities and lived experiences.

 

My passion is to work with people who are committed to self-exploration and healing, as part of their ongoing personal and professional growth.

I'm so glad that you're here and I'm excited to support you on your journey of healing, self-discovery and growth, by helping you clarify and work towards your personal and professional goals in a realistic and sustainable way.

Providing online counselling, consulting & coaching in:

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Welcome to my Virtual Office!

You lead a busy life and our work together shouldn’t feel like another chore to check-off your to-do list.

With 24/7 online scheduling, a secure online client portal, and the ability to do video sessions (through my secure online platforms), you’ll get the most out of the investment you make in yourself, your relationships or your career.

Getting the support you need is easy, convenient and fits your life!

Why work with me?

Convenient

With my secure client portal, you can schedule your sessions online, message me directly when you need to, attend video sessions, and keep track of billing & receipts - quickly, easily and on your schedule.

I also provide services in Farsi.

Holistic

My approach is intuitive, diverse and focused on all aspects of your unique identity and lived experiences. I integrate different trainings and perspectives to make our work together fit who you are, so that you can learn, grow and transform in a way that feels right for you.

Pragmatic

Learn about new resources, perspectives and techniques. Leave each session with something tangible to reflect on and apply to your daily life, work and relationships. We’ll meet every 2 to 6 weeks, so you have time to practice what we discuss and notice incremental changes towards your goals.

Connected

You can count on me to be fully engaged in our work together. I’ll be honest and compassionate with you. I’ll challenge and encourage you to learn and grow. And, I’ll bring humour and balance into our time together.

You’re not alone - I’ll be with you, every step of the way.

 
 

Here’s How I Can Help…

  • I specialize in supporting women, immigrants, queer & neurodivergent folks (ages of 18 to 55) in exploring & coping with:

    • Chronic Stress and Burnout

    • impacts of Immigration on their identities, relationships, and life choices

    • their relationship to Sex, their Sexuality, and their Body

    • challenges of navigating life, relationships, school or work as someone Living with ADHD or Autism(especially if diagnosed later in life)

    • challenges of Supporting a Partner who lives with ADHD or other forms of neurodivergence, while staying true to yourself and your own needs

    • Perfectionism and Performance Anxiety, especially for people who self-identify or are seen as high-functioning, high-achievers or high-performers

    • Chronic Illness or Chronic Pain, particularly polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

    • Separation, Divorce, or significant Breakup

    • Stress & Conflicts during the Wedding Planning process, especially for folks in inter-racial, inter-ethnic, inter-faith &/or queer partnerships

  • Are you a professional in the fields of social work, mental health, community services, social services, or advocacy?

    When your work involves advocating for others and helping them through the most challenging circumstances in their lives, it’s hard not to feel drained, disillusioned and doubtful.

    Through Clinical Consultation, I offer the support, guidance and mentorship that you (or your team / organization) need to:

    • address and prevent Chronic Stress & Burnout (including vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, ethical / spiritual pain), often brought on by navigating systemic barriers & oppressions, and challenging relationship dynamics.

    • explore, expand, strengthen and fine-tune your Skills & Approaches to supporting your clients’ needs

    • work through Ethical Dilemmas

    • navigate Workplace Conflicts and team dynamics

    • establish supportive Workplace Accommodations

    ALL in an effort to build towards a greater sense of groundedness, confidence, balance and sustainability, acceptance and belonging in the workplace.

  • Are you a woman, immigrant, queer or neurodivergent person (ages of 18 to 55) in a leadership role (or interested in pursuing leadership in your workplace or community)?

    Some go after it, others are called to it, and the rest stumble into it…

    Leadership can bring with it high highs and low lows…

    It’s a constant juggling act of organizational and infrastructural factors and limitations, relationships and opinions, performance and deliverables. It challenges every part of our being and identity.

    AND, when who you are doesn’t fit neatly into a specific category, challenges the status quo, or falls outside of the dominant group, it can be hard to feel like you belong!

    The struggles can also offer incredible opportunities for personal and professional growth and expansion…

    Through Leadership Coaching, I integrate the following perspectives & approaches to support you in reflecting on, better understanding and strengthening your identity as a leader and your approach to leadership, whether at work or in your community:

TESTIMONIALS

  • "Talking to you is so helpful. Your ability to hold space for and see all the parts of me is such a gift and makes me feel amazing"

  • "Thank you for having such grounded, real and honest conversations with me, especially about the racism, xenophobia, homophobia and transphobia that exists around me. It helps me know that it's not just in my head and I'm not alone"

  • "I like that I can come to you and dump out what I'm thinking and feeling, and you summarize and contextualize things for me, which really helps me gain more clarity and feel grounded again"

  • "Our sessions are so insightful and I walk away with new perspectives and approaches to think about, which has changed how I view different situations in my life and my relationships"

  • "I like that you challenge rigid norms and expectations that we take for granted in society. It helps me realize that I'm not the problem"

  • "I always feel so grounded when I talk to you. I feel like you know me so well. You're often a few steps ahead of me and notice changes in my needs and identities even before I do."

  • "I'm always excited to tell my friends and family (and sometimes even my coworkers) about the things that I learn from our sessions together - it's not only helped me grow, but is also helping other people in my life to look at things differently and even consider going to therapy."

  • "Whenever I talk to you, I really feel like you perform magic - so many things start to make sense for me and come together!"

  • "You've really helped me realize that building trust with myself is the most important part of healing all the fear, anxiety, doubt, people-pleasing and perfectionism that I've lived with for most of my life!"

  • "When I talk to you, you listen, understand, validate and accept my need to talk about patriarchy, heteronormativity and capitalism, and how they impact my life, who I am and the choices I've made and want to make, without trying to change my mind or convince me otherwise. You're not afraid to make therapy political."

  • "I appreciate that I can talk to you about my doubts and get the validation and support that I need to feel confident about my decisions, without having to over-rely on my family and friends."

  • "I feel like my real self when I talk to you. You give me the opportunity to talk things out, be honest and release things - I always feel better afterwards, lighter."

  • "I often have your voice in my head whenever I need to advocate for myself. The insights you've shared with me have really helped me to recognize what I need and deserve, and to stand up for myself."

  • "Thank you for being with me and helping me along my journey. It means a lot to have you as the consistent person that I can reach out to when I need someone to talk to, even when I'm feeling good. It helps a lot." 

  • "Your description of the impacts of immigration completely captured my immigration experience and helped me realize just how much it's affected me and who I've become"

  • "I enjoy getting practical tips from you on my work and professional relationships. I've been able to apply them right away and see a difference."

  • "I really see you as my mentor as I've continued to grow as a therapist and a leader in the mental health field"

  • "Our staff love you and your workshops; they always take away something new. We appreciate your calming presence and all the ways that you've supported our organization."

  • "When I come to you for clinical consultation, you hold space for all of who I am and care about my overall wellbeing, fulfillment and success, not just my professional experiences."

  • "I really appreciate your flexibility in how you hold space for whatever I may bring to each session. Sometimes I need to talk about something from the past that's still hurting me. Other times I need to talk about my changing identity. And I also need to talk about all the twists and turns in my career. You hold space for all of it. You help me find clarity and keep me accountable. And, you've really helped me heal through burnout and prevent it from happening again. It often feels like you're both my therapist and coach."

  • "Working with you has really helped me better understand my experiences of ADHD and learn to better advocate for myself, especially with healthcare providers."

  • "I often think of our discussions from our Leadership Coaching sessions and “What would Forouz do/say” has helped me ground myself and navigate through the chaotic parts of my leadership position. I cannot adequately express my gratitude for you and all your have done to support me and my leadership development."

  • "With your help and guidance, I was able to create a realistic and sustainable daily and weekly routine and schedule, which has really helped me understand where I trip up, feel less overwhelmed, and practice more forgiveness, compassion and patience with myself, instead of constantly judging and shaming myself. It's really helped me to acknowledge and respect my own process and protect my mental and physical wellbeing."

  • "I just want to thank you for your approach in working with me… As a therapist myself, it's really great to be able to talk about and focus on my own stuff, while also having the space to occasionally check-in around my work with my clients and how my business is doing. You're awesome at what you do and I really appreciate you."

  • "I am so grateful to you, genuinely - Thank you for sharing your validating experiences and helping me realize that I'm not a horrible or nutty person for wanting and needing boundaries with my family, so I'm not constantly burnt-out."

  • "In our group clinical consultation meetings, you do an excellent job as a facilitator, giving space to everyone, and outlining what we may get out of our meeting and what we can expect of future sessions. It feels like such a relief to have the space to meet and have open discussions as a team, and it feels so good to know that we're not alone in the uncertainties of the work and the world in which we do our work. I always look forward to our group sessions with you."

  • "You put in so much hard work to create wholesome workshops that teach our teams pretty complex concepts in easy-to-understand ways."

Frequently Asked Questions:

 

When are you available for sessions?

Appointments are available:

  • Mondays at 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm, 4:30pm, 6pm EST

  • Tuesdays at 11am, 12:30pm, 4:30pm, 6pm EST

  • Wednesdays at 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm, 4:30pm, 6pm EST

  • Thursdays at 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm, 4:30pm, 6pm EST

  • Fridays at 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm, 4:30pm, 6pm EST

It’s easy to book, cancel or reschedule your sessions online: click on the “Book ONLINE” button in the header or footer of the website.

How much do your services cost?

  • My fee for Individual Counselling is $180 / hr.

This fee allows me to continuously offer $100 discounted spots to make mental health counselling accessible for students and unemployed / precariously employed folks.

  • If you are a leader or aspiring to pursue leadership, the fee for Leadership Coaching is $200 / hr + HST.

  • If you are a professional seeking Individual Clinical Consultation, the fee is $180 / hr + HST.

  • For organizations or professional teams looking for Group Clinical Consultation, the fee is $250 / hr + HST.

  • If your organization or professional team is looking for professional development or wellness-related Workshops, please email me to book a 30-45 minute discussion of your specific needs, so that I can create a customized proposal of relevant workshops and their associated fees for you to consider.

Sessions are up to 1 hour. I work with adults over 18. I provide short-term (minimum 6 sessions) and long-term services. Services are provided through a secure video portal or by phone. The full session fee is billed if sessions are missed or cancelled with less than 48-hours notice.

What types of payment do you accept?

Payment options include direct deposit (from a bank account) OR online credit card processing through Stripe (compatible with American Express, Discover, Mastercard, Visa). I DON’T bill insurance companies directly.

Do you have experience working with BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+ and Neurodivergent people?

I identify as a white-passing, Middle-Eastern / Southwest Asian (SWANA), neurodivergent, bisexual woman and a first-generation immigrant and settler (who came to Canada as a refugee during childhood). I also speak Farsi fluently. I’ve worked with diverse populations in Toronto’s non-profit sector since 2012 and in my private practice since 2017, including with BIPOC folks (particularly newcomers and refugees), 2SLGBTQIA+ community members, people living with ADHD, Autism and Learning Disabilities, as well as people living with a variety of chronic illnesses.

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