Farsi-Speaking Counselling With an Understanding of Iranian Culture

For some Iranian and Persian clients, finding a Farsi-speaking counsellor in Coquitlam is about more than being able to receive therapy in Farsi. It can also be about working with someone who shares an understanding of the culture and recognizes the layers that can come with being Iranian while building a life in Canada.

As an Iranian counsellor who provides therapy in both Farsi and English, I understand that experiences such as immigration, family expectations, cultural identity, intergenerational differences, grief, political and geopolitical stress, and maintaining connections with loved ones in Iran can be deeply intertwined with mental health.

Sometimes there are experiences that are difficult to translate—not only linguistically, but culturally. Concepts around family responsibility, sacrifice, success, marriage, parenting, caring for aging parents, aberu, guilt, belonging, and the expectations placed on women and men can carry meanings that require cultural context.

Having a counsellor who is familiar with these cultural nuances can reduce the amount of explaining you feel you need to do before getting to what is actually hurting.

I have experience supporting Iranian and Persian clients with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, immigration stress, family and relationship challenges, caregiver burnout, life transitions, identity concerns, and the emotional impact of conflict and instability in Iran.

At the same time, sharing a cultural background does not mean assuming that every Iranian person has the same experiences, beliefs, values, or relationship with their culture. Therapy remains centred around your individual story and what matters to you.

I offer Farsi-speaking counselling in Coquitlam, BC, as well as virtual counselling in Farsi and English for clients throughout British Columbia. For those navigating the complicated space between Iran and Canada, therapy can provide a place where your language, culture, immigration experience, and individual identity can all have room to exist.