Survivor’s Guilt, Anxiety, and Emotional Overwhelm: A Farsi-Speaking Therapist in Coquitlam Reflects

Yesterday, in the warmth of a rare sunny day in Coquitlam, we spent time playing volleyball at the park. It was full of life—families, laughter, movement, and that collective sense of ease that comes when the weather finally shifts.

At one point, I noticed a kite in the sky shaped like a fighter jet.

Something in me shifted instantly. The lightness I had been feeling disappeared, replaced by a heaviness in my chest. My mind moved quickly to a question that felt both jarring and familiar: Why do I get to experience this kind of safety, while others live in fear?

I found myself scanning the park, wondering if anyone else felt what I felt in that moment—if that image stirred something deeper for them too.

Even as a therapist here in Coquitlam—and as a Farsi-speaking therapist from Iran—I am still human. Watching my homeland burn, watching lives and memories turn to ashes, is deeply painful.

This is something many people carry quietly: survivor’s guilt.

It can show up unexpectedly—in ordinary, even joyful moments—and interrupt our sense of presence. It lives in the tension between gratitude and grief, safety and awareness, here and elsewhere.

As geopolitical tensions rise, it’s natural for our bodies to react in deep, visceral ways—especially in the face of ongoing stress, trauma exposure, and distressing news cycles. These responses can show up as anxiety, emotional overwhelm, nervous system dysregulation, or a sense of disorientation that can be hard to name.

If the images we are continually exposed to feel overwhelming for your system, or are bringing up past experiences of war or trauma, you’re not alone.

These are not things you have to carry alone. Many people I meet in my counselling work here in Coquitlam share similar experiences—feeling overwhelmed while trying to stay present in their daily lives. There can be healing in sitting with someone who can support you in co-regulating, building emotional regulation skills, and gently moving through what you’re feeling. Approaches like trauma-informed therapy, EMDR, and anxiety-focused counselling can offer a steady and supportive path through these experiences.

If you’ve ever felt this, you’re not alone.

There is nothing wrong with you for feeling both joy and sorrow at the same time. In fact, it speaks to your capacity for empathy, for connection, for humanity. The work is not to push one away in favour of the other, but to gently learn how to hold both.

To allow moments of joy without abandoning awareness.
To stay connected to your values without losing yourself in guilt.
To remember that your safety does not take away from someone else’s suffering—and your aliveness matters too.

Survivor’s guilt is real.
And so is your right to experience moments of peace.

If you’re seeking counselling in Coquitlam or support across the Tri-Cities and British Columbia, you don’t have to navigate this alone.