Farsi-Speaking Counsellor in Coquitlam & Across BC
Counselling in Farsi for Persian and Iranian adults navigating life, relationships, identity and change
Sometimes what you are carrying is difficult enough to explain without also having to translate it.
I offer counselling in both Farsi and English for Persian and Iranian adults in Coquitlam, the Tri-Cities and online across British Columbia. Therapy can be a place to talk openly about anxiety, grief, relationships, family, immigration, identity or the pressures of building a life between cultures in the language that feels most natural to you.
Some things make more sense when you do not have to explain the context
Language is only one part of feeling understood.
Family roles, cultural expectations, immigration experiences, relationships with parents, ideas about success, religion, community and belonging can all shape the way we understand ourselves and the decisions we make.
For Persian clients, counselling may also involve experiences that are difficult to separate neatly into a single category: missing home while building a life here, worrying about family abroad while trying to function at work, or feeling grateful for opportunities in Canada while grieving what has been left behind.
You do not need to simplify those experiences before bringing them into therapy.
Reasons Persian clients come to counselling
You may be looking for support because something specific has happened, or because the weight of many responsibilities has gradually become too much.
Immigration, belonging and identity
Counselling can support you through homesickness, loneliness, immigration uncertainty, career changes and the shifting sense of identity that can come with building a life in a new country.
Family across countries and generations
You may be navigating guilt about family abroad, caregiving from a distance, worry about aging parents, or the challenges of maintaining Persian culture and values across generations.
Grief that does not always have a clear ending
Grief may involve the death of someone you love, anticipatory loss, complicated family relationships, or missing people, places and parts of life that are no longer physically accessible.
Anxiety, burnout and emotional exhaustion
When work, finances, parenting, immigration and family responsibilities overlap, anxiety and depression can show up as overthinking, irritability, exhaustion, sleep difficulties or feeling emotionally disconnected.
Farsi-speaking couples counselling
For Persian couples, immigration can bring changes in cultural and gender roles, identity, family relationships and familiar support systems, creating new pressures in the relationship as both partners adapt to life in Canada.
Making space for what life between cultures can carry
Living in Canada does not necessarily create distance from what is happening within your family, community or in Iran.
You may be carrying worry about loved ones abroad, grief or anger about events unfolding there, changing relationships with culture or spirituality, or questions about who you are becoming after immigration. You may also be holding helplessness, survivor’s guilt, or the pain of watching conflict and instability affect people you love while being far away and unable to support them in the ways you wish you could. At the same time, you may be navigating relationships, parenting, career changes or simply trying to reconnect with parts of yourself that have been pushed aside while adapting and surviving.
Counselling offers a place to explore those experiences without assumptions about what being Persian, Iranian or an immigrant is supposed to mean for you.
Our work is collaborative and shaped by your own values, relationships, experiences and goals.
Meet Maryam
I’m Maryam Haghshenas, a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Farsi-speaking therapist offering counselling in both Farsi and English.
As an Iranian counsellor, I understand that language, family, culture, immigration and identity can all shape the way we experience stress, relationships, grief and change. At the same time, I know there is no single Persian or Iranian experience, and I approach each client with curiosity rather than assumptions.
My work focuses particularly on supporting women experiencing anxiety, depression, burnout, grief, trauma and complex life transitions, including trauma therapy and EMDR when appropriate. I also bring a background in social work, including experience supporting families navigating illness, aging and changing family roles.
Whether we speak in Farsi, English or move naturally between the two, therapy can be a place where you do not have to translate every part of yourself before you can begin talking about what matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. Sessions can be in Farsi, English or a combination of both. Some clients naturally move between languages depending on what they are discussing.
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Yes. I offer Farsi-speaking couples counselling for partners navigating relationship challenges, immigration and cultural adjustment, changing family or gender roles, and other stresses affecting their relationship. Sessions can be held in Farsi, English or a combination of both.
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No. I work with clients from a range of cultural backgrounds. This page is intended to make it easier for people specifically searching for counselling in Farsi to know that it is available.
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Yes. Immigration, identity, family expectations, belonging and navigating different cultural values can all be explored in therapy when they are relevant to you.
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Yes. Anxiety and depression are central areas of my counselling practice. You do not need to decide whether what you are experiencing is an “immigration issue,” a cultural issue or a mental health issue before reaching out.
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Yes. Online counselling is available to adults throughout British Columbia.
Farsi-Speaking Counselling in Coquitlam, the Tri-Cities & Online Across BC
If you are looking for a Farsi-speaking counsellor for individual or couples counselling, I offer support with anxiety, grief, trauma, family pressures, immigration, relationships and major life changes.
Sessions are available in Farsi or English, in person in Coquitlam for clients throughout the Tri-Cities, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam, and online across British Columbia.
You do not need to translate every part of your experience before you can begin talking about what matters.