Zainab Akef

To me, counseling means going on a journey together. You decide what you want to work on, and we work together to meet your goals. Counseling requires courage and vulnerability. It’s developing a therapeutic space where you know you are safe enough to share, or be held accountable, or learn. It could mean sharing some of the deepest thoughts that you never thought you could share with someone, and knowing that you are safe here to do that. Not all problems are easily fixable, and those are the best problems to bring to the therapy space. If you are dealing with a situation that you can’t change, like within your family or dealing with a wider social injustice, it’s my job to provide you with the tools to empower you to thrive through it. I will not normalize the injustice that is happening towards you or minimize how much it affects you and your psychological well being, but I will be there for you in the way that best serves you. If you are facing difficulties, I want to sit with you and first acknowledge that what you are experiencing is real, and help you understand how it impacts you. I want to work with you to decide who you want to be, even in the face oppression.