Ayesha Basi

Ayesha is a counsellor in Ottawa providing in-person and online counselling sessions to adults, supervised by a Registered Psychotherapist.

    • Online & In Person at 437 Gilmour

    • Adult Individuals

    • English

  • I’m here to support you in exploring your experiences of both the world around you, and within you. I believe the more we can cultivate insight and awareness into what makes us feel the way we do and act the way we do, the more agency and autonomy we regain to make choices that feel more fulfilling and aligned to our authentic selves, and to navigate the world in a more meaningful way.

    In our work together we’ll explore your experiences, how they impact you and what they mean to you—all in relation to what you most desire and need for yourself now and moving forward. We’ll bring to surface and explore any conscious/unconscious beliefs or patterns that may be making you feel stuck, or preventing you from living in a way that you most desire.

    I bring a gentle, compassionate and curious stance to support clients to more intimately understand themselves, their relationships, and the world around them. In our work together we’ll deep dive into excavating and understanding the root causes of your symptoms/what’s bothering you in order to cultivate long term change.

    I draw from a number of therapeutic modalities including psychodynamic, attachment theory, developmental theory and IFS. With a background as a yoga and meditation teacher, mindfulness, compassion and working with the body inform my therapeutic practice and are sprinkled throughout the way we explore experiences together. If desired, specific tools from these traditions can also be incorporated into sessions. 

    I provide a therapeutic space that is inclusive and affirming for all, including queer, gender-diverse and non-traditional lifestyles (e.g. ENM). As a first generation Canadian with immigrant parents, I also bring a culturally sensitive lens to the therapeutic space and have experience working with immigrants and individuals from collectivist cultures.

    I specifically have experience working with:

    • Trauma (early childhood; interpersonal; attachment wounds; complex-PTSD) 

    • Anxiety

    • Depression

    • Stress/burn-out

    • Reclaiming one’s authenticity 

    • Identity transitions

    • Life transitions

    • Relational difficulties

    • Connecting to/developing one’s sense of self

    • Self-esteem

    • Shame/guilt

    • Boundary work

    • Loss and grief

  • 50 Min Session = $150

    50-minute psychotherapy sessions are covered by most extended health insurance policies. Check your policy for “psychotherapy” coverage.

  • Booking Portal

    ayesha@shepherdpsychotherapy.com