About Kasi Shan

Going to counselling may be something you have considered or avoided for a long time. It is difficult to open up to someone and share your troubles, especially when these troubles are about sensitive topics like miscarriages, abortions, pregnancy struggles, and difficulties with parenthood. It takes a lot of guts to consider counselling, and I thank you for taking that risk.

Therapy will look different for each person depending on his/her/their needs. Sometimes we will use EMDR to process traumatic memories from difficult deliveries, complicated pregnancies, or childhood traumas. For some clients, we may focus on the internal system looking at what emotions are coming up, and what is needed to feel more settled. Other times, we may focus on providing coping strategies and problem solving to address current struggles.

While our treatment approach may vary, I will remain consistent. My role is to support you. When working with me, you will experience a therapist who is encouraging, patient, compassionate and open to the needs that show up in the therapy setting. We look into all of the coping strategies that you’ve used to survive over these months without any judgement or shame. I believe strongly in collaborative relationships with clients where we work together to establish goals and treatment plans. I aim to work at a pace that feels comfortable and challenging.

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About Kasi:

Here are a few things about me:

• I have two young children. They are loud, energetic and (in my unbiased opinion) ridiculously cute and awesome.
• I’m a first-generation Canadian. My family and I arrived as refugees from Sri Lanka when I was a child. Being a South Asian female living in a Western community comes with challenges (some enriching and some unpleasant) that have shaped me into the adult I am today.
• For fun, I love to run (albeit, it’s a slow trot), love to sing (even though I’m completely tuneless) and love to cook (my family has tasted enough of my experiments to maintain a certain degree of caution).
• I attend my own therapy and supervision regularly. It’s important for all of my clients to know that I am human AND I’m responsible for taking care of my system in order to show up effectively.
• I’ve had low moments, anxious moments, overwhelmed moments, traumatized moments and insecure moments… just like you. Our experiences may be different, but our capacity for healing is the same. We have survived these events, and we can work to bring curiosity, compassion and connection from hereon in.
• I am continuously trying to work myself out of a job. I am always going to work towards the goal of helping you have a better relationship with yourself. In the beginning it may feel like you need me to be the grounded, calming person in the room. But, we can get to a place where you can be with your anxieties and low moods, and feel confident in supporting these parts of you.

Why pregnancy and postpartum mental health?

My love for perinatal (pregnancy and postpartum) mental health came from my experiences as a counsellor at a postpartum mood disorders program. I supported parents through the wide range of emotional changes that occur during that first year with a baby (e.g. addressing the overwhelming anxiety of the newborn phase, processing our own traumatic childhoods, rebuilding communication with our partners, finding some space to be independent). Unfortunately, parenthood can be incredibly isolating. We live in an Instagram world where we pretend we are doing well and looking top notch, when the majority of us are struggling to keep it together. In therapy, I support parents in accepting the messy and unpleasant.

None of this is easy. It takes courage to acknowledge that things are not going well. There may be many parts of you feeling cautious about asking for help. There may be parts of you that crave doing things independently. Perhaps you are feeling ashamed or angry that you are in this position at all. My goal is not to work against your system, but to help it feel more in control and settled.

If you’d like to see if we’re a good fit, reach out for a free consultation.