About Us

Coming home to yourself, one step at a time.

Shifa (شِفَاء) is an Arabic word that translates to “healing,” “cure,” or “the restoration of wholeness.” I chose this name for my practice because healing is rarely a straight line or a quick fix. To me, shifa represents a holistic return to yourself, finding balance in your mind, harmony in your body, and peace in your daily life. It is the very heart of creating a world where holistic care is valued.

I am Zainab a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with BCACC. hold a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Adler University. My academic background deeply rooted me in community-minded, socially conscious psychological frameworks.

While my education gives me a solid framework to understand complex dynamics, I believe my real work is translating that knowledge into a modern, gentle, and deeply approachable virtual space. My goal is simply to pull therapy out of the textbooks and bring it into real, everyday life.

Meet Our Professional Team Member

Zainab Udaipurwala

Founder & RCC

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor specializing in neurodivergent-affirming care, nervous system regulation, and addiction recovery.
Moving away from rigid, traditional therapy dynamics, I operate from a human-first, collaborative framework. I provide a low-pressure, 100% virtual environment where clients can unmask completely, process complex behavioral patterns, and heal at their own nervous system’s pace.

Areas of Clinical Specialization
Addiction & Substance Use Recovery: Supporting clients navigating substance use, dependency, and the cycle of coping mechanisms by addressing underlying trauma, emotional pain, and systemic stressors.

Adult ADHD & Executive Dysfunction: Treating task paralysis, time-blindness, chronic ADHD burnout, and managing the high intersection between neurodivergence and addictive behaviors.

Nervous System Dysregulation & Burnout: Supporting clients experiencing chronic stress, hypervigilance, emotional exhaustion, or persistent fight/flight/freeze states.

Shame Recovery & Relational Healing: Addressing internalized criticism, perfectionism, masking, and the relational wounds that impact self-worth and attachment security.

Theoretical Orientation & Modalities

My practice is integrative, holistic, and deeply collaborative. I adapt a wide range of evidence-based and experiential frameworks to suit each individual’s unique processing style:

Somatic & Mindfulness-Based Approaches: Integrating body-awareness, tracking physical sensations, and mindfulness to regulate the autonomic nervous system and release stored stress.

Adlerian & Attachment-Based Therapy: Exploring early family-of-origin dynamics, relational patterns, belonging, and how early attachments shape current coping styles and lifestyle choices.

Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy: Utilizing experiential tools and metaphors to explore internal coping states, cultivate deep self-worth, and foster congruence between the mind and body.

CBT & DBT (Cognitive Behavioural & Dialectical Behaviour Therapy): Offering neurodivergent-adapted cognitive tools alongside practical distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and mindfulness skills.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): Collaborating on realistic, low-friction, strengths-based strategies to support immediate executive functioning needs and sustainable lifestyle shifts.

Intentional Care for your Whole Self

Human First Connection

Before any modality or framework, there is the relationship. We value authenticity, warmth, and realness.

Holistic Wholeness (Shifa)

True healing is not just about fixing a symptom; it is about returning to yourself. We value the integration of your mind, body, cultural roots, and creative spirit.

Gentle Pacing

Healing is never a race. We prioritize nervous system regulation by honoring your body’s unique rhythm. Our virtual counselling sessions move at your pace never pushing, always walking alongside you to ensure you feel grounded and safe.

Inclusive, Accessible Care

We believe everyone deserves to be seen. We offer neuro-affirming support that honors bicultural identities and immigrant journeys. To keep care accessible, we provide virtual therapy across BC with flexible sliding-scale options to meet your needs.

The Heart of My Practice

Honouring you

You are not a set of symptoms or a clinical label. I offer a human-first approach that honours your cultural roots, your creative spirit, and your unique lived experience. Our work is always built around what feels right for you.

Care That Fits Your Life

As a 100% virtual practice, I meet you where you are, anywhere in British Columbia. With flexible scheduling, you can access professional support from the comfort of your own home, in a space where you already feel safe.

Dedicated Clinical Support

I bring professional, trauma-informed training to a warm space.

In the journey of life, mental health is your compass.

If you are experiencing thoughts of self-harm, severe distress, or an immediate emergency, please call 911, head to your nearest emergency room, or reach out to the BC Crisis Centre at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433). You do not have to carry this alone.

I acknowledge with deep gratitude that my virtual practice is based on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, including the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) Nations.