Navigating Personal Issues

Most of the people I see come to me first as individuals. Anxiety that won’t quiet down. A depression they can’t talk themselves out of. A trauma history they’ve been managing alone. A focus problem that’s costing them their job. A self-judgment that’s costing them sleep. They come because they’ve tried to figure it out by themselves, and the thinking isn’t working anymore.

This is a place to stop figuring it out alone.

What I work with

Trauma and PTSD. Whether it’s a single event, complex relational trauma, or the slow-burn trauma of displacement and immigration, I draw on evidence-based trauma therapies (EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, somatic approaches) and on twelve years of front-line clinical experience with refugees and chemical-warfare veterans.

Anxiety and depression. The two most common reasons people call. We work together to understand what’s driving them — biology, history, current life pressure — and we build a way through that fits your nervous system, not someone else’s.

OCD. Specific evidence-based approaches (ERP, ACT) for intrusive thoughts and compulsions, paired with the kind of patience this work requires.

ADHD and focus problems. For adults — diagnosis questions, medication choices, strategies that actually fit your brain rather than fight it. I also combine ADHD therapy with neurofeedback brain training.

Perfectionism and self-criticism. The voice in your head that calls everything you do not enough.

Men’s, women’s, and aging mental health. Gender- and life-stage-specific work for the patterns that show up at different points in a life.

Cultural identity and immigration. The particular weight of being from one world while living in another — especially for Iranian-Canadians navigating dual identity, aabroo, and the trauma of migration.

What sessions look like

60-minute sessions, in person at my downtown Vancouver office or online. Most clients come weekly to start and shift to every two or three weeks as things stabilize. Sessions are $150 CAD. I direct-bill ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, VAC, and RCMP; most private insurance reimburses with a receipt.

Articles on this topic

Trauma & PTSD

Anxiety, Depression & Mood

ADHD, OCD & Emotional Regulation

Gendered & Lifespan Mental Health

For Iranian-Canadians (English)

به فارسی — روش‌های درمان

به فارسی — پرسش‌های متداول

Ready to talk? Your first 20 minutes are free. Call or text any day between 9am and 9pm — I respond within a couple of hours.

(604) 721-0604

info@drsamuel.ca