Asma
Aftab.

My path to this work was not a straight one. I started my career as an international medical graduate, practicing medicine in Pakistan before immigrating to Canada, and after completing my Canadian licensing exams, I worked in a neonatal intensive care unit in Calgary. When my son began showing developmental challenges, later diagnosed as autism spectrum disorder, I stepped away from medicine to be the parent he needed, and that decision opened space to think about how I wanted to keep contributing in a meaningful way.

I come to this work carrying two kinds of experience: years of clinical practice as a physician, and the personal insight of raising a child who is nonverbal and on the autism spectrum. I am drawn to working with individuals and families moving through life transitions, stress, anxiety, grief, and health challenges, and my medical background gives me a particular lens for the emotional weight that comes with caregiving and health-related stress. Having immigrated myself, I also work often with immigrant women navigating cultural transitions and changes in identity, and I hold a particular interest in the experience of South Asian immigrant women.

For me, the heart of therapy is the relationship itself. I put real emphasis on building a space where clients feel safe, understood, and free to be themselves, and while we always keep sight of what brought someone to therapy, I stay flexible about how we get there, since growth is not linear and different moments call for different approaches. Therapy is something we do together, and I want clients to feel like we are working side by side toward what matters most to them.