About Me

Hello! I am Zahra, the owner and counsellor at Mangrove Counselling.

I feel privileged to support teenage and adult individuals in the sometimes messy and rewarding processes of self-exploration and self-development. I believe that people often possess the answers they seek but may need support to confront and explore the experiences or parts of themselves they fear facing.

I value the therapeutic relationship as a space where relational presence matters. I aim to bring empathy and validation to my role as a counsellor, with the goal of empowering clients to access their own inner wisdom, clarify their values, and make choices that feel authentic and aligned with who they are.

I also believe it is important to acknowledge the external challenges posed by systemic injustices and societal constraints, which can make living in alignment with one’s values more difficult. I aim to offer a space to explore these influences, with particular interest in supporting clients with attachment wounds and those moving through a world that was not designed to include everyone equally.

Before pursuing counselling, I worked as a high school and elementary teacher and in program coordination and research within the fields of Indigenous post-secondary education, Indigenous-led conservation, and Indigenous mental health. I bring that background into how I understand context, community, and the weight of structural realities on people’s day-to-day lives.

When not at work, I love spending time in nature, whether hiking through the forest or paddling on the ocean. I find that sense of connection to myself and others in those moments, and I carry that with me into the work.

Registered Clinical Counsellor

M. Ed Counselling Psychology UBC

Masters of Public Health UBC

Bachelor of Education UVic

Bachelor of Arts Duke University

Selected Trainings

ASIST – suicide prevention

AEDP with Richard Harrison

EFT with Les Greenberg

Relational Empathy with Lavender Counselling

Understanding Aromanticism and Asexuality with Aubrey Lancaster

Grief and Loss with ___

Countertransference with ___

Alliance Focused DBT with a focus on rupture and repair